Take a deep breath as you look at that picture. Can you sense that wonderful, sharp freshness of the air that hurts your lungs and throat just a little bit but you can't wait to inhale again? That's how it was this morning indeed. My kind of office ;)
Vet's decision on Jo-Jo is to carry on with our remedial schooling month. He is starting to get the scheme and lets me move his legs into different positions without bracing each time. Slow, gentle relaxation movements like this let him tell me straight away if anything hurts too much to bare and I can stop immediately.
He enjoys the little massage rather a lot now too and was horizontal from relaxation today. In the arena, I am mainly observing and learning where I can push and when I need to back off. We need him to work out a better way of moving and that means finding out where the barriers are and moving them an inch at a time.
His pattern right now is to work well, then over-react at something, face me, plant his feet and either change direction or refuse to move. I am letting him work out he can't have it that way with me so it takes some time as I have to wait him out on some occasions.
I follow the thinking of making the right thing easy and the unwanted thing difficult. He is a clever horse and I can see he is getting the idea. He is also stubborn and likes things his way at times so I have to be careful not to start a battle with no winners.
Some more thoughts and pondering time on the Academy's structure and logistics for me today. Sometimes we get on with day to day tasks without letting the mind wonder about bigger picture often enough. At first, it feels like I am staring at the white wall wondering about my sanity but the more I stare, the more details seem obvious - you know, like little cracks in paint work, small pattens, brush strokes, uneven surface here and there.
I can't say I can see the brick work beneath yet ;) but some ideas are forming!
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