Field Trips

Henry and I continue to have a blast (well I'm having a blast, he's happy 90% of the time, the other 10% of the time he's internally shaking his head at me). We played cross country again. 

And then did a couple of stadium rounds a week later. 

He's a different ride from Butterball, but at the same time, the basics of a steady, even stride and having enough canter don't really change. So it's good to still be getting in the mileage there. But it's also just plain fun to go jump around with a willing partner. 

Meanwhile, Butterball got to go on a field trip to the Chi Institute. Ben had gone to their labs several times, but I had not taken Butterball. I was worried that he did not have 4 hours of touching in him. He is a VERY GOOD PONY, but he also has LOTS OF THOUGHTS and does LOTS OF THINGS. Whereas Ben is one of the only horses I know who would have been DELIGHTED to be in the exact same dressage arena every single day of his life. Soooo basically I was worried that we were going to run out of quarters and he was going to become the most annoying, fussy, fidgety pony ever. 

Well, I underestimated my pony-golden-retriever. He had a great time. 

First he inspected their lawn care job and helped out by removing any stray grass blades

His muzzle looks uneven. It was. They worked on it. 

He enjoyed (almost) all the touching and reciprocated by cuddling with every single person

Then he got a nice break and ate some grass

Purposely headed into the long section, full on water buffalo 

Hold on, I can't go back in yet, I'm peeing (and eating)

Definitely would have put himself through the person gate/pass through... definitely a pony 

After his break he got REALLY SLEEPY 

And took a nap

The whole first half was the students reviewing points, but even then he did react to the finger pressure at a few of them. It was very cool to see. 

After the break they did an actual treatment with needles. They decided to work on his qi deficiency (based on his tongue, pulses, and tendon issue). He had many more feelings about his treatment than Ben ever did. He did request that the students slow down at one point when he was hit with a number of points around the feet. It was a good learning moment for them to look at their patient as well. But once the points were in he processed them very quietly. It was the first time that he was still other than when he napped. And after about 5-7 minutes he sorta came to again and had a few big releases and then requested that the needles be removed. 

I took notes on which points they used and added a couple to my dolphin stim treatment plan for him. The TA did some myofascial release on him as well and noted tightness over his left SI area. While she released that myofascial sheet, he had some muscle fasciculations in his left lumbar paraspinal muscles, it all really is connected! The next ride our halts were so much straighter than they have been. 

His new farm is on the way home, so we stopped and did his 30 minute walk there, it was fun to put pony on property for the first time

That grass is for me?