I stomped my feet on the pavement, frowning at my shoes. Once again I had had an argument with my mother that wasn't really angry. Sometimes it fascinated me the way I could have an argument without having a single angry feeling towards anyone, yet acting sincerely angry and aggravated. The crowd gave a bit to the weight of each footstep. I hit the switch on the electric box and was given a satisfying "click" in response. As I swung the gate open and let go of the chain, I cringed at the high pitched ringing that filled the air in an obnoxious tone, wishing only to make my ears hurt.
I watched the horses as I walked to the barn with a bounce in my step. My attitude was nothing but pure content. Finale walked down the fence line happily and with ears pricked. Hope was right on her tail with one ear forward, one ear back and a worried look on her face. Cherish lagged behind a bit, but looked at me with both eyes, both ears. I knew that she knew when she got to the gate, she would be chased away if I was not there. I grabbed the carrot stick from the hallway and looped the savvy string through it. Cherish stood away from the gate at the fence, and the other two stood at the gate. I walked across the gravel drive and to the gate, opening it carefully as to not to hear the awful ringing noise again. Finale was first to greet me, and I rubbed my hand up her face. She liked to have her forehead rubbed, unlike the other two. I smiled at her please expression and made a gesture towards Cherish. The small gesture was all it took for her to come confidently to me, no matter that the other horses were standing by. She knew that I would protect her if needed. I turned to her and began rubbing her neck, then her shoulder, then her barrel and finally her belly. When I came to her udder, I scratched the itchy spots and she stretched her neck out in a type of relief. Finale came over, and I drove her away as to keep the horses from having arguments. She walked over to the far side of the gate, acting like a puppy dog that was told to go into time out. I went up to her with a smile on my face, laughed and exclaimed "What a good girl! You listen so well!" Immediately Finale, being a LBE, wiped the hurt puppy dog face away and gave this excited face, as if it were a child asking "For me?!" when given a gift. I turned to see Hope's head lowered, asking quietly for a scratch as well. I happily rubbed and scratched her until she was satisfied with what she was given. Cherish stuck her head into the savvy string and off we went. I opened the gate and... the loop for the savvy string undid itself. She went walking off for a few steps before stopping to graze.
I closed the gate behind me, not worried about where she was to go. I walked past her as if the fact that she had no rope did not matter- which it didn't. I stood for a moment, just watching her graze and then sat down. She looked at me and resumed grazing after a moment, still wondering in the back of my mind what interesting thing I was going to plan this time. Instead of playing the game, she simply walked towards me and let me put the savvy string around her neck. I smiled at her as we walked towards the arena. She followed me as if she were a dog- the savvy string really had no purpose other than to be a reminder of my presence.
I opened the gate and asked her to squeeze through. She did so willingly, and lowered her head for me to take the savvy string off. How she knew I was going to do this, I do not know, because I have never done it and brought her into the arena before. She waited paitently for me to get it overher ears and through the gate, then to walk through the gate myself. I closed it behind me, hoping she wasn't going to shove on it because the clip was missing. She looked away from me, so I looked away from her as well. She still could not look at me, so instead I took my foot and rolled onto the ball of it instead of being flat and she instantly was able to look at me with both eyes. I turned away from her instead of congratulating and overwhelming her and she followed. Since she was following so well I felt no need to put the halter or savvy string on, so I just left her as she was- nothing to restrain her and nothing to force her. Liberty was fine with me and with her, as long as I would still "hold her hand" with my attitude. We walked over towards the tarp, and I pointed at it. She very confidently walked up and purposefully placed her foot right on top of it as if with a "smack". She looked straight at me, and when I smiled and chuckled at her she licked her lips. She walked over to the fence after a moment because I didn't keep her attention. I decided to attempt a spin, so I drove her closer to the fence... and around... and around. Once she figured out what I wanted, she turned all the way towards me and looked at me with her bright eyes. I rolled one of my feet backwards and she came towards me, licking her lips and all. When she stopped, it was with head lowered, eyes soft, and the cock of confidence. I held my heart in my hand and stroked the star between her eyes.
I set up the barrels near the fence for a squeeze game. When I sent her to them, she looked at me, looked at the barrel, and put her hoof on top of one. I smiled at her and then drove her sideways while standing behind the barrel, and she did so well. When she reached the end I sent her around it, and then through the space of two other barrels. She licked her lips when she came back towards me. I played a little bit more with Liberty, being in sync the whole time.
We were standing over by the cones now, and were both very relaxed. She wore an expression so soft I was surprised she was still RBI. She then started to circle, circle, circle, and paw the ground. She had laid down in my presence before- in the water, with me on her back -but had never offered to do it while I was on the ground. For some reason she has always felt safer with me on her back rather than at her level. Why, I do not know. Maybe she is more comfortable with me on her back because she is closer and it is more of an "I am holding your hand" type thing. I am not really sure, but she is.
I set up all of the obstacles differently and decided to put her halter and 12' line on. We played some squeeze with the barrels, with the tarp, some friendly to gain her confidence after the end of our provocative Liberty session, and then tried an ultimate squeeze game- a tube that was stretched over two cones in order to make a small "gateway". I knew she could fit through it, but it would definitely be a tight squeeze. I knew she was not ready, so instead we just played around it and I took whatever she offered. We played a bit more On Line before stopping.
I took her outside of the arena into the barnyard to the greenest part. We stood together for a few minutes before I swung my leg over and layed across her back. I just laid there for a long time with her, both of us completely content with what we were doing. If I could trade any other part of my day for that, I would in a heartbeat... Well, except for the part where I get to play with her on the ground.
Today was one of the best we've had in a while. We are forever getting better and better.
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