Confidence & Curiosity

Wow. An incredible day. This is a long post, so much happened, it is difficult to think of writing it down, but here goes.

1. On arrival Z went to the end of her paddock, to stand by her boyfriend. I said hello, went into the paddock and stood at the fence, looking toward the other horses, pretty intently. Get my mind on her as well, but made no assumptions about whether she would or would not catch me. After a couple of glances her way, and about a minute, I heard her moving, I looked and she was walking toward me down the fenceline, then stopped. I turned away, and maintained same energy and intention. Counted to 30 and she started walking again. I did not look, waited, then she stopped behind/beside me, an arms length away. I looked at her, smiled, we shared a horseman's handshake. She came to the fence and started looking where I was - maybe wondering what I had been watching? Super moment 1.

2. We walked to front yard to graze, and after awhile she started walking toward the road. Stopped, looked up the road, and away we went. Clip clop, nose rollers going, but ears forward and a medium pace. She was looking into the yards - no doubt wanting their grass, and at the road, and the snow, dirt. When we got to the top of the hill she looked around for a bit, then turned back to home. After awhile she indicated she wanted to go into the field (she had seen horses returning from a hack through the field a couple of days ago). So in we went, she took me to the top of the hill, then walked across the field behind the fence line. Exploring and observing as she went. She stopped and watched the horses below, who were looking at her. After a bit, she headed back home. Super moment 2.

3. I had sent up two cones, tarp, and foam ground pole in the arena. She walked in ears up, but when she looked toward the mirror/ropes she started going RBI, so I turned her away from the mirrors. Ears perked up, moving forward. Walked in serpentines, every time she showed interest in the mirrors we went toward them, when she went RBI swung away. After awhile of this she took herself through the CONES!!!!Ears forward, nose down. It was her idea. Super moment 3.

4. I stood on tarp making lots of noise as I asked her to circle (she had already smelled the tarp confidently). She was super AOK with this (review when I did this last year, and she went RBE). In fact, this helped me stand at ease, but without any worry that she would stop circling. She did a couple of times, but it was to ask me a question. The walked a circle 3 times without stopping, then I asked her to trot. She did, without stopping, until she came to the foam pole. Stopped and sniffed. Wondered what to do. When she started to go RBI I had her move sideways, which surprised her, then she continued trotting on the circle. She looked where she was going when she got to the wall, sometimes trotted past the pole. Sometimes stopped and needed assistance in knowing what to do, but always when I moved her away, she continued in the direction, trotting. Today I learned that Z can maintain direction, maintain gait, and look where she is going when trotting a circle - BUT, not all at the same time yet. So I don't need to "fix" it, she'll do that on her own, as she gains confidence. Super moment #4.

5. I stopped the circling and she offered to go sideways at the walk, toward the left. I stood, let the rope out, minimum phases, and she did a perfect sideways walk, never backing from the wall or showing confusion. Super moment #5.

6. Tried lead by the leg with the soft 12foot line. She freaked, RBE, took off with the 20foot line between her back legs, ran around two times, dragged the line over the foam pole, and then stopped. Snorted at the line, then followed it, smelling as she went. Kind of a super moment, in terms of her calming herself down. Interesting, second time in a row that the rope has gotten caught in her legs. Mmmmm.

7. On to extreme friendly game with tarp. Picked it up, she backed away. I shook it, smushed it, went near her, she kept moving. As long as she did, so did I. When she stopped, I stopped making the noise. After a while I was able to stand next to her with it, she smelled it, I made noise with it, she didn't move. Calm. It is so much easier to desensitize her when she is RBE, cause I can stop as a reward. Can't do the same when she is RBI.

8. Other extreme friendly games - waving my hand behind her head. Quick to calm state.

9. Then practiced with the rope on her back and around her off hindquarter. First she went mild RBE, but I kept hold of her halter, even though she did get away a bit. Quickly calmed, and I was able to have her turn away from me CALMLY during and after. Head down, blowing. She was proud of herself. Supermoment!!!