If words were horses, my life would be perfect. Every mistake made would gallop away, every joyous memory would triumph over adversity; rearing on hind legs to reach the sky.

If horse were words, they would run willfully through my mind, bucking and nudging untill they trampled my notebook. Their hoofprints wouldn’t evade me but trail towards me.

Yet if words were horses, those mistakes would hoofprint my mind. Pounded into my subconcious so I would never forget them but continue through them.

If horses were words, and words were horses my dreams would be absolute.

Just Ranting,

Rose

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To let go

Antonym of bitter-sweet thoughts and miserable memories

To move on

Synoynm with freedom, bliss and a peace that can be felt at all times

To live

A word that can be defined only by the elation of being oneself

Statistics show that %50 of all girls between the ages of 13 and 15 view themselves as overweight, and with all the pressure from crash diet commercials it is not surprising that %60 of all female high school students are on a diet. In the minds of today’s teenager ‘bulimic’ and ‘anorexic’ have become compliments.

It seems that modern day teenagers can’t see any other solution to finding that intangible secret to beauty. However, along with all the suggestions from the media of what is perceived as beauty there are also subtle clues to the definition of genuine beauty.

Hidden amongst the lyrics of many other well known and celebrated artists Natasha Bedingfield rises to the challenge to contradict the norm.  “Were all mad” contains the words “Who’s to point a finger at what’s not understood? Were all mad in our own way” Personally, I feel that the concept of questioning the basis of our perception of what’s excepted and normal would revolutionize the state of an average teenager’s life. Possibly, given the incentive to wonder why their body type, hair color or race was deemed abnormal or ugly would give them the confidence to form their own opinions of what authentic beauty is and rise above changing themselves to become another’s perception of beauty.

However, encouragement of genuine beauty isn’t solely seen through song lyrics. Select companies have even gone as far as to feature what is now deemed ‘average beauty’ in their campaigns and product advertisements. Dove is one of these companies. Holding workshops to promote confidence and featuring older or ‘over weight’ models they promote the ideal of authentic beauty.  

To summarize, beauty should become an indefinable ideal due solely to the fact that beauty can be perceived in everyone. One may just need to remove the cosmetics to find it.

Just Ranting,

Rose

The last day of my grade nine exams, I rushed out of class feeling exhilarated. While all my classmates were celebrating the end of the school year I was packing for my first Reining competition. After seven years of horseback riding, six years of competing in small club competitions, and months of preparation for me and my horse Sparky I was finally going to compete in a provincial wide horseback riding competition.

I will admit I was nervous nevertheless my excitement greatly overwhelmed my anxiety; since last April I had been training my horse to rein. Reining is a discipline of horseback riding where precision is the main objective.  I learned how to spin faster, ride better, and most of all perform a sliding stop; I could not wait! Little did I know that by competing I would face the greatest personal challenge I had ever encountered.

That first competition took place in Kemptville, Ottawa and the ride was long but I spent it among friends and I cannot remember feeling happier. It was not until that night, while I was warming up for my class the next morning that Sparky started to buck. At first it only happened occasionally, but soon every step was punctuated with a retort. It kept progressing and my calm demeanor faltered, by the time my trainer could come help me I was nearly in tears I was so frustrated.

It was then that I realized that those nerves that had been hidden beneath my excitement had returned to haunt me, and as sensitive as he was Sparky was receiving these signals from me. I cannot even begin to describe how embarrassed, devastated, or frustrated I was, not only had I been the one to cause the problem but I had myself nearly in tears trying to fix it. However, as she has done numerous times before my trainer came to my rescue. She got on Sparky, and my fears were confirmed when he did not buck.

The rest of the shows that summer followed a similar pattern. My nerves ran rampant and if I wasn’t crying going into the show ring, I was crying inside it because Sparky just kept bucking. Some shows were better than others, sometimes I fought with my fear until I was calm enough that I was not riding a bucking bronco but it seemed that my nerves just kept reappearing. My self confidence dropped every time I left the show ring with a zero, and I became steadily more was disgusted with myself. Not for the scores I received, but because I went from someone who had enough patience to work through a problem to someone who cried every time things became difficult.

Nevertheless, every time I came out crying or was so frustrated I could barely contain myself there was someone there helping me through it. My trainer, Joanne, my parents, and all my friends were invaluable to me. Each one offered advice or a personal story, sometimes even pulled me off my horse to calm me down before I went into the show ring. Even people I had met only this year competing and acquaintances that had seemed distant became my best companions and advisors. It was because of them I made it through last summer, and I do not think I could ever thank them enough.

I will not claim that in one summer I discovered and conquered my vicious nerves. On the contrary I am still battling them, but I now know without a doubt that I will always have those people who care about me supporting me through all the difficulties. I know that everyone has faults and it’s how you face them that make you an individual. That horses are extremely sensitive, and the best aspect about humanity  is that there is always someone willing to pull you off your horse when you are in tears.

Just Ranting,

Rose

Have you ever experienced the pure exasperation you feel when trying to explain something entirely elemental to you? The little tug of annoyance and or confusion that someone doesn’t know how something you love doing can be fun?

That, my fellow bloggers is how an equestrian rider or horseback rider feels when someone asks how you can be tired or sore after training because, after all “your just sitting there.”  The assumption that horseback riding requires no energy or strength is one misconception commonly perceived by those outside the riding world. However, I’m sure many riders would agree with me that after an hour in the saddle those preconceptions would be swept away.

Horseback riding requires muscle strength, control, and most of all – patience. After all, horseback riding isn’t like learning a sport or driving a car, your not alone in your efforts and your not totally in control of an object. When your riding your constantly requesting for a horse’s co-operation, continuously working to build trust and always learning . A well trained horse will respond to even the slightest of movements from a rider, but only a well tuned rider learns to read the slightest movements of their horse.

It is often said that great athletes are great because they know their own limitations, and know when they can run harder or jump higher.  A good rider knows when their horse is tired and sore,when they can’t be pushed farther and when there simply expressing their sense of humor.

It is easy to understand the misconception of riding however, when you witness performances so flawless it appears there is no effort wasted by the rider. Yet behind that flawless sliding stop is a rider attempting to give all the right signals, behind that perfect jump is a rider straining to clear that top rail.

So the next time your watching someone ride, experience or beginning watch carefully. Where are their heels? Are they down, so that their horse can respond to the tightened muscle in the leg? Or up, so that all the horse feels is a limp leg flapping against his side? Are they sitting properly? So that the slightest shifting of weight can result in a flying lead change? Or unbalanced so that the riders seat is sending contradicting signals to the riders wishes?

There is no such thing as effortless ride, even if you’ve ridden the same Western show pattern - what feels like - nineteen hundred times, because each time you ride you are still requesting co -operation. Each time you ride, the horse has to decide whether or not to listen you. Each time you ride there is a possibility the horse will not listen, and there lies the effort.

Simply Ranting,

Rose

Not long ago, I was enrolled in dance and for a few years I practised with instructors ranging from the most severe to the ultimate lax. After numerous lessons I was encouraged to compete. In an attempt to defy the ever glaring stage lights, dancers of all ages were slathered in foundations, blushes, toners,mascara,eyeliner, lipstick… the list continues forever. Though the reasons for such excessive amounts was very practical, I could never convince myself it was a just cause.

It was that experience, the continuous effort of dancers to be seen on stage that began to form my opinions. Why should we  change our outward appearances to be noticed? It may be that the dancer wearing the most creative costume that catches your eye, but it’s the quality of their pirouettes and gracefulness of their aerials that results in an excellent performance. When watching an amazing dancer, it may never register what color her leotard was or how vividly red her lips were because one is entranced by the movement of their body.

Why, then do women paint their faces? Some of my closest friends have told me countless times that make-up is not a mask. That lipstick and eyeliner can accentuate what qualities one already posses. I am not denying the truth of those words, in all actuality I agree. The right shade of lipstick or eyeshadow can brighten a person’s face. However, I believe that it encourages the idea that our worth is determined by our looks.

That is my opinion, I defy cosmetics because I feel that as a person it’s insulting to have to pretend to be something your not to be accepted. If someone can’t accept the person I am without make – up they aren’t worth changing for in the first place.

In no way am I saying that by wearing cosmetics you are striving for attention or acceptance,or that you are synthetic because you wear make – up. I am attempting to question the motives for doing such things because I believe that if we begin to realize true worth doesn’t lie in outward appearances there would be less cruelty.

Just Ranting,

Rose

Though the title of this blog may change ( as it’s undecided whether of not the it’s permanent) the writer’s the same.  Well that’s all for now, so I’m ending this introduction and I hope to post again soon.

Beginner Blogger,

Rose

This is my blog!