Today, I had the most amazing and inspiring day with Cherish. It was probably the best day yet! Lately, I have been saying this to my poor mother very often, who has to go through many moments of me blabbing my mouth off about the horses, until of course I get home and have the first moment to get to the horses. Some people, if they heard this, would wonder... "She talks?!" Yes, I am a big introvert, but that doesn't mean I don't like to speak if I know that I'll be listened to and I know what I'm talking about is important. My mom has gotten much better about being a good listener, and knows that if she shows the smallest sign of not listening, I won't speak anymore. It shuts me down quickly. It always has....

First I will give you the general overview of everything, and then I may get to the moments, but don't get too hopeful, because I have an awful lot to talk about.

I walked up to Cherish slowly with the 12' line on the halter and the 22' in my hand. She looked at me with both eyes, but when I entered she began to turn her head away. I had expected this so I already had my back to her, and she looked at me, comforted after that. I put on her halter but immediately switched to the 22' line, thinking that I might try something new... Hope and Finale came up to me as I stood there with Cherish for a moment, and I spoke to the three of them as if we were a trio of old friends out for a reunion tea.

I decided that instead of playing near the log like we usually do, we would go across the pasture and up the small hill. Cherish followed me up there, and we did a few smaller traveling Circles or Driving Games on the way there.

Since I can't remember the chronological order from here, I'll just tell you different things that happened.

I asked her forward into a trot for a circle, and she bucked and reared in place and shook her head. I was surprised at this unusual LB character of her, but decided that I would play with the horse that showed up... One, two, three, FOUR! She acted sincerely surprised that I had gone that far into my phases, and went into a nice little trot with her head bent towards me and with slack in the 22' line. She went around a good three or four times before I asked her to slow into a walk. She turned and asked me a question after that, and I asked her to come in to me with only a... Oh, what do you call it? You ask them forward with your finger, as you would a small child when you're playing a game and running around or something. Lower your head, raise your hand in front of your eyes, and "beckon" them with your fingers, I suppose?

We stepped over to the fence in connection, her in a slow trot and ears forward. I pointed to the fence and she came up to it, then looked at me in question. She touched the post for a moment, asking if that was what I wanted. I smiled at her and breathed out for a moment, and she relaxed as well. I began to ask her sideways with a slight movement of my stick and a slow, small up and down movement of the rope. She quickly walked all the way to the end of the 22' line and looked at me when she reached the end. I laughed at her and told her how brilliant she was, and she walked up to me with her ears forward. When she got to me, I played friendly and she went inside of herself again... But no matter, I only sat down when she didn't come out of it from me turning my back. She actually went pretty deep but not quite catatonic. I just sat there with her while she went introverted and stroked her chest and front legs. She eventually came out of her introversion and lowered her head and stuck her nose in my lap. I continued to stroke her neck before I started to stand.

I asked her forward with the flick of a finger and she jumped forward with a large play drive and did a small buck. When she landed from her small buck-jump, she pricked her ears forward and was trotting around doing a wonderful extended trot that I didn't know she could get out of her. She went around three or four laps of traveling trotting circles, and I again flicked my finger at her. She had her body turned into me and looked at me with both ears while she was still trotting, then shook her head, jumped forward, and went into a fast canter. I laughed at her exuberance and she shook her head happily along with my joyful laughter. Before she decided that was enough, I disengaged her with the tilt of my head and drew her forward by leaning forward a tad and bending my finger towards me like I had before. This was the best draw we had ever had- she did a fast extended trot toward me, stopped right in front of me when I raised my hands and blew out. Her neck stretched out as far as it possibly could slightly to the right of me as to not run into me and she shook it out. She blew out again, licked her lips, and rested her head in front of my belly. I put my heart in my hand and stroked her northern star on her forehead between her eyes, which were being caught perfectly in the setting sun and throwing an amber shine. I chuckled at her again and stood there for a while, both of us in sheer content.

My mom approached us, awarding me with light, smooth gloves that I found had a very quick release and also not too much grip and not too much slip. Even though I just got them today, I have decided that they are the best gloves I have ever had, for I have always hated gloves yet I can tolerate these. They are the smooth type of soft so that it keeps them warm but cool enough at the same time. Cherish stood in between the two of us with her head lowered. I sat down next to her and began to stroke her leg, and she looked at me before slowly turning her head back straight. One ear was toward me, and one ear was toward my mom.

As we walked back, she was completely with me. She had the happiest, most effortless look on her face. As we walked back, all I could think of was her and happiness. I don't know if happiness can be a thought... It's more of a warm rain that fills your head and your world and drips on everything around it. It can go forever if you want it to, like it's said to in parts of Ireland. I have never really been to Ireland, so I would not know, but I have heard that it rains a lot there. Even so, it's not good to always have rain. If we always had rain, everything would be so drenched. If we always had happiness, it would just be "normal", it would not feel good or bad. In having sadness or anger we have a contrast and know what true happiness is. This was the first time that we had been truly connected for the whole play session. We both had a great time, but it took great savvy on my part. Thankfully within the last three months or so my savvy has grown to the point of where I barely even have to think about it anymore- and if I do think about something, it's something that I'm making an improvement upon. Although we were really connected for the most part, I had been asking much more of her than I had before. There were a few moments where she went really inside of herself, and there were also a few times where she blew up on the Circling Game- the game that she is still the most unpredictable with. She was obviously lounged before, as she already knew how to go in circles but expected to only have to run and expected to be chased the whole time when I got her. It took her a while to realize what neutral was because she had never known it before! It was always either go hard or stop hard. She flipped Horsenalities several times, but went back to the "I will give you my all" RBI quickly each time because I adjusted to fit what she needed each time. She was extremely grateful for my "horsewoman" attitude. It was just amazing.

Every day that I am with her, it gets better, no matter if we do everything or nothing. Even though I love the other mares, Cherish will always be my special girl. I have no problem with picking favorites, because if I deny myself of my favorite I am simply putting myself in a mental strain. Some people might say that it's like picking favorite children, but I wouldn't know. Maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong... Haven't you notice that there is often a favorite or more preferred child of a certain parent though? People can't help picking favorites, it's in our nature. I do not pick favorites with trivial things such as colors, and I don't pick favorites with people because I just can't... But Cherish is undeniably my favorite horse of the three.

Cherish stood with me for a bit before I completely let her go. I realize more and more for how often I used way too much pressure with her, because really all she needs is a Phase 1 or 2. Any more and it feels like she's being pushed to the end of the world for her!

I stroked her before we both stepped away, and she again approached me after I had stopped to stroke the other two mares and gotten to the gate. I touched her face one time, in a gesture so soft you would think I was touching a slit of glass that someone's life depended upon. She breathed out and reached her face further into my space. I stroked her ear, turned and left. It was not the end, for we brought all three of the girls in for their grain and a bit of hay. I played traveling circles with Finale as we went to the barn, and she was quite extroverted. She calmed down  a bit and came more connected to me within a couple minutes. We walked into the barn quietly with each other.

I used to feel bad for the people who did not know the magic and wonder of horses... But now I realize that at that time, I was no where near knowing all of the magic they hold.