Free Ride...and art and University...

Had a free ride yesterday and got to go alone! Hooray! Another positive, it was almost warm out! You could actually be outside in just a hoody, since it was only -3!
The big scary insulation was gone, so he didn't have to worry about that, but at the canter he still tried cutting of that end of the arena.

Did some work on transitions, but not much, since it makes him ridiculously sweaty. Please hurry spring. He did well, but I keep forgetting to keep leg on so he'll sometimes go right to a walk instead of a trot or a complete halt instead of a walk. Still, they were all good, but not what I wanted. Also did pretty well at keeping my lower leg farther back, but couldn't seem to keep my ankles as still as I should have.

His turn-on-the-haunches are improving. Again only did a couple because he sweats a lot, but he did okay. He'll try to walk forward as he turns, but after getting him to stop completely he did really well for the second half.
Turns-on-the-forehand still require a lot of work. He shuffles to the side and steps forward, but he does better than Diesel used too!

Since Tommy is finally starting to shed heavily, I'm hoping spring is on the way! I like winter, the snow is nice and I don't mind to cold. But if it goes below -25 or so and it's windy...not a fan.

On the non-horsey side, I've finally found some inspiration! Thank god, it's the greatest feeling. I hate art block, it's sooo annoying and difficult to break through. My friend AS is also an artist, so we talk a lot about what we're working on and try to motivate each other when we can't find something to work on. However we have vastly different styles. Hers is very computer based, or anime and 2D designs, mine is a lot more 3D and realism, so even her suggested don't always do the trick. Mostly she suggests 2D designs, but they do nothing, so that sucks.

But finally found something today!! Whilst creeping through horse related blogs, I found several about riding side saddle, the photos on the people blogs were beautiful, and I figured it would make a great project. AS gave me a large chunk of illustration board (really thick cardboard like paper that is great for water colors). So I'm very excited to start and add something new to my portfolio! I only have a few months until graduation and my art teacher offered to help me build a portfolio but I'm running out of time and it gets wasted with this stupid art block. So it's time to get a move on. But the paper is expensive, so going to have to do a lot of rough drafts before hand.

 A somewhat different kind of inspiration. I'm going to university next year to study counseling psychology through the Faculty of Arts. I've been granted conditional acceptance, and have already declared my major in Psychology and a minor in Women's Studies. If I really do change my mind, I can get out of them and do something else. And sometimes I wonder if I'm picking the right course and making the right decisions. Of course there's a million paths not just becoming a psychologist, but whatever.
Lately I have been wondering about that, and if this is the right way to go.
After the news tonight there was an episode of 16:9, their topic was eating disorders and the treatments available in Canada. The stores are heartbreaking, and it's reminded me this is what I want to do. These are the people I want to help! People who suffer from eating disorders and self harm. I've seen friends suffer from eating disorders and know at least one girl that has left school because of one. SH is something I know first hand, it's scary as hell. And I'm not going to talk about on here. Needless to say, it has made me want to help others how suffer from it, to give them hope and help them find better ways of dealing.
Back to the show, it showed a lot of the field I will hopefully be working in.
Now America, for the most part your health care system annoys me, and so does your attitude towards it. No offense, but that's how I feel about. I don't care a hell of a lot, it's your country and my opinion is irrelevant about it. However, there is one thing I truly love (mostly) about your treatment of ED's. You have Residential Care Facilities. Where patients can go and live in a home-like setting. It's less stressful and and highly successfully. At least compared to what we have. Patients here either don't get treatment, because throwing up 15-20 times a day somehow doesn't let you qualify for community center treatment (they didn't elaborate on what that was). Those who do get treatment, can end of being hospitalized, where they aren't really treated, just barely kept alive. Sure, some people will get healthy, many will not. They get sicker, hardened and lose even more hope. It's like we're in the 70's still.
Some are lucky. They go to America and go to RCF's, where they are thrive and get healthy again. Not that it ever really goes away, but you know what I mean. However, the treatment can cost $80,000...or more undoubtedly, sometimes the provinces will pay for treatment, but still loads have to pay their own way. Placing terrible financial burdens on their families.
There are no RCF's in Canada. Until March 1st anyway. The very first RCF will be opening in B.C., its 20 bed facility, costing $400 per day (apparently cheaper than many of the ones in America). They already have a massive waiting list, not surprisingly. The show also shared some disgusting statistics, levels of ED's are on the rise here, in men, women, and children. Yeah, there are kids as young as 6 and 7 being admitted to hospital because they suffer from an eating disorder. In 4-6 years I hope there are a lot more RCFs here. That is where I want to work, not a hospital where the patients feel scared and trapt with few options for treatment. But I don't want to go to America to work in one. I want to help the Canadian kids (and adults) that need help and hope. Of coarse I may have to work in a hospital, and if I can help people there, great that's what I want. But RCF's are soooo much better and with more of those, it would be great. So many more could be helped. The governments attention needs to be brought to this, and hopefully the one in BC will do that, if the federal and/or provincial governments could subsides them and make treatment more affordable. Unfortunately that can mean a bit of lack in quality sometimes, so it needs to be a combination of private funding and government help. Anyway that's enough of that rambling, got a bit longer than I meant it too.