Flooded first floor from a tired water heater and then a broken foot from flying off our stairs kept me out of the corrals for a couple of months. Restoration under full swing, I make my first foray into the barn to put grain in the mangers and brush my furry friends.
I whoop my “whoop “ a few times. Coltrane and Encore! stay focused on grazing the fresh grass under their muzzles. I shrug and go about filling a bucket with grain.
Equine ears, evolved over centuries to protect and hear the wind whisper, work well for hearing the sound of seeds scraping against the sides of a bucket and the rattle of a plastic sack. I turn around with my portion of whole grains to see that Encore! is upon me. I wave her off and discover she has forgotten her manners. I quickly put the grain back in the storage stall and retrieve my flag. Encore! is two months older, two months taller and sure of herself. I see we need to re-establish some ground rules. I flick the flag, and stand my ground. Encore! backs off. With flag in hand, I’m able to put the grain in the mangers without fanfare. I close the stall doors on Coltrane and Encore to keep them separate and to eat their appropriately formulated rations.
Encore! stands with her head looking over the dutch door chewing blissfully. She is growing up and filling out. With January 1, 2013 under her belt, we’ll call her a yearling. She is looking to be a dark bay, but we’ll know for sure in spring when she sheds her teddy bear fuzz.
I carry my flag and two brushes, one stiff and one soft, to groom little “baby cakes”. Encore! enjoys the attention. She loves the coarse brush pulling out some of the soft shedding fuzz. This wasn’t always the case. I had to “train” her to like the foreign feeling of a brush stroking her fur. I don’t want her to be a horse that is testy about what brush is used or how it rubs. Reward of food snacks keeps her jaw loose and her mind open. This brush experience is a small thing that has big implications. If Encore! learns to trust me in the little things, that they lead to pleasant ends, then she will be more willing to trust me on the big things like a long lines for driving and a saddle on her back for riding.
Trust is the basic principle here. If Encore! trusts me, we will move along smoothly. If trust is fractured by big and little fears resulting in impatience, and poor judgement (too much, too soon) then the process will be more difficult for both us.
“Error on the side of caution” is my motto. This idea should keep us both safe considering Encore! is going to be a big girl with a lot of get up and go!
Catalina
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