I actually felt pretty good physically today – I think because of my ongoing Bones for Life work. What I am coming to realize is that movement begets movement. And the more we move, the more energized we become. And the more energized we become, the more better we feel. And the better we feel, the more we are able to accomplish. And on the list goes.

So today I attempted to move even more than usual – I made it a point in working with the horses to be more energetic than I have in the past. It did not seem to have much of an effect on them, for right now this is their low energy time of the year. They are growing their winter coats and storing fat for the winter, so they are not feeling like racing around at top speed.

Pete videotaped Raudi and Hrimmi doing agility. I have to say that their performance was lackluster. Neither one would trot when asked. So this month’s agility course evaluations are going to be pretty low. We won’t be winning any ribbons or getting any points this month.

Nevertheless, all the mares had their moments. I chased Hrimmi away from the compost station and she ran off at a gallop in search of her herd mates. And lo and behold, Tyra made huge strides in learning how to do the panther walk (Pun intended). I went from using the bag on the lunge whip to using the pool noodle on a lunge whip. I held it out before her, and when she raised her leg and struck out at it, I rewarded her with treats and copious praise. And soon enough, this became a deliberate effort on her part. The connection here is that Tyra had to have the energy to do this. Otherwise she would have just continued to do a pokey trot.

As for Raudi – well, she never was all that energetic. She enjoyed hanging out on her mat. And for the first time ever, she did crunches without providing any resistance. And she did chase the bag and trot some. Come to think of it, I did get her to move more quickly – this was when we were heading back to the paddock where her evening meal awaited her. She moved out because, undoubtedly, she sensed that the others would eat her share if she lollygagged.

All this play is making all the horses more agile, flexible, and supple. And I’d like to think that this is doing the same for me. There is a part of me that has been ignoring the fact that unless I do something about it, I will remain stiff and creaky. I have been ignoring this fact because I, like many others, found it easier to ignore this than do something about it. I am now resigning myself to the fact that if I don’t do something about it, I will regret it, regret taking the form say of hip, knee, or shoulder replacements. I know these things can be prevented, hence my now growing interest in movement science.

Next: 270. 9/30/17: Leaving a Tough Day Behind