Red Pony Farm: A journey in motion

Oak Apple Gall --

Thanks Funder , You are quite right. Those surely must be Oak Galls. Oak Apple Gall seems to be the one:  Picture of Oak Apple Gall. They are little private nurseries to the Cynipid Gall Wasp. I was hoping to learn more about the wasp. But I am far to sleepy now and I will so regret sitting up till 11:43!

I will post soon on:

todays successful training session with the psycho mare from last summer, how Lucy will no longer wear a bit, my new Yoga class, bringing home the new baby piggies, the upcoming BioScan / light therapy demo next Saturday, AND the Mint Julep recipe I found for DERBY DAY, May 3rd 2008, the 134th run for the roses!

Inertia and Momentum

Tamara over at The Barb Wire: Applied Physics Post wrote a great piece yesterday on Inertia and Momentum applied to training schedules and human behavior.

I have been a lot like an object at rest. I have lost my momentum towards the training goals I had set by being snow bound for so many weeks. I made a change last night by working with Lucy on a week night. 1st time in 2008. It went well.

Sunday AD argued against my theory that if I started teaching again I would not spend any time on Lucy. She believes that if I am focused on training/ teaching I will end up spending more time with Lucy. She is right! It is the the whole Inertia Momentum theory at work on a mental / emotional level! She helped me make a schedule for this week.

Lucy and I worked on the mounting block issue very quietly last night after more free lunge work where she was much more relaxed and only kicked out at a stirrup that got loose and bounced against her side during a canter. Oh boy is she unbalanced at the canter in the arena--probably everywhere. She stood beside the mounting block (which she doesn't like) and then was lead away from it. She was lead round and round it while I stood on top of it. She stood beside it while I got on it and got back off it. She would shake her head releasing tension when I climbed off it without mounting. I lead her away from it again. Then she stood while I put weight in the stirrup from it and climbed back down to lead her around the arena again--more head shaking and a deep breath. Next time she stood perfectly still while I mounted! I rode a tiny bit. She still did not want to get near the block with me already mounted. So we did that a bunch too. It was a simple yet productive and successful session. It greatly helped the fear I have been fighting all winter. And there is still the pain--there is that. But it doesn't have to stop me, it's just there. I need momentum towards yoga!

I'm helping AD work her ponies tonight, then with CG and Smidge on Wednesday. I will have a session with Lucy Wednesday also. And Thursday Lucy and I will hit the trails! I'm excited again. Thanks to AD and Tamara.