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fluffy-marshmallow-heart · 6 years ago

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Drake's Diary ch.10 -The Fox Hunt

Words: 3192

Drake woke up early the next day for The Fox Hunt. Although they no longer hunted foxes, it was still a fun ride on horseback and there was a lot of food waiting at the end of it. Originally, he wasn’t going to go, he didn’t really feel like spending his entire day with nobles yet again, but he couldn’t bring himself to stay behind. Emma was going to be there, and if he didn’t go he more than likely wouldn’t even see a glimpse of her that day.

Saddling up his horse, Drake rode over to where the large group was and scanned the crowd for Emma. He found her towards the middle, wearing a maroon riding outfit.

She certainly looks the part of stuffy noble on a horse.

He immediately chastised himself. She was playing a role she had to play so she wouldn’t be eaten alive by the court. As everyone set out on the mountain trail, Drake stayed in the back. Liam, Madeleine, the King, and Queen were out in front, and he saw Maxwell and Bertrand having a quiet but seemingly heated conversation. He was about to call out for Emma when Olivia rides up alongside her with a scowl. Once she leaves, Drake was about to call out again, but then Hana arrived at Emma’s side.

Ugh it’s so hard to get her alone. She’s always surrounded

He was impressed when he saw her do a cloverleaf formation. He heard her sing out “Nailed it!”

Finally, Hana rides over to Penelope and Kiara. It’s got to be his turn now, so he calls out

“Rose!” He waves her over and she slows her horse down, letting the others pass before moving back in line next to him.

“There you are.” He said with a grin. “You look…uh, very dignified today.”

Emma stared at him “Oh my gosh, opening with a compliment?”

“Guess it’s your lucky day” he chuckled

She smirked “I’m surprised you’re out here with all the nobles today. I asked Maxwell earlier, he said you probably weren’t coming”

Drake’s heart leapt. She asked about me? She really wanted to know if I was coming? Now I’m definitely glad I did

He gave her a wide smile “Turns out, I had an opening in my schedule today. And there’s something oddly satisfying about watching nobles fuss over their stuffy blazers.”

“Ahhhh Is this why you’re not frowning…as much as usual, anyway.”

Drake contemplated a moment before answering. He finally decided to go with the truth.

“It has more to do with the company I keep.”

“A second compliment!” she gasped

Drake rolled his eyes “One more and you win the jackpot.”

She gave him a mischievous look “I hope it’s all your whiskey”

Drake laughed then sighs. This girl…

“You know, when we first met, I wanted to dislike you so badly…” He started

“You WANTED to dislike me? Why?” She looked genuinely surprised, but he couldn’t figure out why. It’s not like he was nice to her when they met, or for weeks after.

Drake shrugged “You were crashing Liam’s bachelor party! It was supposed to be our last night out together before all of this…We’ve always been like brothers, doing everything together…now I’m lucky to see him for five minutes without a noble girl throwing herself in front of him.”

Shit! She’s one of them! He quickly added “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“I know what you meant.” She told him quietly

He bit his lip. “Anyway, I know we got off to a bad start, but somewhere along the way…things changed. Hell, Rose, I don’t even know why I’m telling you any of this.” He frowned.

I always end up telling her way more than I mean to. One of these days it’s going to get me into trouble if I’m not careful.

“Drake…You’re easy to talk to as well. Once you get past all the grumpiness.” She winked

Drake grimaced “Most people find me unapproachable.”

“Sorry, not me.”

“Hmm…guess I haven’t been trying hard enough” For a moment, they were just gazing into each other’s eyes, a small smile passing between them.

She is probably the only one to have ever said that…she’s so different from everyone I’ve ever met. I wish I could just…tell her how much that means to me.

Drake shakes his head, but he’s still smiling. “This has all been touching, but I need to rescue Liam from his family for a couple minutes.”

Drake rides ahead, leaving her behind. He didn’t want to, he wanted to spend the whole ride with her, but the way she was looking at him made him want to tell her more, so much more, and he couldn’t do that. So, he had to leave.

He rode over to Liam. “Hey man, race you to that bend!”

“Oh, you’re on!” Liam laughed

Once they were away from everyone, Drake asked “So, Liam. I’m sure that your father and Queen Regina have been badgering you, but I’m curious. How are you doing? Are any of the girls in the lead for your affection?”

Liam sighed. “It’s tough. I’m confused. I never thought I would be in this situation, so I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be. All of the ladies are good in their own way. If I based it off my feelings, like I had planned to do before I was Crown Prince, I would choose Lady Emma. But I’m afraid it’s not that simple. She’s not native to this country. There’s so much for her to learn. But…she’s by far the kindest, most attentive, most brave out of all of them. And that says a lot about what kind of Queen she would be. Maybe…and I’m just now starting to let myself think this…but maybe I could have both love and a Queen.”

Drake looked away. He knew Liam had feelings for Emma, but it still hurt to hear it, and it made him feel guilty as all hell. He cleared his throat.

“Well. Rose is all those things. She would be a good Queen. She just has something about her…she wins over everyone she comes in contact with.”

“That she does” Liam agreed.

The trail leads the group through a mountain pass. Emerging through the other side, there’s an old mountain village.

King Constantine spoke “Everyone, we’ve reached our hunting lodges. Our forebears would dine on the day’s hunt here, and though we no longer hunt, we will still have a great feast. But first, we race to celebrate our ancestors…”

Prince Liam leads his mare to the trees across the village as the king announced, “The first to reach Prince Liam will be served first at the feast!”

All of the suitors lined up and took off once the King told them to begin. Drake wasn’t completely surprised that Emma won. She seemed to excel in everything she put her mind to. Still, she could use a few pointers and Drake let himself daydream about teaching her everything he knew about riding. He was brought back to reality when he heard Constantine’s voice again

“That’s superb horsemanship in action. Servants, prepare the first plate for Lady Emma. Now, then. Let’s all take some time to rest. Dinner will begin shortly.”

All riders dismount and let the servants take care of the horses. Drake, Maxwell, Hana, and Liam join Emma where she’s standing.

Drake heard his stomach rumble “Hey, the feast is being put out.”

Maxwell nodded “And they’ve got dishes supposedly blessed by the spirits of the nearby ruins.”

“Oooh! I’ve heard legends about those ruins! They sound magical. People travel from all around just to see them.” Hana exclaimed

“Yes, it’s a shame we’re not scheduled to see them.” Liam told her.

“We aren’t? I was so hoping to…” She looked so disappointed, but Drake was hungry, so he really didn’t care. But then Maxwell spoke up

“Why don’t we just go anyway? Sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Liam stared off thinking “It’d be nice to spend some time together without this crowd around. What do you say Emma?”

Son of a…Of course she’s going to say yes. God, why does everybody run everything by Rose? She always says yes! If it were my choice I would say no because I’m hungry and the food is right over there, and I’m so close…

“Let’s have an adventure!” Emma cheered

“Alright!” Maxwell chimed in

Hana agreed “I’m excited to visit another piece of Cordonian history.”

Liam grinned “Follow me. I know how to get there.”

Drake rolled his eyes and trudged along with them. He certainly wasn’t going to go to the feast alone.

Liam leads the group through the valley. They walk through a forest until breaking through a clearing. The old ruined temples rest before them.

“Here we are” Liam announced

Hana sighed happily “It’s so beautiful and serene.”

Drake grunted “Yup…sure are a bunch of old things here.”

Liam scoffed at him “It’s so much more than that. There’s something so calm about this place. Can’t you feel it?”

“The only thing I sense is about a million snakes and probably a couple of rock monsters getting ready to attack us.” Maxwell told them.

Hana gasped “Rock monsters? Do you have rock monsters in Cordonia?”

Maxwell frowned. “It was a joke…just forget it.”

“I want to find some ghosts.” Emma jumped in. Drake looked at her in surprise.

“Ghosts?” Hana asked

“Oh! Maybe one will tell me my future” Maxwell informed them

Drake smirked “Or devour your soul”

“Drake.”

Drake looked over to see Emma glaring at him. She always does that. I’m just trying to have fun and sure, maybe I’m a bit of a jerk about it, but that doesn’t mean she always has to give me that look. That look…sucks.

Drake started to walk away, and everyone disperses into the ruins. He slumps down against one of the tree roots covering a temple and scowled. He watched as Emma flitted between everyone, taking in the sights.

I don’t know why we’re here. We could be eating right now. What’ so great about these ruins? They’re just old, and broken, and have nothing to do with anything anymore. This is so dumb. I wonder if I started to leave if they would follow me? Hmmmm…….

When he looked up he saw Emma approaching him. A small smile spread on his face. “Hey, Rose.”

“You look like you’re having a good time exploring.” She said sarcastically.

“Archeology isn’t really my thing.”

“You could at least look around. It’s not like you come here often.” Emma told him.

Drake sighed. “I looked around. There’s some old buildings. That’s about it.”

“Hmm…Don’t you want to know where you came from? And what about insight into how people lived long ago?”

Drake rose his eyebrows “They could’ve ridden dragons for all I care. It doesn’t mean much now.”

She was glaring at him again. He grimaced when she said, “So why did you come out here if you don’t really care for these sorts of things?”

Drake ran a hand through his hair “I don’t think we’re going to get many more times like this.”

“Like what?”

“I mean…Liam is going to be king soon. And you could very well be his queen. Everything’s going to change.”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully “You know…you’re right. We don’t need to associate with the riff-raff. I mean, really, what could you even provide for us? A sense of grounding and humility?”

Drake frowned “I see what you’re trying to do here. It’s not going to work.”

But she kept going “Or maybe someone to sneak us out of the palace? Why would we want that when we’re drinking champagne and shaking ambassadors’ hands?”

He rolled his eyes “Yeah, yeah. Keep on punching down.”

“Or maybe we’ll need a reminder that no matter how tough someone may seem on the outside, there’s a big, lovable softie on the inside.”

This time Drake’s mouth fell open “Hey!”

“Come on, Drake. There’s a smile inside you somewhere.” He noticed she was looking at him softly now and he let out a chuckle.

“You’re the worst, Rose.”

“Would you have me any other way?”

Drake thought for a moment. “Rose…We may have had some ups and downs between us, but I want you to know that I’ve enjoyed this little adventure with you. Not just the ruins, but the whole thing since I walked into your bar in New York…”

What can I say now that means that I care about her without it being too obvious? I want her to know but…I also don’t want her to know.

Finally, he settled on “You’re…not bad.”

She gazed into his eyes, and they took his breath away. “Awwww Drake…I care for you too.”

Hi breath caught. Did she…no she couldn’t mean…I wonder if she feels the same? Maybe…maybe I should say something else, something to make it clearer how I feel about her.

“Rose…I…” Drake looks at her for a long moment then shakes his head. “You’re something else…”

She offered him her hand. “Now, we really need to get you out of here before you completely lose it. All this reflecting isn’t healthy for you.”

He hesitated before taking it, but immediately felt warmth when he did. “You’re right. If I stay much longer, I might melt into a big ball of mush.” He shudders. “Let’s go find the others.”

They walked back to the center of the ruins, where Hana was saying how lovely they were. But Maxwell sighed in disappointment “There weren’t any ghosts.”

Hana looked at him in bewilderment. “Why are you sad about that?”

Maxwell shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m kind of curious what a ghost would have to say, would’ve made a good story.”

Drake clapped him on the shoulder “You can always lie. I’ll back you up.”

“There’s an idea!” Maxwell exclaimed

“Maxwell…you’d lie?” Emma asked, astonished.

“Entertaining people is more important than telling the truth.”

” But…Isn’t all fiction just a form of lying?” Hana asked

“in a way…” Liam told her

“But at least then you know it isn’t real” Emma piped in

“True”

“Alright, everyone. It’s time to head out.” Liam informed them.

Emma looked around one last time. “These ruins were bigger than I thought.”

“Could’ve used an open bar in my opinion.” Drake muttered.

As the group walked back, Maxwell fell into step with Drake, then grabbed his arm and slowed down. Drake looked at him in surprise.

“Drake…I need advice.”

“From…me?” Drake asked. This was a first.

“Emma told me something today and I don’t know what to do. And if you tell anybody this I will deny everything and call you insane. And people will believe me because no one likes you.”

“Maxwell!” Drake scolded. He may or may not have learned that tone from Emma.

“Okay, okay.” Maxwell sighed. “So, when we were riding earlier, and I was talking to her about Liam and she told me…I can’t believe I’m repeating this…she mentioned that she might…be falling in love with someone else. Someone that’s not Liam.”

Drake stared at him in surprise, his eyes going wide. “She said that?”

Maxwell nodded sadly. “And I don’t know what to do because if she doesn’t want Liam, then Bertrand will kill me. Sponsoring her was my idea, and I don’t know how this happened, I mean, I thought she and Liam had a good connection, you know? But on the other hand, she’s become one of my best friends and I really want her to be happy. I just didn’t expect it to be with someone else.”

Drake was still staring.

“Alright well. Maybe I just needed to vent, so thanks for listening. Just…not a word to anyone about this okay? I’m going to go over there and see if I can talk some sense into her” Maxwell started beelining for Emma, leaving Drake alone with his thoughts.

She…said she was falling in love…with someone other than Liam. Could that be true? She spends all her time between myself, Hana, and Maxwell and I’ve never seen her flirt with any of them…and come to think of it, she hasn’t been flirting with Liam either. But Liam said he would choose her if he could…but then, if she doesn’t want him…would she choose him back?

A million thoughts were flying through his head as he walked towards the large, medieval buffet table.

“Wow, that’s a lot of meat.” Emma told him.

“It’s not exactly a feast without it.” Drake’s heart was racing.

Hana sighed “A little more fruit couldn’t hurt.”

Maxwell grabbed a handful “I wouldn’t mind putting a bunch of fruit on a stake and waving it around like a sword.”

Drake rolled his eyes “Alright, let’s grab our food before Maxwell gets any other crazy ideas.”

But Maxwell kept talking “And then I could wear a watermelon as a helmet…I’d be unstoppable.”

They all grabbed their food and sat down. Then Maxwell stands up with a glass in his hand. “A toast to all of us and to our friendship!”

“To friendship!” Hana repeated

“Ugh…to friendship.” Drake said grudgingly. Seriously, these people make such a big deal out of everything.

“To friendship” Liam smiled

“To friendship!” Emma looked around the group, beaming. When her eyes caught Drake’s, she gave him a wink. He swallowed hard, then dug into the food.

Later that night, after indulging in a sumptuous dinner feast, they return to Applewood Manor. After a long journey, the manor’s welcoming window-light shines through the darkness.

Drake broke away from the group and hurried to his room. His was right next to Emma’s and he didn’t want to be walking her to her door because he didn’t know if he would be able to stop himself from doing something they would regret, or saying something he shouldn’t. As he crawled into bed, he lay awake just staring at the ceiling.

She couldn’t possibly be falling for me…I’m nothing. I’m nobody. If Liam wants her, he will definitely get her. He has everything, and she would be crazy to pass up all the things he could offer her. But…she confided in Maxwell of all people, the person that was sponsoring her, the person who wanted Liam to choose her…she didn’t tell me. And we’re close enough…I think she would. Other than Liam…ugh, I can’t believe this…she’s my best friend. I can tell her anything and everything and I do…except my feelings for her.

He turned over and buried his face in his pillow. Maybe…just maybe…she’s going through the same thing. Now what? I need to find out, just for my own peace of mind. It’s probably not me she’s thinking of anyway, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to observe a bit more. Hmmm…..

He had the urge to go knock on her door and demand an answer. But then he would surely kiss her, and he didn’t want to get slapped.

But what if she didn’t slap me? What if she kissed me back?

@blackwidow2721 @sleepwalkingelite @flowerpowell @agent-bossypants @annekebbphotography @carabeth @imaketerriblechoices @notoriouscs

#the royal romance fanfic #choices fanfiction #trr fanfic #the royal romance #choices the royal romance #drake walker #drake x emma #drake x mc #trr drake #trr #choices trr

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jam2289 · 6 years ago

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Notes on Horsemanship

I've always liked horses, I just haven't interacted with them much. A handful of years ago I took some private lessons and worked up to jumping over little gates. It was fun. Then, I ended having health issues after almost dying in Africa, and then I had complications with my spine, and now it's been years since I've been on a horse. Over the last few weeks I've tried motorcycle riding for the first time in years, and I've been fine. Soon I'm going to give horseback riding a try. I have some hesitancy about it, because it could go very bad for my health. But, as a step on that path I went to a 2-day horsemanship seminar at Chance Stables put on by Phil Oakes.

Last year I noticed that there was a horsemanship seminar going on near me. I looked into it just a little and learned that Phil Oakes is known for his gentle methods used to create gentle horses. I like that, it goes well with my spine that needs gentle treatment. But, last year I was not anywhere near having the health and ability to get on a horse. This year it's at least in the realm of possibility, so I decided to go watch.

I'm giving presentations at the Harry Potter festival in Sparta this coming weekend so I took a notebook to work on those speeches. I didn't plan on taking many notes about horsemanship, but Phil started throwing out so much wisdom so quickly that I ended up with three full pages.

Here's the thing, I'm not that good at taking notes. Growing up I always had a strong memory and found that paying attention in the moment ended up being more valuable than taking notes. It worked out great when someone else would take notes. For instance, when I was doing EMT training I rarely took notes. A few students organized a study group and I was a part of it. Everyone else took more notes that me, and there was one guy, Matt, that took a ridiculous amount of notes. And, he was good at taking notes. His handwriting was good, and he liked organizing them. He had hundreds and hundreds of 3x5 cards. It was great. I would pay close attention in class, trying to absorb as much as possible. Then, I would study off of Matt's notes in the group. (I ended up being number 2 in the class, Matt was number 1.) (Now that I've had some brainstem damage and short and long term memory issues, I see notes in a different light.)

All of that to say that I'm not sure if my notes are going to be very valuable to anyone else. But the seminar itself was quite amazing. It was interesting to watch people confronting problems and creatively trying to work through them and solve them. The problems had a wide range. Some people were on new horses, or horses that were new to them, some horses had injuries that needed to be worked with, some riders had been thrown and were working through that fear, some were afraid of riding next to so many other horses and were working through that, all sorts of stuff.

This all took place at Chance Stables. I talked to quite a few people there and it seems like a wonderful and expanding place. They do multiple horse therapy groups and a number of other things. I was impressed.

The first day focused quite a lot on groundwork, where you aren't on the horse. Later in the day some of it was in the saddle. It was a nice sunny day and we were outside. I came close to burning, I burn easily, and I learned a lot.

- - - - - - -

Phil Oakes - ground work

if what your doing isn't working, cut it in half - patience

relax, wait, cause to think instead of react

don't bend the neck, do lateral jaw flexion instead, soften the jaw

jaw is connected to hind legs

want back of hips down

don't disengage rear by crossing

wait out the tension

teach backing up first

relaxation of the jaw and the mind has to be first before he can learn

if horse won't give space walk directly at him and let him move

relaxing exercise, half circle-lateral-half circle other way, figure 8

vibrate to help relieve intense tension

balance is key

I love circles, we don't want to stop forward motion

I have a bubble

I stop he stops, I go he goes

left had, hope hand doesn't need to move

let them know what you're going to do, big breathe indicates bubble

we don't want to correct curiosity too much

reward the horse while he's moving (unless he has trouble stopping) with petting

deep out breathe indicates stopping, deep in indicates going

the horse is always looking for a leader, she wants a leader but won't follow a bad leader

before you ask the horse to do something have intent

get the pelvis under them

don't collect the horse with the neck down

want the head up, but guide it, don't push or pull it or the back will hollow

final spine fusions at 9 years old, health horse should peak in the mid 20s, work in 30s

don't reward a reaction even if it's what you want, reward it when it's thought through

want a long lead

loose jaw, hips under, backing up head up, bubble and circle, 3 track crossover

reward small good behaviors and let them grow

don't turn too sharp

use fence on side and in front to work on crossover

hold arms out and you can feel it when you walk

we want them to stop and think, not natural

let the lesson soak in, don't rush

multiple short sessions a day

raise up front, sink rear, muscle memory

give the horse enough room to give a signal

walk away to create room, then turn and train

change the mind and the feet will follow

pain or intimidation may produce compliance, but never softness

- - - - - - -

(I had to leave about a half hour early that first day because I had to get to a graduation party, and then take off to a rehearsal for a speech.)

I could tell many stories from the two days. The person I met that had crazy adventure stories about hitchhiking. The odd and deep conversations that I tend to get into with people about all sorts of things ranging from health, to fear, to meaning, to archetypes. I could talk about the weird mini-horses that cause trouble with the fences by escaping, and chase the other horses, and can't be caught. I could talk about the observations that I noticed on why some horses spooked at certain times, that I don't think anyone else caught, or the time a horse became interested in a clock and knocked it down and broke it. But, I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to talk about my heart.

At lunch I was talking to Phil about how he uses his stick. He touches the horse in certain spots to indicate to the horse how he wants them to move. If the horse doesn't move he just keeps poking them in a rhythm. I noticed that he didn't get more intense, or harder, or stronger, just steady. He said waiting it out is important. If you do it with a rhythm the horse will eventually move. The horse is trying to figure it out, it's trying to adjust its mind and body to do the work. (Several people said their horse was "lazy." Phil completely disagrees with every saying that. If the horse doesn't want to move, something is wrong.)

He said that if instead of using a steady rhythm you do it erratically then it won't work. I then mentioned that I noticed when working with my uncle John one time on some music that I really struggle with keeping a steady beat. Phil said that your ability to keep a steady beat is based on your heart. I realized that maybe the issues I have with my spinal deformities and the pressure on my brainstem, that do cause some heart issues, might ultimately be part of why I struggle with keeping a steady beat. Phil wondered if learning to keep a steady beat might work to help my heart. An idea I hadn't thought about before.

I had many interesting conversations over both days like that. The second day was rainy. We started in the inside arena, but did do some work outside later. The second day was all in the saddle.

- - - - - - -

Phil Oakes - saddle work

steer with just the reins first

watch the jaw, don't want to bend the neck

learn to weave

once the jaw/rein is working, then work on pushing the rear with the leg

slide hand down reing to signal

roll horses head to down from side, less tension

weave across straight line, alternate haunches in shoulders in then both haunches and shoulders in

reward one step by letting it go

horse should look and then go

trust is key

some horses display fear, others hold it in

start collection one rein side at a time

gentle, but don't let them fall on the forehand

the horse isn't lazy, he's out of balance

lift straight up on rein while standing until same side front foot lifts then let him go, prevents bucking

don't destroy forward, redirect instead

perfect circle, perfect drift, then jog, never heavy in hand

there has to be a leader, if you're not then he will be

stick, this is my space

if you're telling them what not to do, they're telling you what to do, do what you're doing, focus on your intention

if horse won't go come to side, horse will go when off balance

you want him to think through a crisis, not natural

stick and rope work, chaos, only place he can find peace is where you want him, then stop pet and let sink in

left circle, left leg back right leg forward

everything is gradual, one component at a time, let him figure it out

when they speed up they start to blank out

- - - - - - -

(I did more talking to people on the second day so I missed some significant portions, but it's still a lot of good info.)

Now, what shall I do. I was talking to Jeremy, that's been helping out at the farm for the last handful of years, and he was telling me about the teen program they run on Saturday mornings. You help for a couple of hours and then you get some time with a horse. Kim runs it and I asked her if it would be okay if I showed up just a bit late since I teach on Saturday mornings, and she said that would be fine.

I'm slightly ambivalent about it because I might not be able to ride horses at all, ever. So, maybe it would be best just to go somewhere, hop on a horse for an hour, and see if it's even possible. But, it would probably be cool to work with the kids too. So, maybe in a couple of weeks I'll go on Saturday and check it out. Maybe work on groundwork with a horse the first week. If everything goes well, maybe I'll get on a horse in a few weeks and see how it goes. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to walk on a horse. I'm worried about the trot though. I'll have to play with it. Maybe if I post I can take it, that's a little stand-up motion you do while riding. And, I think there's some possibility I'll be able to canter. No matter how it goes, I want to give it a try. Only by exploring do we expand our range of possibilities and abilities in life.

I thought the seminar would be interesting and informative, but I didn't expect it to be quite so much fun. It was a good first step in seeing if I can get back on a horse.

________________________________________________

You can find more of what I'm doing at http://www.JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com

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mado-science · 7 years ago

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Zen Mind Zen Horse If I could only recommend one book to any person interested in natural horsemanship it would be Allen J. Hamilton, M.D.'s "Zen Mind Zen Horse." Dr. Hamilton has incorporated the wisdom of leading horse legends such as Ray Hunt, Monty Roberts, Ga Wa Ni Pony Boy and others with science and spirituality to create an amazing "bible" for students at any level of horsemanship. In this powerful book Dr. Hamilton shows a deep and clear understanding of the nature of these beautiful sentient beings we call horses. He leads us step by step toward a better understanding of all aspects of horsemanship. I am struck by his commen sense and respect for his students and horses. I am going to give each of my students a copy of this book. As a native american woman, horsewoman, registered nurse, equine therapist and mother to many I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Read it and be blessed. Go to Amazon

Enlightened Horsemanship Will Change the World Dr. Hamilton has the distinct honor of being gifted with a brilliant mind and compassionate heart. He has used his knowledge of neuroscience, horses and zen to bring a very practical and sensible manual on horse training to the world- with both the horse and rider in mind as a symbiotic unit. Most so called natural horsemanship trainers neglect to mention the spiritual nature of the horse in conjunction with the rider and so fear to tread into the space of 'energy' or 'chi' - I imagine partly because they fear they won't be taken seriously. However, Dr. Hamilton is succinct and pragmatic in his articulation of training methods while also establishing the fact that a person's energy field, i.e. thoughts, intentions, posture, philosophy, etc. will always have an impact on the horse. Go to Amazon

Learn how living in the present can change your life! This book is wonderful!!!! I read it while my daughter was in recovery and I couldn't put it down. Dr. Hamilton explains how horses live in the present, ALWAYS @ 100%, in order to survive. He shares with his readers how learning about horses can teach us to live in the present as well. If you can't get out of the past; if you are afraid of the future; or if you just can' t seem to figure out how to live in the present, read this book. Dr. Hamilton shares touching examples of how he uses equine therapy to help his patients get the very most out of every single day. His terminal patients live longer, fuller lives. You don't have to be ill to benefit from this book. You don' t have to love horses. I knew nothing about horses when I read this book. It was recommended to me by a equine therapist to help me understand how I could stop worrying about my daughter all the time by living in the present. It has helped me understand the beautiful benefit of living in the present. I find myself wanting to read it over and over whenever I lose my way. Thank you so much Dr. Hamilton. Great for all people. Everyone should read this book! Go to Amazon

Wonderful, inspiring book full of spirit and practicality! As an agnostic, I was surprised by the beginning of the book with what seemed to me a lot of religious talk. Shortly after, I remembered the title of the book I had just bought and decided to settle in and read it with an open mind. I couldn't put it down after another few pages and now, after recently finishing it, I I realize this is one of those books I'll be reading again and again. The spiritual (note I don't call it religious now) context is beautiful and it helps to put my finger on just what it is I love about my animals and being with them. I think it applies to many more animals than just horses, including donkeys, mules, and goats. The concrete examples of how to apply these concepts to training are invaluable and practical. I love the combination of philosophy with exercises, and really can't recommend the book more highly. Go to Amazon

The Very Best Book I have a lot of books about horses. Having gotten interested in horses relatively late in life, I have chosen natural horsemanship as the best way to establish a relationship with these animals. Without a doubt " Zen Mind, Zen Horse" is my favorite book. Many of them, most of them, talk about the fact that horses are prey animals and I have to believe that - but so what? Of course a prey animal needs to be concerned about whether they are about to be attacked and eaten but that still doesn't tell enough for me to "get it". Then I bought "Zen Mind, Zen Horse". I wish I had found this book in the beginning. It explains it all in a way that I can understand how we can best establish a relationship and really a partnership with a horse. I could give up all the other books but not this one. Go to Amazon

Four Stars great book so far...wish it was available in audiobook though Five Stars I got this for my husband and he has already ... Good night light for the money Great book! Awesome book! Essential Reading Must Read for Horselovers and Business Owners Anyone who loves horses

#biological #science #book

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3one3 · 7 years ago

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The Sequel - 893

Mile High

André Schürrle, Juan Mata, other Chelsea/BVB players, and random awesome OC’s (okay they’re less random now but they’re still pretty awesome)

original epic tale

all chapters of The Sequel

“Let’s just walk around and look at stuff. Like, that way. Away from the shops and the stuff we’ve already seen.”

“You don’t want to go in any other stores?”

“I just ate my third cheese-based meal of the day. I won’t fit in anything I’d like to buy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Positive?”

“Boyfriend. Hold my hand and walk off the cheese with me.”

“Okay.”

“Kiss too.”

Christina stood up on the toes of her platform sneakers to receive the little smooch solicited to seal the strolling accord. Other than the stuffed feeling happening in her stomach, her mood couldn’t have been better. André agreed to take a break from boutique shopping in Paris to watch Chelsea play Manchester United in a bar with a cheese board and a bottle of Pinot Noir. Conte made big changes to his team from the midweek disaster in Rome. Kante was back; David Luiz was out. The balance in midfield was back; the static attack was out. The Blues controlled the bulk of the game and got their breakthrough early in the second half with a very familiar feeling move. Azpi bombed forward as only he could and crossed a peach long, fast, and pretty high for the onrushing Alvaro Morata, who easily jumped up to head it from distance into the top right corner, past an immobile David de Gea, and with an impressive amount of whip on it. The rest of the match was all white knuckle defending as the former Chelsea boss subbed his Plan B on in Marouane Fellaini and reverted from a low block and the counter to route one long balls aimed at the big Belgian’s head. The home side hung on and collected the points and much needed momentum.

Before the match, the former Chelsea midfielder and his wife enjoyed a cozy breakfast in their private library, Eiffel Tower-type tourism, luxury and independently owned boutique shopping, casual lunch at a quintessentially Parisian cafe- heavy on the ham and cheese baguette, light on the side green salad, more shopping, and a brief boat ride on the Seine. He thought it a wonderful way to close out his 20’s. It was fun to have a full day with Christina and no one else, and no distractions. And it was kind of fulfilling when they each realized the other one also kind of wanted to skip dinner in the City of Light and get home to their couch sooner. It was like realizing they didn’t have to go anywhere special to enjoy being together. Their charter hop was moved up to 9pm, so they had just enough time to go for that walk before they’d need to head to the airport.

André hoped to maintain a certain phenomenon from the rest of the day. He hadn’t had to hear a word about Juan until the football game, and he only had to hear about him in a footballing context during it. He didn’t want to hear about him again until Monday. Being with Christina nonstop for a whole day meant a chance to gain access to her innermost “stuff” again- the stuff that just didn’t come out when their interactions were limited to the morning routine, running errands, a single meal out, or the evening routine. Some things only leaked out of the rider’s crowded head when she had no other pressing matters to think about instead, like while standing at the railing on a boat and watching the riverbank scenery pass by.

For example, Christina mused aloud about holiday plans while enjoying the river, and accidentally arrived at the conclusion that she didn’t want to travel during André’s break. They talked about meeting up with her own boat somewhere, about inviting his parents and sister and nephew somewhere warm, running away to show Lukas the magic of Manhattan at Christmas, going there without him for a glitzy New Year’s bash, and huddling in a cabin in the mountains. Mulling over all the options helped her realize that all she really wanted to do was stay a couple of extra days in London after the horse show to shop and see a show and go to her favorite holiday-time restaurants, and then have Christmas in Dortmund with a big tree in the foyer since that was the only part of the house with room for one, stockings on one of the many fireplaces, and her in-laws to feed a grand feast that she would have time to plan and prepare because there was nothing else stressful going on during the festive season for once. It was a big deal for her to not only realize what she wanted, but also be willing to share that, and be honest about it, especially as she was under the impression that André would for sure want to go away. He didn’t get to travel much, and certainly not anything like his wife did. He never had an escape, their Paris jaunt notwithstanding. But having a chance to be very open with each other meant having a chance to find out that their objectives weren’t so different. The footballer didn’t really have some burning desire to get away. London would be great. He missed it, and he wasn’t the one there to compete, so it really was just a vacation for him. And he knew Christina loaded up her schedule after the winterpause. Soon, he wouldn’t have so much free time with her. Relaxing at home as a family while they could was a perfectly acceptable plan to him. He was sure, however, that his girl would find an excuse to run back to London at some point during that break, unable to get through the holiday season without her traditional holiday crutch- Juan Mata.

Another thing wandering around the French capital shook loose from the equestrian star’s head was a slowly growing idea about writing. She said she wanted to write, but she wasn’t sure about what or for whom she wished to write. André asked questions to dig into it. He asked if she meant a weekly blog or a big volume, writing about her life, or writing about her career, or perhaps some kind of manifesto about her brand of horsemanship. Christina surprised him by suggesting that she wasn’t dead-set on writing non-fiction. She wasn’t ready to rule out something creative, like a mystery, or a collection of short stories for kids. The player’s big takeaway from her somewhat self-deprecating and dismissive writing talk was that she was searching for something to fill some kind of void in her life. It had felt that way to him for months. She had something to figure out, and she wasn’t sure what it was, so it was tough to do any of the figuring. There was an incomplete feeling, André suspected. He didn’t think she knew any better than him whether the void was in her career, her personal relationships, her family, or some other mystery area. She’d tried showing less, working out more, less commercial work, more teaching, less publicity, more privacy, less stressing, more Juan, less worrying, and more self rewarding. An excursion into authorship sounded like just another idea to try to get to an unknown but presumed superior feeling.

One thing he thought Christina hadn’t yet tried was excessive sexual activity, and he thought of that when he watched her reach from her seat to the one facing her on the Embraer Phenom 300 taking them home to Germany. They sat next to each other so that they could each have lots of legroom, or put their feet up on the seats facing them. She’d been curled up in hers, and leaned across on her knees to get something from her bag on the opposite tan leather seat. Her super-skinny navy blue corduroys stuck to her butt like leggings. André wanted to lean to his left and smack it good and hard, but was afraid she’d fall face-first onto the floor, or end up hitting the seat with her chin. Emergency dental work would not have been a nice way to end their lovely Sunday. And his girl definitely wouldn’t be interested in what he was about to propose if he knocked her on the floor and laughed at her first.

“Question.”

“What?” she asked after giving up on the leaning and just stood up to be able to see into her open backpack.

“Come here.”

“That’s not a question.”

“Come heeeere,” the German whined. He put his hands on her hips and dragged her two steps back and over and into his lap. Their jet-share-like membership allowed them to use a plane of exactly the right size and capability for most of their trips. A last minute little flight from Paris to Dortmund for two didn’t require a big plane. The one they were assigned had seating for 6 people with a moderate amount of luggage. André could stand, hunched over, in the middle of it and comfortably touch both sides of the cabin. The “aisle” between his seat and Christina’s was about a foot wide on the ground and less than that where the seat bolsters bulged out in the middle. There was no such thing as personal space on that aircraft, nor any place to hide. If he really wanted, André probably could have reached her all the way in the lavatory at the back. The seats could swivel about 45* in each direction too.

“Heeeey,” his girl complained about his arms closing around her middle like the world’s tightest seatbelt.

“Do you think we can have sex on the plane without the pilot hearing?” he asked before taking a subtle sniff at her neck. He helped her choose a perfume at Dipytique when she made him go there for a €60, 190g unicorn candle. The limited edition “Forêt givrée” scent was part of a collection inspired by constellations, and came in an exceptionally pretty glass. The group of stars from which the design came lives in a nebula called the Christmas Tree, so the candle fittingly smelled of fir, wood, and mint. André was perplexed but not surprised that Christina knew in advance of a special unicorn star candle in a Paris boutique. That was the kind of thing only his girl could possibly know. Other girls would just stumble upon it. On the plane, she smelled of Patchouli. Her new fancy perfume was supposed to smell like a guy who made perfumes. That was what he gathered from the hard to understand woman in the store. He just picked the one his nose liked best on Christina.

“I don’t know. I feel like that’s entirely dependent on you.”

“Why?”

“My volume knob is under your control. If you want to have bad sex, then yeah, no problem, probably.”

“And if I want to have good sex?” He moved his nose back and forth between pieces of her hair, trying to get all the way to her neck to make contact instead of just within sniffing range.

“Then you can cover my mouth, I guess.” Christina shrugged and leaned her head back on his shoulder to yawn. “I’m kinda into it, but I’m also kinda not at all in the mood, and let me tell you, one way to make me scream is to try to have a quickie on a plane without any foreplay when I’m not at all in the mood.”

“Desert vagina,” the player summarized for her.

“Exactly.”

“Okay.” He pecked her neck instead of administering the type of kiss complementary to the quickie plane sex. She turned her head and, after temporarily drowning him in fluffy, espresso colored waves, returned the kiss with appreciation and affection.

“I’m not opposed to a non-quickie when we get home. Like last night.”

“She wants romance.”

“Is that the name of the future band the people in She Wants Revenge will form when they find the right partners?”

“I’ve never understood the name in the first place. Aren’t they all guys?”

“Yes,” Christina laughed. “I don’t get it either. I just like the music.” She drew her knees up and put her socked feet flat on the footballer’s thighs. We’ve been out and about for the entire day, she realized. That’s an entire day without any boyfriend cuddles. How rude. His arms around her, and indeed just leaning on him, felt comforting. A stealth attempt to join the Mile High Club would have been too much effort. Shopping and strolling and sipping coffee beverages was tiring work. A brief nap would have been a more welcome in-flight pastime, especially as her thoughts shifted toward Monday, and everything on her agenda. “Do you know what time you get home from training tomorrow?” I need to: feed Lukas, work out, make sure Lukas gets to give Daddy his birthday picture before he goes, ride, pack barn stuff, pack personal stuff, and make a cake, all before he gets home. I don’t want to be busy doing chores during my last night at home with him- especially not on his birthday. And I need time to fuck up the cake and do it over again, because I’ve never made matcha cake and I’ve never made toasted black sesame buttercream. I’ve never made matcha or toasted black sesame anything. Is this what Isa means when he says I’m too ambitious about things outside my lane?

“Around 3- same as usual. A lot of guys aren’t going to their national teams. We have full training.”

“K.”

“You look like you’re about to give birth.”

“It’s a boy. A boy made of cheese and bread.”

“Would you want another boy, or have you come around to a daughter yet?” André asked in what he hoped was a strictly conversational way, like a curious inquiry and not a meaningful fact-finding mission whatsoever. Which one of those things it actually was could have been debated.

“I’ve come around to: There is not enough of me, nor hours in the day, for me to divide my attention and love to create a single extra slice,” his wife practically snorted. Her tone said she wasn’t taking it seriously. She adjusted to sit across his lap with her knees to her chest and leaning on his stomach instead of sitting like a woman in a chair with stirrups. The low armrest wasn’t enough to support her lower back, but she had André’s arm to around her to keep her secure. She was also secure in her assumption that he wasn’t taking her response all that seriously either, but she was wrong. Her interactive cuddle chair low-key fumed about her answer. He thought there was a very large slice of Christina that should be made available for redistribution to her current loves- himself, their son, her horses- or shared with a second child. That, of course, was the slice of her love and attention devoted to Juan. “I don’t think my body would recover as quickly now that I’m old now either. Do you feel old, boyfriend? Some days I feel 87.”

“Your soul is about that age,” he smiled at her, unwilling to end the lovely adventure with a fight over expanding their family. In truth, he wasn’t really sure if he wanted another child anyway, but it bothered him that their loose plan, or longstanding intention, to have a near-in-age sibling for Lukas was discarded without his even being consulted.

“Do I look that age though? Be honest,” the rider implored, her face solemn and her hand at the base of her player’s neck. “If you didn’t know me, how old would you think I am?”

“With or without talking to you? Because you look 24 and you act 12.”

“Sexy-woman-24 or still-kinda-college-coed-24?”

“Veteran Victoria’s Secret Angel 24.”

“Suck up.”

“When has telling the wife she looks like a lingerie model ever turned out badly for a guy?”

“We’re still not fucking on this plane.”

“I’m making my bed for later,” André informed her as she flattened her left leg across him and the opposite armrest into the aisle, after which he reached for a breast to give it a playful squeeze.

“Don’t you wanna know how old I think you look, now that you’re turning 30?” Christina lowered her voice to whisper the number.

“Yes. Tell me.”

“I think you have the body of a 25-year-old football player and the face of a very handsome and cute 30-year-old who would look 25 if he got rid of his beard and ate a fattier diet.”

“Okay,” André chuckled. I’m not offended, he thought. I know she hates the beard and wants to feed me junk food to fill out my wrinkles and cheeks. But she’s looking at me right now like I’m Beckham at his hottest so it’s completely fine. Look at her, he went on, smiling broadly inside but not outside, to preserve whatever it was about his face that garnered his wife’s undivided attention. She’s doing the stare thing where you can see her having an escalating crisis behind her eyes because she likes my face so much she doesn’t know what to do about it. It’s like when I want to bite her- when you suddenly have such an energy that you don’t know what to do with. It’s so funny. In 60 seconds she’s going to bite her lip and make a joke about having sex right now, but it’s actually a test bubble to see if I still want to do it, because now she does too.

“You also look like the ridiculously sweet, goofball troublemaker I wanted to be longing for when I listened to emo-pop music in the 2000’s, scaled for age,” Christina mumbled. “You’re way, way cuter than I ever anticipated for myself back in the Jack’s Mannequin and Dashboard days.”

“I won’t lie. I always knew I’d have a hot wife. I mean, I knew I was going to play professionally when I was a teenager, so...”

“Shut up, jerk.”

“So was I like an angsty skateboarder in your imagination back then? I wanted to be the guy riding off into the sunset with the hot girl on the back of my vintage motorbike.”

“Stop making fun of me,” Christina insisted. She tried to get up from his lap too, but he fought her attempts, and she ended up straddling his legs, facing him.

“You were having a nice moment in your head, hm?” André smirked. “You were overwhelmed by my beauty?”

“You’re so mean.” She was trying to wedge her thumbs under his hands on her hips. “And you’re not handsome when you’re mean.”

“How am I being mean?” he argued back, kind of laughing at her contriteness and her sourpuss face.

“You’re making fun of me for enjoying your stupid face.”

“How terrible of me.”

“I was on the verge of changing my mind about private jet sex but now I’m not because you’re mean.”

“How will we ever get past this?”

“Shoosh.” The rider folded her arms, whipped her hair around, got it stuck in her face, moved it behind her shoulder, and then re-folded her arms again. Her partner sat up to kiss the hollow of her left cheek, slowly and lovingly. He could feel her frowning.

“Don’t scowl, pretty girl. You’ll get wrinkles, like me.”

“Oh yeah as if your wrinkles aren’t from excessive laughing at your own bad jokes.”

“A minute ago you wanted romance. What happened to that?”

“I meant when we get home.”

“Ohhhhh. What if I want romance right now though? What do I do about that?”

“You could try being nicer. And...more kissing,” Christina told him tentatively. Her nose was still literally turned up at him, but her hormones wouldn’t let her forget that his face was irresistibly handsome before he started teasing her, and that the appeal of that face was already changing her mood. She had that “ugh, I want his face” feeling. Sometimes André was just devastatingly attractive and there was no rhyme or reason to it. He was wearing the same clothes he had on all day. His hair hadn’t changed. He didn’t nap and wake up looking well rested. He didn’t go from grumpy and sour to smiley and bright. It was his flirting that made his features- his unique and vibrantly blue eyes, his thin lips, his crooked nose, his chiseled cheekbones- stunningly attractive from up close, in his lap. But Christina didn’t always get that memo. She often just fell victim to her more superficial senses, and her husband didn’t get credit for having the personality and heart to match his gorgeous face. He slid his left hand around to her back and worked it under her long-sleeve tee so that he could touch her actual skin. She tucked the fitted top in at the front but didn’t want the annoying feeling of having it tucked in all around, which was convenient for him too.

“Which kind of kissing?” he inquired in a soft way that matched his intention. I might still get some ass on this plane, he was thinking- his motivation slightly less romantic than his method. I was going to offer to rub her feet. She could sit over there and put them in my lap and she could rub herself for me while I rub the feet for her, his inner voice sniggered. Then I could rub me for her too. I’m surprised about all of these allegations of actresses against people in show business masturbating in front of them. Firstly, I can’t imagine wanting to whip it out and just do that- I wouldn’t want just any woman to watch me do that. It can be the least sexy thing, I bet. But anyway, if Chris is any indication, girls love to watch. When they ask, at least. She was embarrassed to say she likes it. I think she thinks it’s like an intrusion into a personal thing. What’s taking so long for her to make up her mind? “Are you sleeping with your eyes open?” he joked, since Christina was just kind of staring blankly at his hairline.

“I was just thinking,” she shrugged, voice low. “Every now and then I look at you and I wonder how we found each other. We’re not one of those couples that grew into who we are together. We’ve been the same since the first day. I’ve had this feeling when I look at your face since the first day.” She was also thinking that every now and then she felt like she was drifting further and further away from him, and closer and closer to wanting to be with Juan permanently, and then some moment happened that sucked her back in the German’s direction, and right back to wanting the two players to be equals in her life. It was a weird and unsettling sensation, every time. Mostly, it made her feel disappointed in herself.

“You should thank my sister’s old horse,” André winked. “She still has him, you know. He’s in Italy with Rafa’s horses.” His expression was full of fondness and calm, and she didn’t want to worry him by not returning it, in spite of her slight turn toward melancholy. So she smiled back.

“Well if she ever wants to sell him, make sure she knows he can just come live with us forever. I don’t know where we’ll turn him out, but whatever.”

“You don’t wear your necklace so much anymore- the one with the bit you sold me for him.”

“I don’t wear anything most days. I don’t think to put jewelry on when I know I’m not leaving the property.”

“So I should be happy you remember to wear this, yeah?” He picked up her left hand with his right, and turned her engagement back and forth on her finger with its big princess cut diamond and little Brazilian aquamarine moon sides.

“I don’t always,” his bride admitted with a chuckle. “If I had it on my finger before bed but I’m going to ride in the morning I would put it on my necklace, usually, since I don’t ride in rings, but sometimes I just forget unless it’s already on the necklace. I always remember when I put other rings on though!”

“I know.” André brought her hand to his lips for a smooch of her closed fingers. “It always makes me feel good when I see you take it off in the kitchen and put it on your necklace, or when you’re cleaning it in your dressing room. You take good care of it.” As soon as he released her hand, she put both of them on his neck, with her thumbs on his jaw. As usual, her palms felt significantly warmer than they ought to. Her lips rightfully always brought warmth just as they did when she leaned in to pay him back with a long kiss for acknowledging how dearly she treasured the beautiful ring he put so much thought into designing for her.

His attention to detail in choosing everything from a setting that was unlikely to get caught in horse manes and tails, to selecting carat size with the proportion of her fingers and the nature of her work in mind, was weirdly more special to her than the traditional symbolism of an engagement ring. The jewel wasn’t a reminder of their marriage to her. It was a reminder of his love, his thoughtfulness, and his need to share all his life experiences with her, since it was the World Cup in Brazil that prompted him to drag Marco, Mario, and a DFB security guard around Rio with him to find exactly the right beautiful thing for his girl. The fundamentals of their relationship and of his personality were so much more important to her than the institution of marriage, which she never held in high regard at any point during her life anyway. Whatever small significance that formalization of their partnership had for her in the beginning had waned as they stretched the conventional boundaries to include the arrangement with Juan. Her engagement ring was about love, not vows.

André took it upon himself to restart the long kiss when Christina’s concluded. He felt around on the armrest for the correct button, and lowered the seat back to its most horizontal position. Sex on the plane wasn’t going to happen, but making out on the plane was basically ensured. He tried to get his hands down the back of the suddenly very affectionate rider’s corduroys. The deep rise brought them almost to her natural waist, and they were very tight, so he wasn’t getting in there. Palm-fulls of her butt from the outside had to suffice. He lifted his right knee to press it into her and keep her legs on either side of him. She let it move her up his body a bit, and encourage her to move toward his left, moving their kiss at the same time. He had to turn his head all the way to the side, and Christina was trying to get to the hair at the back anyway. Her upper body was twisted enough to give him access to her front, and he duly tugged her white shirt up out of her pants and pushed it up over her stomach and ribs.

#football fanfiction

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