Sheepdog journey
And the story continues
It has been a long time since I have blogged. For a variety of reasons. The biggest reason is the ever elusive time. It seems like I am hitting the busiest time of my life. I feel like with the passing of my Mother, that my life lesson is, 'to live...fully'. I am hitting my stride - or trying to. I reflect only briefly backwards of the time I may have squandered walking up a path designed by someone else.
A very good friend of mine several years ago gave me the analogy that your dog running parallels how things are 'going' in your life. Thus the periodic reference to the 'sheepdog journey'. I don't entirely buy into it. However, when your life is cluttered and your energy is like the hoarder households kitchen, sure enough it's tough to find the focus needed to hold up your end of the partnership with your dog. I have witnessed very good people who go through rough life times and take it out on those around them, including their dogs. I have to admit on more than one occasion I have worked my butt off- felt like I have moved heaven and earth-to make it out to the quiet field with sheep and my dogs. Once there I would find myself exhausted/cranky/angry/distracted----and as soon as I recognized it, I just loaded everyone up and went for a walk or headed home. That baggage is not theirs to carry. It's not their job to fix it. It's my job to bring my 50% of the partnership to the table.
I am into my third year at the Open-level. I made the jump fairly immediately after getting the Feist dog who was accomplished, but still only two years old. It's been a huge learning curve. Tall. Steep. With limited time and limited funds, time management has become the key.
I have come to terms with some truths for our current situation. There are two times of year that we take time off. When it is too hot to work and when it's too cold. In the winter when it plummets below zero, I don't even try. Sometimes we get an abundance of snow/ice and training is based on safety of the stock and the dogs. It is good for the minds of the dogs to have the break. In summer, the days are long and hot in the high mountain desert. I have come to terms with four-something in the morning. The summer season is brutal. No works at lunch. No practice after work or in the evenings-too damn hot! Endurance training comes in the form of swimming and high elevation hikes/runs. Runs happen when it's cool enough in areas with no fox tails (grass seeds) or rattlesnakes.
There are several times of year that fields are not available, or very tricky to find. We juggle with ranchers who are actually making a living. We routinely play second fiddle to irrigated fields and fields that are growing hay for the winter months. Hauling out to BLM land is always an option, but not in rattlesnake season. During these times working in the arena or in the cattle yards affords a chance to practice at hand work. Shedding and penning practice that makes sense to the dogs. We have chores to do here. "Don't make a wreck.... Or you will have to fix it."
Sheep. The most important element of all to the sheepdog. I still don't have the perfect answer yet. The good thing is that we get experience working on different sheep. My hope of consistency is still in dream works. I have tried several very inventive experiments, that were not the solution. We are lucky to have good exposure to fresh range ewes when available. My hope is that the dogs will be specialist on the toughest sheep and smart-pliable to lighter farm flocks. Tricky tricky tricky.
We are starting to team up. I have to be a different 50% for each different team. The balance is different for each of my teams. Learning strengths and weaknesses. My whistles, which are still not good, are improving and are being used differently for each dog. My timing is getting better. My feel and stock reading is starting to improve. My absorption of the flood of free advice is starting to become more discerning. Don Miguel Ruizs' 5th agreement 'be skeptical, but learn to listen'. I am trying to accumulate a tool box I can reach into when the unexpected manifests. "That didn't work, I think I'll try this".
With the commitment of the Feist dog, I also made a promise to hold up my end of the bargain. I wasn't really that aware of what that would mean. Contributing back to the sport that had so graciously accepted me was another learning curve I was innocently ignorant of in the beginning. In the past 2.5 years I have learned to judge N, PN, and Nursery trials. We have committed to putting on a first rate sheepdog trial every year, with all the work that entails. I have done some set outs, scribing, hazing, and DL exhausting. I have met with sponsors. I have sat with the general public to explain and answer mundane questions. I have admired the twinkle in the eyes of the spectator or the novice handler that are also drawn to the magic of the sport.
Over and over, I have yearned to retire and farm/ranch full time. In my dreamy mind I think it is the only way I can realistically make significant progress in this sport. In my ever so realistic nature, I know that the shift in my sheepdogging progress truthfully occurred when I quit seeing all the things I didn't have or couldn't do....and focused on the attributes that I did have available. I have to run to the beat of my own drummer, just like in every other aspect of my life. Keep it positive and love the journey.
I am into my third year at the Open-level. I made the jump fairly immediately after getting the Feist dog who was accomplished, but still only two years old. It's been a huge learning curve. Tall. Steep. With limited time and limited funds, time management has become the key.
I have come to terms with some truths for our current situation. There are two times of year that we take time off. When it is too hot to work and when it's too cold. In the winter when it plummets below zero, I don't even try. Sometimes we get an abundance of snow/ice and training is based on safety of the stock and the dogs. It is good for the minds of the dogs to have the break. In summer, the days are long and hot in the high mountain desert. I have come to terms with four-something in the morning. The summer season is brutal. No works at lunch. No practice after work or in the evenings-too damn hot! Endurance training comes in the form of swimming and high elevation hikes/runs. Runs happen when it's cool enough in areas with no fox tails (grass seeds) or rattlesnakes.
There are several times of year that fields are not available, or very tricky to find. We juggle with ranchers who are actually making a living. We routinely play second fiddle to irrigated fields and fields that are growing hay for the winter months. Hauling out to BLM land is always an option, but not in rattlesnake season. During these times working in the arena or in the cattle yards affords a chance to practice at hand work. Shedding and penning practice that makes sense to the dogs. We have chores to do here. "Don't make a wreck.... Or you will have to fix it."
Sheep. The most important element of all to the sheepdog. I still don't have the perfect answer yet. The good thing is that we get experience working on different sheep. My hope of consistency is still in dream works. I have tried several very inventive experiments, that were not the solution. We are lucky to have good exposure to fresh range ewes when available. My hope is that the dogs will be specialist on the toughest sheep and smart-pliable to lighter farm flocks. Tricky tricky tricky.
We are starting to team up. I have to be a different 50% for each different team. The balance is different for each of my teams. Learning strengths and weaknesses. My whistles, which are still not good, are improving and are being used differently for each dog. My timing is getting better. My feel and stock reading is starting to improve. My absorption of the flood of free advice is starting to become more discerning. Don Miguel Ruizs' 5th agreement 'be skeptical, but learn to listen'. I am trying to accumulate a tool box I can reach into when the unexpected manifests. "That didn't work, I think I'll try this".
With the commitment of the Feist dog, I also made a promise to hold up my end of the bargain. I wasn't really that aware of what that would mean. Contributing back to the sport that had so graciously accepted me was another learning curve I was innocently ignorant of in the beginning. In the past 2.5 years I have learned to judge N, PN, and Nursery trials. We have committed to putting on a first rate sheepdog trial every year, with all the work that entails. I have done some set outs, scribing, hazing, and DL exhausting. I have met with sponsors. I have sat with the general public to explain and answer mundane questions. I have admired the twinkle in the eyes of the spectator or the novice handler that are also drawn to the magic of the sport.
Over and over, I have yearned to retire and farm/ranch full time. In my dreamy mind I think it is the only way I can realistically make significant progress in this sport. In my ever so realistic nature, I know that the shift in my sheepdogging progress truthfully occurred when I quit seeing all the things I didn't have or couldn't do....and focused on the attributes that I did have available. I have to run to the beat of my own drummer, just like in every other aspect of my life. Keep it positive and love the journey.
Wonderful post, Mary. I'm so happy when I get to share a bit of your journey!
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy. You are always so supportive.
ReplyDelete