I See You

Tania Kindersley, Author of Words Matter: The English Language and the Happy Horse:

Tara had a prolonged case of spring fever that the summer storm season didn’t remedy. Whatever was going on in the horse pasture at night, she seemed unsettled when I went to get her most mornings.

Her unease fed my unease then back again in a downward spiral. We were becoming the equivalent of the comedy duo in a haunted house where one of us would make a noise and the other would say “W-w-what was that?” But it wasn’t funny. There’s no place for the jitters in the arena, equine or human.

Whatever the root of the anxiety was, my friend Karly knew how to put an end to it.

“Try lunging her before you ride.”

I had only done a little bit of lunging with my previous horse and neither one of us had really enjoyed it. My stable time is limited enough that I just want to spend as much time as I can riding my horse, not looking at her. However, I wasn’t enjoying our rides as much lately anyway, so we walked into the arena to give it a try.

As soon as I hooked on the lunge line and sent Tara off in a circle around me, I immediately noticed how hard it was to keep her inside eye on me. I realized if she was that distracted during groundwork, no wonder I couldn’t keep her attention from the saddle. I kept coaxing her to pay attention as she did transitions and reverses and it all got easier as we progressed.

It didn’t take long, just ten minutes, and as I let her walk up to me at the end she seemed much calmer and focused. More importantly, I realized that I, in turn, felt calmer and focused on her. We went on to have the best ride and best connection than what we’ve had in weeks.

Lunging was the perfect remedy for both of us, and I now try to make time for it to be the rule for us rather than the exception. Why would Tara bother focusing on our partnership when I’m not? It takes two to lunge and it’s so worth it.

About The Authors

Xander Oddity- Xander Oddity, an eccentric and intrepid news reporter, is a master of unearthing the strange and bizarre. With an insatiable curiosity for the unconventional, Xander ventures into the depths of the unknown, fearlessly pursuing stories that defy conventional explanation. Armed with a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience in the realm of conspiracies, Xander is a seasoned investigator of the extraordinary. Throughout his illustrious career, Xander has built a reputation for delving into the shadows of secrecy and unraveling the enigmatic. With an unyielding determination and an unwavering belief in the power of the bizarre, Xander strives to shed light on the unexplained and challenge the boundaries of conventional wisdom. In his pursuit of the truth, Xander continues to inspire others to question the world around them and embrace the unexpected.