Gratitude

Mike my trainer and Mike my husband and Esco have all three taught me something. Gratitude, on a deep sense. Be grateful and thankful for all things in life. And I truly mean for all things. For the first time, I look up at the evening sky and really look at it. And I am grateful for this sky and the stars. Grateful every night I have a bed to sleep in, a couch to sit on...etc

Gratitude, such a simple word. Many, I think have forgotten what it means. I am a simple person. I enjoy experiences in life. Not shopping or things. Riding has significantly improved. Esco and I have really been working hard. And we will continue to work hard, first show this March!

We have been working on our Dressage Tests. This takes me a bit longer to learn new material, but I have done so. Osinski is a Judge, it is so nice to ride a test for him and be able to hear what we did well, and what we need to work on. Hard work, and achievement, makes my soul feel alive and free.
We indeed are grateful, so grateful! May sound real simple, but riding it gives me purpose, freedom and goals to achieve!

~ Sallie Stewart

Ride with your soul!

I wanted to sell Esco this past spring. I was tired of wondering every single time I got on his back, if it would be my last ride ever. Then after a simple hack on the trail this past Spring of 2011 things started to click again. I remembered why I rode and why I loved horses. And, more importantly why I rode him. I ride for the "feel", for the joy, the freedom we feel. You have all felt that . This hack...seems so simple, but for three years, it has been something I was not able to do. I was too fearful. If I did not have my trainer, next to me.......I was scared to death. After each and every ride, to tell you the truth, my happiest moment, was when it was over. And I was still alive! To go on a hack by myself, with Esco.....was a huge moment. After the hack on the trail, I went back to the arena...I rode just like I did on the hack, with my soul. I could canter the horse any and everywhere in that huge arena. For three years.......when My trainer would say, "And Canter!".....the blood would just drain from my body. A terrible feeling for a person who was once so free. I rode on edge every single minute. Every single stride, I rode on edge. Oh I did all the mental exercises, visualizing things we do.  But honest to goodness, just ride with your soul, and your mind will relax, fear will leave and your position and body will fall into place. It has not been a matter of learning, but rather a matter of "feeling" this and living this again. I know of any other way to capture the "feel" than to just keep going until it appears. Then you can own it and yours.

Funny where you can find answers. On the back of a horse, on a trail.
Uncurl your toes.....and ride with your soul!
Move with your horse and with life! Embrace it, smile, breathe.Ride with your soul. More importantly LIVE with your soul!!

Sallie Stewart

“Though we are different yet we are the same” ~ Sallie Stewart

Sallie and Esco,  © 2011 by Gretchen Schroeder

We as people, have all faced adversity at sometime along our path in life.And, adversity, does change us.  There are some things in which one never gets over, it merely becomes apart of us, and we learn to carry on.  Really, what all look for is freedom. Freedom to dance on the stage of life as who we are. To be accepted, to be loved unconditionally, for who we are. We all want freedom, to be ourselves.  I can not think of one person who wants to be shoved in a box and told who they are. Nope, we as people desire freedom to be who we are in our heart of hearts.

Escogido XXV showed me this. He showed me how to be free. He loved me unconditionally. He loved me through gut wrenching fear. He loved me through memory loss. He loved me through , “ Who am I?”. He loved me through tremendous self doubt and self worth.  And it was because of my love for him, that I sought answers, sought help, sought education and sought new tools. And in the end, I learned self acceptance. I learned, it was ok to love myself, even with my new short comings.  We as people in general are quite similar.  Though we are different yet we are the same.

Sallie Stewart

...and he said, "Be the leader this horse needs and deserves you to be!"~ Mike Osinski‏

…and he said, “Be the leader this horse needs and deserves you to be!"~Mike Osinski
These are the words I heard this summer, while frail, timid me was in a lesson on a horse, that I truly was unsure of to ride. I loved him, but had given up on him, as well as myself. Osinski, from the second I mounted the horse, started in with instruction. " Shorten the reins, take a hold of him. You hold his mouth Sallie. Just like you held your sons hands when they were little. You will feel him try to squirm out of your hands. You say NO, you hold your momma's hand." As Esco squirmed and pulled the reins Mike would say, " NO, you do not let him break the contact with your hand, you tell him by using your hands, No, you hang on to my hand and let me guide you." Then Mike went into ," Good he is on the bit and connected, now rising trot. And Sallie YOU keep the connection, you do NOT let him give up the contact. After that was successful. Mike then instructed us to canter. While cantering I of course lost connection, horse looked terrible, I looked out of sorts. Mike came on to say, " Bring him back down to trot, get organized again, and canter again." We were now cantering. Mike came on the head set loud and clear with, " Don't you quit!, Don't you dare quit riding!!! You keep him connected on the bit, do not let that little boy let go of your hand. You move those legs of yours and keep him moving in the Canter. I did not see your legs move. If you do not move those legs, there is no need for me to even waste my breathe. You move those legs in the Canter, or I am going to leave the arena " I will tell you, my legs did move. Riding a horse I had lost confidence on, and ...and knowing all I had to do to keep the trainer there was move my legs, you bet my legs moved. A tiny bit, and it took effort, to move them. It also, took me having some faith in me. I trust my trainer, and when he does ask, I do try . Mike was pleased. Then he came on the head set as the horse was begining to slow down, " Sallie...You do not quit riding. BE the LEADER, this horse NEEDS and Deserves you to be!" Those words, are million dollar words. It changed my riding that very day. It also, began to change my life. My life needed a leader. And that leader had to be me. It is us as human beings, who lead our lives by choices we make. Good and bad. At the end of the day, we lead our lives. Mike Osinski reminded me of this, all on the back of a horse.

Sallie Stewart

Their Journey

In 2008 Sallie Stewart suffered a serious Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) while having her young Stallion Escogido XXV- The Chosen, fall on her. Due to this serious injury, Sallie had to re-learn how to do everything, even the simplest things we all take for granted. Walking, talking, eating, dressing herself and driving a car are just a few. Her husband and her young son taught her how to walk, talk and read again.

Mike Osinski, FEI rider and United States Equestrian Federation “S” Judge (the highest ranking judge's card one can hold in the USA), took Sally and Escogido on as students in Mid Summer 2008. Mike Osinski coached her through many significant physical and cognitive challenges. After three long years of hard work and dedication Sallie and Escogido are now ready to begin their Show career in Dressage, with their coach Mike Osinski, leading them every step of the way...

This would not be possible without the help of your contribution. No amount is too little. Let's come together and support these two who never quit. Not even when the cards were stacked against them.

Talent is God given. 

Be humble.

Fame is man-given. 

Be grateful. 

Conceit is self-given. 

Be careful.

~John Wooden