I'm Back!

I'm finally back! Not that I went anywhere, I just haven't been blogging. My horses have had most of the winter off (not ridden) because of the cold, snow and ice, and well, because I'm a wimp.

The horses have all received plenty of undemanding time from me, which is not time wasted. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I think I'm making progress with Jake who's been avoiding me for months. Yesterday when I walked into the paddock to get Skittles, Jake came straight up to me and followed at my shoulder while I went to get Skittles. I actually considered taking Jake instead since he seemed so interested, but I actually had a plan for Skittles, so maybe next time.

I hooked up the trailer and loaded Skittles up and took her to 3D Stables (the same barn the Parelli clinic was at last spring). She loaded well. I took my time since it's been several months since she's been in the trailer (I know, it's not about the trailer) or since I've demanded anything of her. I let her come in and out a few times including opening and closing the door and she waited most of the time until I asked her to come out. She never hesitated to go in and she came out calmly each time. When I got to 3D though, she was pretty sweated up. So next time I have to spend a lot more time. Or maybe she just needs more short trips to help her get adjusted to it.

I had dropped by 3D a few days ago (that's the arena to the right... better footing than my icy paddocks!) to find out their drop-in fee and to find out when would be a good time to drop in. I was hoping for Wednesdays (the only day I don't have to drive kids somewhere) and it turned out Wednesdays were good. Great! However, when I arrived, there was a horse left loose in the arena and not a soul around to ask who he belonged to. As I had never been to the barn, didn't know anyone or any of the rules or expectations, I figured I'd better leave it be and try again another day.

But the visit wasn't a total loss. Skittles has never been in a barn either, so I persuaded her into the barn and walked her around and in and out a few times. Initially it took her a while to cross the threshold (literally and figuratively), but once she did she had her senses glued to me and followed my lead. Her whole demeanor seemed to be saying "this is really new to me, I'm scared, but I trust you to look after me". I was really impressed by how she handled herself and that she trusted me. It put a big smile on my face and she got lots of crunchies when we were done. Way to go Skittles!

Isn't it funny how -- a few years ago - walking into a barn with a horse would have been a no-brainer to me and I would have been frustrated and impatient with a horse that couldn't walk into a barn. Now that I've learned so much about reading these incredible animals, this small task felt like a huge success for us. Even though we didn't go into the arena, I know we'll go back, and we still made the best of it.