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December 12, 2017: Making the Horse/Human Body Awareness Connections

Sometimes I feel like I am treading water, but instead in molasses. I have insights but they are short-lived. I do live for those ahh haa moments, which can only be described as a jolt of recognition. I then know for sure that I have made an important connection – the subsequent feeling is one of elation.

I have monetarily shifted my focus from doing the self-body work in Eric Franklin’s Dynamic Imagery to doing the self-body work in Todd Hargrove’s A Guide to Better Movement. I just needed a break from Franklin’s imagery-related exactitude. However, I am doing the imagery-related Franklin work as an interlude in day-to-



day activities. For example, it does not take much time at all to picture a geyser running up the center of my body, and my head resting on the top of it.

I am now drawing upon all this work in playing with the horses. Today was a very revelatory day in this respect. I played with them all and did differing things. First, Pete and I took Tinni and Hrimmi for a woods walk. I let Hrimmi run loose, and she did run and jump and buck. And I ran and jumped and bucked. We were both owning our own movement – moving in an intrinsic fashion. I never thought I’d ever see either of us move with such abandon.

Later in the morning, I did body awareness/agility work with Hrimmi in the playground. The Clayton carrot stretches – she found them difficult in the same way I found Hargrove’s flexor stretches to be difficult. But she enjoyed problem solving and coming up with new movement patterns. Perhaps she, like I, was thinking, well, this leg turns out a bit so turning it in might enable me to move differently.

Next, Raudi. She was very mellow today – was quite content to do the agility course on-line. She just did not want to work any harder than she had to. Carrot stretches consequently were challenging for her too. I am working with her on breaking the extrinsic loop, the one in which she sees me as being the human vending machine. Rewards now only come for big moves – carrot stretch moves count.

Tinni followed suit. It was a very quiet, productive session. I can’t describe the feeling that comes in working with him – it is as if time slows and we are one. One, two, three, four feet on the mat, very slowly. I did stretches with him, too. He was able in most instances to touch the target, the pool noodle on the wooden dowel rod. I did some body work with him – I think that his right front leg is a bit stiff or sore. Thursday, acupuncture with Brooke.

Lastly, I took Tyra for a romp in the woods. By now it was getting dark. I let her off the lead and she ran around in the open areas. When not running, she trotted up trail. It appeared as though she was floating on air. Tyra actually revels in being body aware. Taking her for woods runs is the best thing for her at this point in time – she is further developing movement competency. Movement capacity will follow suit. I am confident that I won’t have to resort to high compliance with her because she will have the stability and balance to do what’s asked when the time comes.

What I am doing in making the horse/human body connections is not at all mainstream. However, maybe someday it will be considered commonplace. People learn by example, so maybe what I and others are doing will eventually catch on. In the meantime, I am continuing to shinny up the learning curve.

Next: 344. 12/13/17: Hunting for Answers

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