Training & Yoga

Training the little man:
I gave him last night off because we had a phenomenal Wednesday night session.  He was turned out for the first time with all the big guys that day so I had my first "catching" experience with him.  Once I got past the group of 3 others and in his field of vision he started walking toward me.  I looped the lead around his neck and  popped on the halter successfully.  Good boy!  Walking back across the little high-water creek (only pops up when it rains a lot like yesterday) he was hesitant to get his little footsies dirty but walked across the first one and hopped after I hopped across the second.

We went in and I brushed him for a couple moments then we went into the round pen.  I worked him in both directions at W/T/C and he responded beautifully to me for the first time.  I see Jeanna and D do this with him and others but I hadn't perfected my body position well enough until last night.  I'd say "whoa" and turn away from him into a passive stance, he'd stop and turn his butt to the panels and his face to me and then stand their licking and chewing.  I'd re-position myself and raise my hand in the direction for him to go, cluck or smooch and he'd set off again in the opposite direction.  And repeat again and again.  Good horse!

We then did a little bit of work with the tarp, some flexing of his neck (which he's really getting good at!), and I handled all four of his feet, then went back through each foot and stretched him some.  He really licked and chewed after that!

It was barely even 30 minutes of work, but he was very focused and attuned to what I wanted.  Good boy!

Yoga:
So, I don't think I mentioned on here...or maybe I did, but I give into peer pressure too easily sometimes.  And being the brilliant person I am decided when challenged, Oh, yes, racing down the long bunny slope to see who can shoot the furthest up a merging slope with beer for the winner sounds like a GREAT idea when visibility is only ~20 feet due to fog.   No worries, the mountain wasn't open yet so I couldn't kill -other- people.  So, of course, we raced.  And while I had scoped out where I would likely make a mistake and warned myself to take that turn wide so I didn't drop into that ditch, hit death cookies, and launch myself out of it, I made the mistake anyway.  I was going at quite a high rate of speed at that point as all I had to do was make the turn and I would begin my uphill ascent to see how far I could go.  And then, "Eeeeeaaaaaaauuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhh!" I squalled as I got launched.

Of course, I landed on my esophagus/throat region.  Bounced once and then slide a ways.  Do my ski patrol buddies come check on me? Nope.  I'm left to lie. But that's okay, 'cause I couldn't have gotten up anyway at first.  I lay there a bit getting my breath back.  The next day and preceding week after sucked though.  Neck sore beyond sore, left shoulder screwed up somehow so I couldn't proper put on or take off clothes without intense pain, cartilage in right ribs bruised to the point where I feared I'd fractured them because I couldn't take deep breaths without pain for 2 days.  I know, I'm brilliant.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I haven't done any yoga lately.  I tried.  I ended up hurting myself worse when I popped into downward dog.  Lovely.

BUT, I've made enough progress with my yoga-ing that I'm very aware of my posture, my breathing, and how to calm myself.  I know which stretches can help certain things and will practice them throughout the day.  I'm hoping to ease back into things soon.  I gotta get bakasana down SOLID!  Its my short-term goal.