We've been under an excessive heat warning for almost a month, here, in the Midwest. Heat indexes between 105 and 115 many days. It's too damned miserable to do any kind of riding. My only goal for the past few weeks has been keeping the horses as cool and healthy as possible in this miserable crap. It hasn't been easy. Gabe will stand for hours in the sprinkler, but Chief and Calypso want nothing to do with it and prefer to stand in the sun practically panting and dripping sweat.
The only thing I can do is keep their water cool, hose them off and do as much as I can to keep the horrible, horrible bugs away.
In the meantime, my kid is waaay out west enjoying lots of California sunshine, (hot, but not humid. What a world of difference that makes!) mountains, trail riding and camping with her Nana, aunt and cousin!
See what the kid has been up to!
Showing posts with label other bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label other bloggers. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Classical wisdom
I've been trying to catch up on my blog reading and I'm currently reading through several posts by Calm, Forward, Straight about classical dressage and the current popular (and very wrong, in my opinion) method of riding a horse consistently behind the vertical. This post (which is a reposting of a series of articles from the Dressage and CT magazine no longer in publication), struck me as particularly relevant for me right now.
Face Behind the Vertical
A "modern" deviation from the classical ideal.
Part Three
by Erik V. Herbermann
Modern trainers claim that horses "give" better in their backs when they are ridden behind the vertical. But as we have seen earlier form Fillis and Baucher, the only advantage to this way of working is that the horse cannot as easily resist the rider. Now, our instant gut reaction might be that this is exactly what we want, but for true horsemanship, this is only "Fool's Gold," because where poor riding makes the horse unable to resist, good riding strives to give the horse no reason to resist.
Not only does the artificial "face behind the vertical" way of ridding the horse of its ability to resist not lead to a true state of "lack of resistance" (which can only originate from honest, forward-going work), but it actually blocks off the very avenue though which such correct influences might come into play at all. This blockage occurs on both the psychological and physical planes.
Psychologically: if we rob the horse of its "say" by shutting off its ability to resist, we inevitably also shut off its willingness to contribute, and with that evaporates the potential for achieving the "playful ease and beauty" of the performances. Those coveted fruits of riding, which can only unfold from an honest, trusting, and harmonious partnership have thus been forfeited. The dialogue has ceased. Only the rider's willful monologue remains.
Physically and technically: by riding the horse behind the vertical, with curled-up "empty" necks, we rob them of the proper use of the major locomotive muscles in their backs, which are anchored in the neck. The hind legs are hindered from "jumping freely into the poll," which would ordinarily cause the horse to carry its head with the poll as the highest point. And since the energy is therefore not properly focused out of the hindquarters and reaching forward to the bit, the horses are not honestly stretched in their spines. The connection between the hindquarter and the bit, which is indispensable to correct work, has not been solidly established. Instead of beiong supple and energetic, such a hindquarter is restricted and stiff and cannot develop the appropriate carrying and thrusting energy that leads to correct balance.
The correct balance in the horse should be "held" by the perpendicular balance of the rider's spine, resting partially on the crotch and mainly on both seat bones. If, however, it is held with the hands, such as it often is when the horse is ridden with its face behind the vertical, either the horses barge like locomotives against the bit, up to which they have been forced, or they are artificially light in hand (behind the bit) and are not truly going forward. This is one of the central reasons for the artificial quality of the gaits we so often see.
For our horsemanship to be valid, its critical that we tirelessly strive to maintain the highest quality of the gaits. This is reflected in the absolute purity of the footfall, which is the medium ---the very lifeblood--- of good horsemanship. It is therefore imperative for us to understand the inseparable correlation between the head and neck position of the horse, how this position has been achieved, and the direct effects these elements have on the quality of the gaits.
In a well known book of ethical guidelines, the Master says, "By their fruits will you know them. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" We can rightfully draw an analogy and conclude that good work produces pure, beautiful gaits. Poor work produces warping and distortions. So judging by its unmistakable ruinous effects on the gaits, "face behind the vertical" should have no part in our horsemanship if we are at all sincere about following the classical way. "Face behind the vertical" is a tip-of-the-iceberg phenomenon in which the basic mathematics is wrong --- how can the equations built on it help but fail?
Face Behind the Vertical
A "modern" deviation from the classical ideal.
Part Three
by Erik V. Herbermann
Modern trainers claim that horses "give" better in their backs when they are ridden behind the vertical. But as we have seen earlier form Fillis and Baucher, the only advantage to this way of working is that the horse cannot as easily resist the rider. Now, our instant gut reaction might be that this is exactly what we want, but for true horsemanship, this is only "Fool's Gold," because where poor riding makes the horse unable to resist, good riding strives to give the horse no reason to resist.
Not only does the artificial "face behind the vertical" way of ridding the horse of its ability to resist not lead to a true state of "lack of resistance" (which can only originate from honest, forward-going work), but it actually blocks off the very avenue though which such correct influences might come into play at all. This blockage occurs on both the psychological and physical planes.
Psychologically: if we rob the horse of its "say" by shutting off its ability to resist, we inevitably also shut off its willingness to contribute, and with that evaporates the potential for achieving the "playful ease and beauty" of the performances. Those coveted fruits of riding, which can only unfold from an honest, trusting, and harmonious partnership have thus been forfeited. The dialogue has ceased. Only the rider's willful monologue remains.
Physically and technically: by riding the horse behind the vertical, with curled-up "empty" necks, we rob them of the proper use of the major locomotive muscles in their backs, which are anchored in the neck. The hind legs are hindered from "jumping freely into the poll," which would ordinarily cause the horse to carry its head with the poll as the highest point. And since the energy is therefore not properly focused out of the hindquarters and reaching forward to the bit, the horses are not honestly stretched in their spines. The connection between the hindquarter and the bit, which is indispensable to correct work, has not been solidly established. Instead of beiong supple and energetic, such a hindquarter is restricted and stiff and cannot develop the appropriate carrying and thrusting energy that leads to correct balance.
The correct balance in the horse should be "held" by the perpendicular balance of the rider's spine, resting partially on the crotch and mainly on both seat bones. If, however, it is held with the hands, such as it often is when the horse is ridden with its face behind the vertical, either the horses barge like locomotives against the bit, up to which they have been forced, or they are artificially light in hand (behind the bit) and are not truly going forward. This is one of the central reasons for the artificial quality of the gaits we so often see.
For our horsemanship to be valid, its critical that we tirelessly strive to maintain the highest quality of the gaits. This is reflected in the absolute purity of the footfall, which is the medium ---the very lifeblood--- of good horsemanship. It is therefore imperative for us to understand the inseparable correlation between the head and neck position of the horse, how this position has been achieved, and the direct effects these elements have on the quality of the gaits.
In a well known book of ethical guidelines, the Master says, "By their fruits will you know them. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" We can rightfully draw an analogy and conclude that good work produces pure, beautiful gaits. Poor work produces warping and distortions. So judging by its unmistakable ruinous effects on the gaits, "face behind the vertical" should have no part in our horsemanship if we are at all sincere about following the classical way. "Face behind the vertical" is a tip-of-the-iceberg phenomenon in which the basic mathematics is wrong --- how can the equations built on it help but fail?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Oh, hunting I want to go!
I miss foxhunting. Very badly. It is a thrill like no other I can even begin to describe. I grew up foxhunting with my mom and my first hunts were with the Ft. Leavenworth Hunt in Kansas. So much fun on a naughty, naughty (but very game) pony.
I was hoping to be able to hunt Gabe this season, but that hasn't quite panned out the way I'd hoped.
Natalie at Retired Racehorse Today posted this video (along with a few others) and I watched it a couple of times with goose bumps of thrills breaking out on my skin, my heart racing and my legs aching to be on a horse riding with that pack! I admit, I am a bit of a horseback adrenalin junkie...and this is my drug of choice. I need a fix!
This is video of the Scarteen Hunters in Ireland...ooohhh...FUN!! They say if you want a truly thrilling hunt, find an Irish pack. No fear.
I spent way too much time watching YouTube videos of foxhunts and all it managed to do was make me want to go hunting even more badly! Most of the videos I watched are of hunts in Ireland and England. One was of a pack of bloodhounds that track human "quarry" instead of fox, since that country outlawed hunting an actual fox. Still, too much fun! I totally live in the wrong country.
I was hoping to be able to hunt Gabe this season, but that hasn't quite panned out the way I'd hoped.
Natalie at Retired Racehorse Today posted this video (along with a few others) and I watched it a couple of times with goose bumps of thrills breaking out on my skin, my heart racing and my legs aching to be on a horse riding with that pack! I admit, I am a bit of a horseback adrenalin junkie...and this is my drug of choice. I need a fix!
This is video of the Scarteen Hunters in Ireland...ooohhh...FUN!! They say if you want a truly thrilling hunt, find an Irish pack. No fear.
I spent way too much time watching YouTube videos of foxhunts and all it managed to do was make me want to go hunting even more badly! Most of the videos I watched are of hunts in Ireland and England. One was of a pack of bloodhounds that track human "quarry" instead of fox, since that country outlawed hunting an actual fox. Still, too much fun! I totally live in the wrong country.
Friday, March 26, 2010
What a mare!
Linking to a post from Equine Progressive about my favorite racing mare...she just becomes more amazing every time I hear about her.
Friday, March 12, 2010
It's a thing of beauty!
Wow. Look what Natalie over at Retired Racehorse tagged me with! I am humbled! I hop on over to her thoughtfully written, informative and funny blog every day, hoping to glean a little more insight into training these wonderful retired racehorses I love so much. She and I have quite a few of the same training philosophies and methods, I believe, and it is so nice hearing how her training is going with Final Call and watching as some of her issues with him echo the ones I've had with Gabe.
Well, apparently, part of this Beautiful Blogger award involves me divulging seven secrets about myself.
Do I even have seven that are still secrets? I dunno. Maybe?
1. When I was young I taught my mom's hunter, Mike, to rear on command when I tapped him on the shoulder with a crop. While mounted. Needless to say, she was NOT pleased with my training results.
2. I once attempted to imitate bareback bronc riders on my pony, Blaze. I jumped on her bareback, wrapped a rope around her flanks, snugged it up tight and let 'er rip. She flung me into a solid board wall and knocked me out. My sister thought I was dead.
3. I used to force my sister to ride with me in the "forbidden areas" when we were kids. We once broke a federal law and rode across a military shooting range/bomb testing area we had very specifically been ordered not to go any where near.
4. I was once a carnie. My family still makes fun of me but it was an experience I treasure.
5. I write professionally. I have written and sold some stories of the ummm....adult variety.
6. I would love to ride haute' ecole airs above ground movements on a well-trained Lipizzaner.
7. I have ridden naked. It was a Lady Godiva kind of moment.
Whew. I feel like I've been to confession today.
The second part of this award requires that I tag 15 bloggers and link them. I'm going to tag and link until I get tired of the process...probably before I reach 15.
Several of my horsie blogger friends already have received this award, but I'm going to link them anyway simply because I enjoy their blogs. Those tagged don't have to play along if they don't want, but if you haven't read some of them, you should!
If you haven't stopped by 7MSN Ranch yet, you don't know what you're missing. She let's her beautiful photos and hysterical animals tell the stories for her. In case you are wondering, 7MSN stands for "7 Miles South of Nowhere." LOVE IT!
Kate at A Year With Horses posts beautiful photos of the young and the old horses at her barn and writes thoughtful insights into the minds, habits and personalities of her horses.
You haven't stopped by to say "Hi!" to KK over at All Horse Stuff yet? Why not? Get moving! You won't be sorry. I'll bet she'll make you jealous of the amazingly inspiring, serene places she rides! I know I always get jealous when she posts photos of her rides.
Jaz and Poco are the stars of Leah's Barn Door Tagz blog. If their antics don't make you smile you have a hard, hard heart. Leah captures their personalities and shares her ups and downs as a horse owner in a way so many of us can identify with.
Mugwump Chronicles. Need I say more? Yes, she's a western trainer, but her thoughts about how the horse mind works and her myriad of experiences and stories are universal to the horse world, whether it's dressage, reining, jumping or pleasure riding.
I've got mud. Oodles of mud. So does Tammy at Horse Trail Riders. I feel her pain. I love her house and her farm and her horses. Stop by!
Horses. Dogs. Cows. Rattlesnakes. Desert. Oh my! The Horseshoeing Housewife has it all! And she's absolutely hysterical.
Nuzzling Muzzles has a little Arab mare by the name of Gabrielle. She's a gorgeous gray, like my own Gabriel, and is in the process of training the young'un. She also has really irritating neighbors (whom I would have killed and quietly buried a long time ago!) and two other Arabs who share her horsie life: Bombay and Lostine.
Billie at Camera Obscura has been a powerful blogger voice against rollkur, powerful and loud enough she attracted the attention of the FEI, the pre-eminent voice and rule-maker in all things dressage. It probably helps that she is a beautiful writer who obviously has much passion for not only her own horses, but for all horses and their welfare and treatment.
And finally (because I'm getting tired of the tedious process of linking blogs on this stupid work Mac. It's not a simple copy/paste function. Noooo...of course not!) you must, must, must stop by Vet on the Edge. Not really horse-related, but animal related. In Alaska. This blog is an absolute pleasure to read and I look forward to each and every post. If you don't love it, feel free to beat me with wet noodles.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Equestrian's Bucket List
I stole the Equestrian's Bucket List from Training My Off Track Thoroughbred's blog. She found it on Fugly's blog. Who knows where it came from originally, but I'm borrowing it for mine!
Since I'm unsure how to cross through words without screwing it all up, I'm just going to bold the ones I've accomplished.
1. Gallop on the beach. Does galloping on along a sand bar in the Kansas River count?
2. Win a blue ribbon. I have a few. Very aged they are, but I have them! I even have a couple of purple ones a few multi-colored rosettes.
3.Enjoy an evening of equestrian theater. Have seen the Lipizzaners a couple of times and been to the Noble Horse Theatre in Chicago.
4. Try your hand at cattle work. Find out what it means when they say a horse is “cowy.” Popped up on a friend's cutting horse once. HOLY COW! What a ride! When they say sit down, hold on and enjoy, they mean it.
5. Jump! From crossrails to cross-country obstacles, experience the thrill of soaring over fences. Yup. Yup. Yup. Yup. Fox hunting FTW!
6. Fall off and get right back on again. Conquering fear is empowering. You haven't truly ridden until you've fallen. I can't even count the number of times I've eaten dirt.
7. See the majestic white Lipizzan stallions at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. I've seen the traveling U.S. show, but would love to visit the Spanish Riding School, not only for the horses, but for all the history and architecture there.
8. Come to a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse. Sit down and HANG ON! Got to ride one of those dizzying spins, too.
9. Take a lesson with your equestrian idol, _________ (you fill in the blank). I'd love to have a weekend of cross-country lessons with Pippa Funnell and a month of dressage lessons with Reiner Klimke and Charles de Kunffy.
10. Nurse a horse through a crisis and back to full health. Yes. More than once. Not always my own.
11. Experience the smooth ride of a gaited horse. Rode a gaited spotted mule. The Cadillac for old lady trail riders.
12. Watch the horses come through the Head of the Lake on cross-country day at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. One of these days I'll have the time and the funds to get back to Rolex. I went three years in a row, haven't been back for about four years.
13. Have the courage to do the right thing for your horse, even when it’s not easy. I think every decent horse owner does this frequently, whether it's skip a ride because your horse is off a bit or retire the old geezer when those aching joints just can't take any more riding. Thankfully I've never had to make the ultimate decision to put one to sleep. *knocks on wood, crosses fingers, prays hard*
14. Attend the Kentucky Derby dressed to the nines—including hat! A mint julep, beautiful horses and crazy hats sounds good to me.
15. Tackle a trail accessible only by horseback and enjoy the view. Often. I have friends who have commented that motorcycles are better rides. But they can't get where I can go on my horse.
16. Take your dream vacation on horseback. One of my long term goals. The plan is a weeklong (or more!) ride across Ireland. I'd LOVE to ride with an Irish hunt, too, particularly the one known for being a little on the nutty side: The Galway Blazers.
17. Master the sitting trot. Nope, not even close.
18. Ride a fine-tuned horse in your discipline of choice, be it dressage schoolmaster or barrel champ. I've ridden two dressage schoolmasters...Wally and Early Morning, both warmbloods. Those rides are the ones I aspire to emulating every time I get in the saddle.
19. Watch polo. Even better, try your hand at it! I've watched it, but I want to RIDE IT!
20. Feed, muck, groom, ride. Repeat daily. Every day. Rain. Shine. Snow. Mud. Ice. Cold. Hot, etc. etc. etc. It's not just a hobby, it's a way of life.
21. Wake up to a whinny every morning. Well, do soft nickers count? They don't whinny at me when I come out with the morning feed, they talk softly.
22. Fly down the track on a Thoroughbred. Cross-country, yes. Hell bent for leather! On a real track? No.
23. Meet one of your favorite famous horses in person. I met John Henry when he was still alive at the Kentucky Horse Park. Even as an old man he commanded respect.
24. Ride bareback, bridleless … or both! I spent most of my youth bareback, bridle-less and shoeless. I still ride bareback, and from time to time, bridle-less. (But not on Gabe! Not yet.)
25. Share a bond with your horse that’s deeper than words. Oh, bratty Blaze, dearest Sunny and wonderful Star, how I miss all of you. I'm working on that same kind of bond with good ole Gabe. Very, very close!
Since I'm unsure how to cross through words without screwing it all up, I'm just going to bold the ones I've accomplished.
1. Gallop on the beach. Does galloping on along a sand bar in the Kansas River count?
2. Win a blue ribbon. I have a few. Very aged they are, but I have them! I even have a couple of purple ones a few multi-colored rosettes.
3.Enjoy an evening of equestrian theater. Have seen the Lipizzaners a couple of times and been to the Noble Horse Theatre in Chicago.
4. Try your hand at cattle work. Find out what it means when they say a horse is “cowy.” Popped up on a friend's cutting horse once. HOLY COW! What a ride! When they say sit down, hold on and enjoy, they mean it.
5. Jump! From crossrails to cross-country obstacles, experience the thrill of soaring over fences. Yup. Yup. Yup. Yup. Fox hunting FTW!
6. Fall off and get right back on again. Conquering fear is empowering. You haven't truly ridden until you've fallen. I can't even count the number of times I've eaten dirt.
7. See the majestic white Lipizzan stallions at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. I've seen the traveling U.S. show, but would love to visit the Spanish Riding School, not only for the horses, but for all the history and architecture there.
8. Come to a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse. Sit down and HANG ON! Got to ride one of those dizzying spins, too.
9. Take a lesson with your equestrian idol, _________ (you fill in the blank). I'd love to have a weekend of cross-country lessons with Pippa Funnell and a month of dressage lessons with Reiner Klimke and Charles de Kunffy.
10. Nurse a horse through a crisis and back to full health. Yes. More than once. Not always my own.
11. Experience the smooth ride of a gaited horse. Rode a gaited spotted mule. The Cadillac for old lady trail riders.
12. Watch the horses come through the Head of the Lake on cross-country day at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. One of these days I'll have the time and the funds to get back to Rolex. I went three years in a row, haven't been back for about four years.
13. Have the courage to do the right thing for your horse, even when it’s not easy. I think every decent horse owner does this frequently, whether it's skip a ride because your horse is off a bit or retire the old geezer when those aching joints just can't take any more riding. Thankfully I've never had to make the ultimate decision to put one to sleep. *knocks on wood, crosses fingers, prays hard*
14. Attend the Kentucky Derby dressed to the nines—including hat! A mint julep, beautiful horses and crazy hats sounds good to me.
15. Tackle a trail accessible only by horseback and enjoy the view. Often. I have friends who have commented that motorcycles are better rides. But they can't get where I can go on my horse.
16. Take your dream vacation on horseback. One of my long term goals. The plan is a weeklong (or more!) ride across Ireland. I'd LOVE to ride with an Irish hunt, too, particularly the one known for being a little on the nutty side: The Galway Blazers.
17. Master the sitting trot. Nope, not even close.
18. Ride a fine-tuned horse in your discipline of choice, be it dressage schoolmaster or barrel champ. I've ridden two dressage schoolmasters...Wally and Early Morning, both warmbloods. Those rides are the ones I aspire to emulating every time I get in the saddle.
19. Watch polo. Even better, try your hand at it! I've watched it, but I want to RIDE IT!
20. Feed, muck, groom, ride. Repeat daily. Every day. Rain. Shine. Snow. Mud. Ice. Cold. Hot, etc. etc. etc. It's not just a hobby, it's a way of life.
21. Wake up to a whinny every morning. Well, do soft nickers count? They don't whinny at me when I come out with the morning feed, they talk softly.
22. Fly down the track on a Thoroughbred. Cross-country, yes. Hell bent for leather! On a real track? No.
23. Meet one of your favorite famous horses in person. I met John Henry when he was still alive at the Kentucky Horse Park. Even as an old man he commanded respect.
24. Ride bareback, bridleless … or both! I spent most of my youth bareback, bridle-less and shoeless. I still ride bareback, and from time to time, bridle-less. (But not on Gabe! Not yet.)
25. Share a bond with your horse that’s deeper than words. Oh, bratty Blaze, dearest Sunny and wonderful Star, how I miss all of you. I'm working on that same kind of bond with good ole Gabe. Very, very close!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Speaking their language
Not too long ago I discovered a new blogger. And I am not afraid to admit I scuttle on over to her place every day to see what new wisdom, anecdote or story she has shared.
See, she speaks Thoroughbred. More specifically, she speaks retired racehorse. And it's so nice to "hear" someone speaking Gabe's language, to listen to someone who understands what it's like to take a horse from the track and give them a new career. It's fun. It's challenging. It's heartbreaking, exciting, terrifying, addictive and fulfilling.
And we do it purely out of love, respect and admiration for these magnificent animals. Well, that and the indescribably incredible feeling of riding, directing and containing such potentially explosive power!
Two of Natalie's two most recent posts at her blog, Retired Racehorse, could have been written about Gabe and I because we've had both experiences...the Leap of Power and the up-and-over.
Fortunately, I learned very quickly from our up-and-ALMOST-over experience. And I didn't just chalk it up to Gabe being a complete butthead (which I would have done 10 years ago). Instead, I mulled it over, I walked through the entire episode in my mind over and over again, comparing what I knew about horse behavior to how he acted and how I reacted. And I knew what I'd done wrong and set out to fix MY behavior. Not his. Because in the end, he is just being a horse and doing what horses do. It is my job to think like him, to speak his language and teach him a new one by combining my knowledge with his language with as little confusion to him as possible.
Oh. It's a challenge all right, but it's a challenge that's worth every single little bobble, every misunderstanding, every miss-step, all for those fleeting moments of brilliance when we GET each other and we are "talking" in a language we both understand.
The goal is for those fleeting moments to turn into minutes, minutes stretch into longer minutes and eventually, we are communicating clearly, precisely and with understanding BOTH ways. Both ways is the key. Why should I expect him to listen to me if I continually turn a deaf ear to him? We are both learning. I can see him learning my language, I can see it in how he responds to my requests.
I can only hope he understands that I am trying to learn his language and I have a long way to go.
See, she speaks Thoroughbred. More specifically, she speaks retired racehorse. And it's so nice to "hear" someone speaking Gabe's language, to listen to someone who understands what it's like to take a horse from the track and give them a new career. It's fun. It's challenging. It's heartbreaking, exciting, terrifying, addictive and fulfilling.
And we do it purely out of love, respect and admiration for these magnificent animals. Well, that and the indescribably incredible feeling of riding, directing and containing such potentially explosive power!
Two of Natalie's two most recent posts at her blog, Retired Racehorse, could have been written about Gabe and I because we've had both experiences...the Leap of Power and the up-and-over.
Fortunately, I learned very quickly from our up-and-ALMOST-over experience. And I didn't just chalk it up to Gabe being a complete butthead (which I would have done 10 years ago). Instead, I mulled it over, I walked through the entire episode in my mind over and over again, comparing what I knew about horse behavior to how he acted and how I reacted. And I knew what I'd done wrong and set out to fix MY behavior. Not his. Because in the end, he is just being a horse and doing what horses do. It is my job to think like him, to speak his language and teach him a new one by combining my knowledge with his language with as little confusion to him as possible.
Oh. It's a challenge all right, but it's a challenge that's worth every single little bobble, every misunderstanding, every miss-step, all for those fleeting moments of brilliance when we GET each other and we are "talking" in a language we both understand.
The goal is for those fleeting moments to turn into minutes, minutes stretch into longer minutes and eventually, we are communicating clearly, precisely and with understanding BOTH ways. Both ways is the key. Why should I expect him to listen to me if I continually turn a deaf ear to him? We are both learning. I can see him learning my language, I can see it in how he responds to my requests.
I can only hope he understands that I am trying to learn his language and I have a long way to go.
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