The sadness of detaching from the horses

Learned almost all I know from Jack

Today I told my mentor sensei Master Pai Mai cowboy Jack that I was leaving at the end of the month and I felt he was truly sad, then he said "go down to that Burbank equestrian center and hang around, see whats what-- people will take you on for exercising their horses for sure." 
Jack just knows everything and he's like a father figure. I'm sure I'll be calling him for help if/when I get some horses to ride.
I asked him how he would describe my horse skills at this point so I could put it in the classifieds.  so simple, he says "well you're not an amateur, and you're not advanced, that makes you intermediate."   Great!!!  I aspired to that classification and wondered if I could use it in CA.

Learned the other half of what I know from my only friend Jamie,
(She owns Rocky) a true "horsewoman" --fearless and admirable in
her strength and intimidating skills in all things

Jack jokes, "take Rocky with you, you guys are so good together"  The first day I got to the stables I said "wow look at him, I want to ride him!"  Jamie told me I had a ways to go before I could handle him.  Half Percheron, quarter Arabian and quarter Morgan.  So he's a big oaf.  Mouthy, spirited, 'green' (not fully trained) unfocused, obnoxious at times, but also the best looking-- see how looks can get you so far!

Jamie was the first to say okay how about Rocky today?   Jack thought I wasn't good enough yet.  But I think Jamie said something like "are you afraid of falling off?" "No." "Then you're ready to ride  him."  Never got bucked OFF once yet.  Bucked yes, fallen off, no.

 As he is now for sale... I said if I ever get to my previous level of income again I would think about bringing him down to live with me..if he didn't work out for the first people who purchase him.  I wonder.... hmmmm.

The first few days I rode him he didn't respect me.  He would play this game bobbing his head up and down, up and down, so I couldn't get his bit on.  Finally I grabbed him by the halter and said in a very low voice, right in the side of his face--  "Look, do you want to stand around here playing this fucking game in the mud, or do you want to go out and run."  He put his head right down for me and the bit went right in.  We came to "an understanding" after that and ever since its been improvement every day.  Don't anyone tell me he's not too bright (Jack).

There is a horse at these stables here that just sits in her pen day after day, no one ever comes for her. They said oh yeah that's Bailey she gets ridden about 3 times a year when her owner comes in. I was horrified! I feel guilty if I miss a week with Rocky! So i asked Jack to ask the owner if I could take her out for exercise and today was the first time I worked with her, everybody who saw me brushing her says "Oh gawd, you're going to try to ride HER? and all said she was difficult " Jack says "Her owner wants to love and hug and all over her but Bailey's just straight to the point, 'don't give me that bullshit lets go"  so I treated her that way.   she didn't act up a bit, just running in the round pen, face time I like to do before riding because riding they never get to look you in the eye, feel your body, smell you, etc right?, and when we were done she came to me with head down and licking lips just like Horse Talk TV says (I don't know why they do that but it means they acknowledge you as the boss) and Jack said she totally submitted to me and I think he was a little surprised. So i said will you give me a good reference when I go for these horse jobs in LA. ha ha ha. horse whisperer. but if they are so sensitive, which they are, don't you think they can tell that I just love them and would not hurt them and she was probably so thankful to get out of 1 foot deep manure and mud that she stands in?  I'll get more pics tomorrow and put them in here.

3 times a year-- thats neglect if you ask me. Many of the horses boarding there are taken EVERY DAY out to the pasture to run and cavort, and put away at dusk.  Some, like Rocky and Bailey, are kept in these row houses with kind of a "backyard" space-- some of  them dont play well with others.  I understand this like with my pit mix Rune.

I'm pouring out my blahhhhhh here because I really love that place (the stables) and those horses and Jack, Jamie and Jadyn and even Jessica-- the 4Jays.... so, incredibly, it actually WILL be hard to leave them behind-- unlike the rest of this shit town.

This has been the most unusual period in my life, not having a job for 5 months, the joy of being able to drive on down to the stables every day, sometimes twice, learn so much in such a short time, have zero places to go and only friends at the stable. AND I was able to exist on much less money than I ever thought possible.........

so I enjoyed it as much as possible, and I'm so grateful I had it~!  But I hope I can work from home in LA because a nap at 10:30am or 2 pm is now regular.