Why Ride
In 1982, I became very sick one spring while attending graduate school in San Francisco. I don’t know if it was “Finals Fever” or just the need to self care. All I knew was that I felt so sick, the only things that felt good to me were remedies stemming from my childhood:
Fresca
Popsicles
On my sickest day, I watched that movie four times back-to-back! FOUR TIMES! My roommates almost killed me. To THIS day, the soundtrack of the movie conjures up such profound memories. I swear, it’s part of the reason why Michael and I honeymooned in Australia! (We even explored the Blue Mountains of Australia which reminded me of the movie!.)
I was obsessed!
Like my daughter, there were significant times in my childhood and young adulthood, when horses dominated my social life. For two summers, I volunteered with Circle H ranch to help round up cattle in the Sawtooth mountain range by Mammoth Lakes, California. My experience with Circle H Ranch preceded but resembled the movie City Slickers, just a tad more rustic.
But it was The Man from Snowy River that called to my soul.
Jeannette and I are hosting a Riding and Writing retreat up at our friend’s ranch. Chas Rauch has invited us to his cabin up in the Uinta mountains and arranged for us to come heart to heart with horses.
Why Ride?
Some people say hanging out with horses helps with our positive mental health and relaxation. I am one of those people. I’ve seen time and time again the healing power of horses.
Horses relax you and intuitively seem to know what you need. They act as natural tranquilizers – their very presence can lower blood pressure and improve your mood.
I’ve written about my experience with medicine horses here.
From 1993 to1997 Chas and his horse George completed a cross country horseback riding trek 3,600 miles (Coast to Coast). That’s right! He took 4 years to ride cross country!
His secret?
Keep It Simple
Meet Chas in this 5-min interview about how he likes to
“Keep Things Simple”
“Slow it down
Look around, take it in just to observe.
You begin to feel a part of the environment.”
Why Write?
We engender a growth mindset through writing—and writing deeply.
A writing life is rich with truth and exploration that bring our very beings to life.
Each of our lives is a precious story in itself. And each of us has an unlimited amount of stories to tell.
Writing expresses who we are, and reveals us to ourselves. It makes our knowledge, our personal aspirations and our work for the future visible to others, if we choose to let it. Writing is the means to explain our ideas to ourselves and to others while preserving our personal experiences and our memories.
No one else can do it for you.
Come share a weekend with us. We’ll share explorations guided by yoga, riding, writing, and good people gathered round the table as we share food and libations.
What’s your Man from Snowy River? Which horses in movies or books stick with you even after all these years? I would really love to know! Either leave a comment on this blog (below) or
Jeannette, my co-host says:
“For me it’s Anne reciting this line from The Highwayman in Anne of Green Gables:
‘The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.’”
