Avelene

05/30/2024

Avelene Morrowseer (Wildwych Wily Casanova X *Glenormiston Roscrea)

10/07/2023

We were born with silence, and as we grew up we lost the silence and we were filled with words.

We lived in our hearts, and as time passed we moved into our heads.

Now the reverse of this journey is enlightenment.

It is the journey from the head back to the heart, from words back to silence; getting back to our innocence in spite of our intelligence.

~Eckhart Tolle

03/30/2023

Yay there we are!!!

03/29/2023

Have you ever just come to the abrupt realization that you don't see anything the same anymore?

The two year old that you once would have approved of starting under saddle now looks like an incredibly immature baby that you can't imagine asking to carry a load.

Physical issues that lead to training and performance issues you no longer view as the problem but perhaps the solution to the actual problem.

All of the things you would have considered behavioral issues you can now see as the balance issues that they are. You no longer want to address the behavior but instead the reason for the behavior.

You are no longer fooled by words. Anyone can say anything about their training and approach...but the horse will tell you a lot about whether the words match the action, if you're educated enough to see it. Some things are debatable...other things definitely aren't.

You now recognize that you are a nervous system and your horse is a nervous system...and that the priority is to keep you upright and alive. That matters, A LOT.

You recognize that developing a horse is an endeavor that takes years. YEARS. Years of a lot of time and a lot of commitment. There's truly no substitute.

You also realize that getting here has meant admitting that there were times when you were wrong. That there were times when you did harm with the best of your intentions. That you had to walk away from circles of people whose beliefs and approach no longer lined up with what you now know...or maybe they walked away from you? Either way, it's hard to stand alone sometimes.

You realize you've had to become a beginner a thousand times over...and you'll continue to find yourself in that spot a thousand more times in the future, plus some. Maybe even at some point today.

You realize that even when it feels like you haven't grown at all...you actually have. That growth is something to be proud of, no matter where you're at on your journey.

- Terra

02/19/2023

Many thoughts.

Entitlement, as it has to do with horses some can afford to buy but are unable to ride---

Here’s an interesting take on that subject from a different perspective.

I used to teach clinics at Waradaca Farm in Maryland, and one day in 1999 Ken Gore picked me up at the airport. This wasn’t long after John Kennedy, Jr. had been killed trying to fly to Hyannis, and I asked Ken about it. Ken had been a naval flight instructor in Florida, hugely experienced, and he told me that going at night the way Kennedy had, with minimal experience was beyond reckless. Then he added---“Entitlement can do you in.”

I asked him to explain. Ken said, “Look. Denny, if you or I were in Washington, DC, and wanted to stop by The White House and visit with the President, could we do it? John Kennedy could. If you or I were in Rome, and wanted a private audience with the Pope, could we do it? John Kennedy could. It doesn’t make him a bad guy---He just existed on another level of the possible. If he wanted something, he wasn’t used to being told he couldn’t have it. He wanted to fly that airplane in conditions that were too much for his skill.”

Similarly, there are far more riders who can afford to purchase elite horses than there are riders good enough to ride them. Being able to buy it isn't the same as being able to ride it.

10/17/2022

Well said

Should we be jealous of success? Something that has been on my mind lately regarding humans in general but specifically the horse world is how quick people are to put down, slam even slander others I guess in an attempt to elevate ourselves. Competitors putting down other competitors, trainers spreading rumors about other trainers, what does anyone gain from this madness?
I think in some ways it is an attempt to circumvent the system and rise to a higher level on a self made pedestal as a short cut to doing the actual work required to get there.
Oftentimes we think we can gain an edge if people think better of us than so and so.
Here is my theory, if we all just worked to make ourselves better and be different, people will gravitate to us. We do our best to encourage people first as humans then with their horse and how to make their relationship a more enjoyable one. I believe in the long run more people will get and stay into horses which in turn will make the horse industry strong. If an industry is strong it allows everyone to get a piece of the pie at the same time making the whole pie bigger and probably making each slice bigger as well.
So let's all challenge ourselves to humbly help those that need it, encourage as we are continuing to make ourselves better as we are putting in the WORK required.

Photo Credit: Tracey Buyce Photography, Tracey Buyce