I am writing this entry on March 1st of a day which has the strong hint of spring on it. Here is a photo and video from last week with my Violet. My poor Violet has been working her tail off! She gets ridden four times a week by me and she's been put into training with Stacey once a week. I have to admit that I am feeling a bit frustrated right now because I can just see that Violet is trying really really really hard to be light and give and responsive. But I continue to be heavy-handed and fumbling. I just know that I'm hurting her and being unkind. I've decided to back it up a few steps and not make every ride a total training ride working on the new -- and instead some playful working on what we're good at and love. Right now I am struggling with the Black Dog, with depression, so I am having a hard time thinking that I'm a good person. My anxiety is coming out in thinking that I'm a bad person toward my pets. But here she is, in this photo, and she doesn't look disagreeable or upset about being my girl. And in fact, soon after this photo, she was putting those lips on my clothes and on my hands and on my face in an agreeable little frisking of love. She's a good girl. A really good girl.