I guess I figured life wasn't crazy enough with the kids starting back to school, their days of Scout meetings and soccer and fundraisers and music lessons and homework all mushing together, getting to work and home in time to shuttle kids from place to place, and school board meetings, and barn chores, and let's not forget everyone needs to eat dinner! Because I did this thing....I signed up to go to a six day Chris Cox Horsemanship I Clinic in a couple weeks!!! This has been on my bucket list since we first went as a family to Triangle C Ranch in Wyoming in which my dad and I rode in Mr. Cox's 1/2 day clinic for the week. It gave me just a taste of what there is to further my connection with horses, and I added to my list of dreams (which really are goals if you want them to come true!) to complete Chris Cox's Horsemanship Clinics I thru V someday. Maybe I should have thought this through a little more, but when the opportunity presented itself to go to this clinic, I knew there would never be a "right" time. There will always be work schedules, kid schedules, meetings, and events that I really should go to or don't want to miss....but sometimes you just have to go for it! In reality, I have been talking this over with my family for months and it was a tough decision since they will all have to hold down the fort without mom around for a week. I know they will do fine, and I hope that they learn from me to follow your dreams.
So what does this have to do with Trail Riding? I feel as though I'm preparing for a trail ride that I've never been on before. I'm finding myself preparing for this trip differently then I have for previous trips. As Chris Cox has said to me before about preparing for a trail ride (I'm paraphrasing here), "you have to develop the tools in the arena, so you have what you need on a trail ride. You never know what you'll come across." As a Boy Scout family (an Eagle Scout husband and two boys in Scouts since they were in first grade), "always be prepared" is our motto. In the mist of all our Fall schedule craziness I'm preparing for this trip by working on developing the tools I will need to be prepared for the clinic. I'm working on all my horsemanship skills, getting as much riding in as possible, asking for help to work on my riding from some great local horse people, and getting my mind and body ready for 6 days of riding for almost 7 hours everyday. If that isn't a reason to start exercising everyday and eating right then I don't know what is! It definitely is giving me a reason to stay focused. As I prepare these next couple weeks, I keep re-focusing on the most important part - my family! They are the priority. They are my "why" that drives me to continue to improve myself. I know that no matter how much I prepare, I'll never truly feel ready. This experience is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone! But that is where the great stuff happens. That is the part of the trail ride that you never forget!
Life is like a trail ride, the best part is the ride! Wherever the destination may be, take in the trail on your way there. That is where all the beauty lies. Sometimes the path divides and you have to decide which trail to take. Sometimes there are obstacles in the path. Do you go around it? Do you go over it? Do you avoid it all together? The obstacles make the ride challenging and fun. Here's the thing...you can't go on a trail ride without a horse! So you are never truly alone! Who, or what, in your life is going on the trail ride with you? And a trail ride is better with other people to ride with. Now sometimes a trail ride alone - with just you and your horse - is needed to just find some clarity and to re-focus. Mind you this is where you need to truly have faith in your horse....although your not alone you don't have other people to be there to help you. But riding the trail is so much more rewarding and fun with friends. It's so much better to share the triumphs and troubles along the way with other people. I truly am blessed to have my family and friends to ride the trails of my life with me and share all the beautiful moments.
I hope to share my thoughts with you as well along this crazy trail ride in hopes that it helps both of us to feel that we are on this ride together. So join me on the trail ride and just maybe it will inspire you to venture out on your own ride!
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