When will you give up?
Two days back i went horse back riding...it was very foggy; yet that was an excitment by itself. Anyways...Bandari was that day's horse...of course i was excited .. i missed my friend... we spent the first hour as good as we can be...actually i was quite satisfied... UNTIL...our trainer decides to take us out towards an area that is "big" enough for the horses to run for their "lives" .. and yet..a place that could contain their "wildness" ...
Objective:
to learn how to jump and get used to the "lil hills" as our trainer calls them...actually they are very small lil dunes here and there...
There was a stack of dried grass that was tied and kept close to a "lil hill" .. we had to come towards it.. jump over it... and "up the hill we go"...
With Bandari...it took me almost 7 times... everytime was worst than the previous one... he was stubborn and resisted..we'd be coming so fast... his position is perfect.. but once he is 30 cm away from the target... he either stops suddenly...or he'd shift himself quickly to the right...(which is not so "nice") ... i kept trying with him over and over again.. i got frustrated.. the trainer asks me to use the whip.. and i wish i didn't.... i know Bandari.. he just goes so fast if i had the whip in my hand.. even if i didn't use it..
He runs on "full speed" towards the stack...and i was like okay .. now he'll jump.. but once he was there...he stops and moves to the right in a second...
It was a second but it felt like 20 minutes...
In aviation they say "the plane kissed the ground" but i PLANTED myself on the ground.. it felt like a slow motion short clip...and the distance from his back to the ground seemed like..forever..!!! As soon as i opened my eyes i see the lil fella staring at me... what was i supposed to do...pfff.. he is adorable regardless his mood swings :p
Few more rounds and i called it a day.. one miserable fall is enough for the day !
My Point.. yes i know... that was an introduciton... :p
This incident made me wonder….
When will you give up? You try so hard… you keep trying and trying with all the hope that you’d succeed…but you end up being hurt… so much pain yet you resist to give up…you count the bruises but at the same time you try to decide what will you do next… you cannot give up… you don’t want to…
Sometimes I wonder….maybe if I didn’t push too hard on him…maybe if I gave him his time to digest the facts…the fact that there was a hill…and few more obstacles…maybe if I wasn’t so selfish and ignored the strain in all my muscles…. maybe if i took it easy...
Did he expect me to give up? I didn't .. if i stopped that does not necessarily mean that i gave up.. if he did give up on me... then that is another issue...
Bandari is just a horse.. but we can have similar situations in our daily life..
When will you quit? When will you decide that there is no hope? A decision that is very difficult.. doctors face it always.. when to plug the respiratory machines... don't we all have those machines.. they can be your bestest friend.. or they can be your pen...
A Lost Dot:
I used to say no pain no gain…but sometimes the pain is way too much… patience is all what you need.. with a bit of endurance.. a bit of strength.. and presistence...
7 comments:
you should really introduce me to bandari one day.. it's like he's the man who stole your heart or somethin :p
I LOVE horse riding and plan to go back once i am done.
Animals do sense fear and uncertainty. The like discipline and confidence and love to cut corners. That is why trainers reinforce that all the time.
A steady seat, legs always circling the girth and the right amount of give and take, a pat and a polo whenever they get something right.
All the principles we apply to our relationships in life.
I remember a horse I was always assigned to when I used to ride. A really beautiful Arabian. Graceful yet Stubborn. I learnt alot from him. I learnt to trust and give chances and never give up. He did the most awkward things on jumps, he would rear after each jump, or gallop like crazy. What I ended up doing was tire him before the session by taking him for a good gallop, "let it all out" then get him to focus on jumping, it worked!!
What helped according to my trainer then, it was the fact that I was calm "or appeared so", never screamed when he ran into gates, nobody knew when I fell except when I fell. And always got back whenever I fell. So he knew I was not going to go anywhere, and the only way was to work together.
where do you ride? Nad El Sheba?
Perhaps this isn't a one day journey? Perhaps it takes a fall or two and much more patience to earn his trust and his confidence?
Here is a thought - read/recite the beautiful poem "Humes" (to yourself) and to Bandari - should kick start the trust process :)
Ride safe Dots.
practical utopian... you know my timings.. whenever you decide :D
you can say he is the "horse" that stole my heart lol..
hl&H: every horse is different.. like how we are different.. Bandari didn't mean to drop me off his back.. he just didn't want to jump.. am used to the falls by now.. as you said.. people don't know that i fell until i am on the ground..but the point is .. when will you give up from trying.. whether it was a horse.. or a human being.. in your case HL&H will you ever give up treating a case if you know that chances aren't that high? :)
nad il sheba is very crowded & far.. you too give your horses polo..lol where i used to train before they had this habbit.. a polo at the end of every session :p
Rosh.. "Perhaps it takes a fall or two and much more patience to earn his trust and his confidence?"
how much will pain could u tolerate and how patient would you be if Bandari was a human being.. how patient would you be to earn his/her confidence and trust again?
Bandari is so sweet.. he is.. he wouldn't carry in his heart against you.. he really loves it when you pat him.. and he wouldn't drop you off his back intentionally..
the "humses" .. its an archive lol .. what reminded u of it ..
don't give up on those you love.. regardless how much they try to shut you out...
"how much will pain could u tolerate and how patient would you be if Bandari was a human being..
"
Hmmm well not the same day or perhaps the next day - I meant once you took a break/rest from each other.
"how patient would you be to earn his/her confidence and trust again?"
Well depends how much you want it : ) I once stood for several hours in the summer, on hell on earth city - Queens, New York, to catch a glimpse of Steffi Graf : ) If you want it - pain/rain/sun/moon - walla nothing's an issue : ) Ok I guess we are talking about Bandari not Steffi, so yes, perhaps you have a point there : )
I like the last para of Humses - it's very much from the heart. I read your post and it reminded of Humes.
ROSH STEFFI GRAF .. man could'nt u have found a better looking lady :p you should've came here during the last few weeks to watch the Tennis open !
"it depends on how much you want it" that is true.. very true.. if you want it so badly you'd tolerate the pain and everything else to get it.. :D
thanks for your continuos input Rosh.. (lol i sounded like writing a business memo in the last sentencë but u got the point...)
" ROSH STEFFI GRAF .. man could'nt u have found a better looking lady :p"
GASP! blasphemy blasphemy :) "Hail" Steffi : ) lol
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