Another great horse day. The day was progressing. Did body work on Tinni, much appreciated, eye looked better after. Did a bit of Intrinzen work with Hrimmi. Pete and I went for a ride on Hrimmi and Raudi, respectively. Coming back down road with Raudi and Hrimmi and Ryder we saw our neighbor Kirby coming up road. He was riding a fat tired (!) bicycle he had purchased as a Christmas present for his wife, Aubrey. We all stopped and waited for him to catch up to us. Raudi and Hrimmi stood still and Ryder said hello to the cyclist. We talked for a bit about the strange goings on at the Rafter T place downroad. It is so odd, these guys show up late at night and work on cars. Some cars come and some go.

Alys Leaving Butte, MT on Continental Divide bike trip

Then we talked about The Bicycle. I have to say that I was and remain envious. I think I wrote a dispatch a few years ago in which I was envious about the fact that our neighbor Karen got a fat tired (!) bicycle. Yes, I want one. I want one really bad. I would like to ride it and have Tyra and Ryder run with me. But I do not have the money. We are three payments away from having paid off our horse trailer – just three payments.

I’d find the time to ride if I owned such a bike. In the meantime, there are horses. Pete continued to talk with Kirby and I untacked Raudi and Hrimmi and put them away. I then got Tyra and Tinni out. Pete, who was by then done talking to Kirby, said he’d go for a walk with us. So off we went.

I let Ryder and Tyra off-leash and off-lead once we were a ways down the trailhead. Pete walked Tinni. The sun, which had been shining all day, was setting. After a bit, Tyra raced off – once again, a beautiful sight.

I clicked when she raced back because I wanted to reward her for owning her own movements, which is racing about and bucking and kicking. Then I rewarded her when she raced off for the same. For the rest of the walk, it was like a light was going off in her little head. She figured out that yes, I am being rewarded for doing something that I inherently enjoy. I began calling her back and she returned every time.

It comes down to this. Picture three sliders – one is movement competency, another is movement capacity, and yet another is forced compliance. Movement competency is equated with agility and freedom of movement. Is a permanent characteristic. Tyra was high on the scale here. Movement capacity is equated with load; strength and speed being two determinants. Is temporary because it is fitness-related. Tyra was up there in terms of her speed. And Forced compliance is related to what it is you are directing the horse to do. This, in Tyra’s case, was quite low. I was not forcing her to do anything, but because she had the physical capacity, she was able to and quite willing to do as asked.

I later told Tyra that I was considering selling her and purchasing a fat tired (!) bicycle. He said that we could get enough money from the sale to buy us both fat tired (!) bicycles. I then said we would only get what she is worth from someone who values the type of education that she has had.

Well, Tyra isn’t going anywhere. And most likely there are not going to be any fat tired (!) bicycles in our future. That’s quite all right. The horses are bringing me great joy.

Next: 350. 12/19/17: Minimalists