RL BM

I say it a lot: Real Life Beast Mastery. It's even more true now than it was when I first used the term five years ago.

Horses were a big part of my life growing up. My dad loved them, and when he had a job and a place, he bought one. Loving horses and knowing things about horses are actually two different things. So there my parents are with a house full of kids and dogs and cats, a farm with chickens and cows and this horse, who was now an adult purebred stallion, with no one in the house with much of a clue as to how to train him or anything.

My mom did the best she could, and to be honest, she didn't do too badly. When I was 8, a local teenaged horseperson rode over and asked if we wanted help with him, so for the next 5 years, I went to her place after school and she taught me everything she knew. I had lessons with her coach, showed extensively and trained ponies and my own horse. It cemented a lifelong love of horses for me.

I worked in the industry in several places, was everything from a stablehand to barn manager. I had to rehome our pony when my arthritis kicked into high gear some 10 and a half years ago, and I stopped riding then, trying to work a "regular" job. When it became clear that my health simply could not support the expectations of that job, I sank into introversion and depression, and never realised how much of my mental health balance had been the horses.

Then my sister took me to this place that had horses, and got me back involved with them. As soon as I was there, I felt better. Within 6 months, I didn't need my cane to walk anymore, and within a year I was there five days a week, doing whatever needed doing.

The place is the Grene Wode in Langley, BC, where I still work, managing the equestrian side of the operation and teaching horsemanship and riding to a small group of folks. My own education as an equestrian has continued, and this year I am hoping to offer some clinics with some international coaches. (I am developing a blog for the Wode, so click here to follow that, when I get that link up and running.)

In May of 2013, I met and fell in love with an adorable 2 day old puppy with the unique name of The Woodge. (There's a story there). I brought him home in July, and had to move in September as a result. He's a very smart and very lovable mutt, has some 30 tricks in his repertoire, and more character than I'd care to admit.

We moved again, in May of 2014, in with a family that had a Canadian champion Rhodesian Ridgeback stud dog, and some large quantity of goats and chickens. RL BM, all around. They had to rehome the livestock last year and while I didn't miss the racket and smell and mess, I do miss the fresh milk and cheese! I still get the eggs, as the chickens were rehomed to my workplace.

Now I live with a couple of great friends, their two cats, and my two dogs. I inherited Sam from one of my clients, who took her own life in August of this year, and while she had willed her younger puppy to me, there was a return clause in her purchase contract from the breeder, and her elderly dog had nowhere else to go. He's a sweet old man, who loves his outings to the Wode, and makes me feel appreciated in unique and fulfilling ways.

I don't talk a lot about the RL BM stuff on this blog, but know that I am always down to talk dogs and horses with likeminded or even just curious gamerfolk.