a wonderful breakthrough

Two days ago it was Very Windy and cool. I wondered if it might be too windy but them I remembered, It's not about the wind. So out I went.

I put all horses into a small paddock so she could catch me as there have been some running away issues lately and that HUGE pasture was just the ticket to ignore the human in. SO..I put her in a place that she couldn't ignore me, I walked by, and she caught me. Easy.

We went out a new gate. Scary for her, so advance and retreat and soon we went a little further. There was a flapping tarp which threatened to eat her so we advanced and retreated a little more and walked sideways and backwards. Soon she offered to pass the tarp. I was very happy with this. But kept quietly telling myself Fiona was going to freak out and attack me --she did the first time I took her out of the field so it threatens to stay on my mind. (I got a grip and re-told myself it was going to be all right, that there was NO chance I'd let her go there, and to get a GRIP, Shelly.) I mentally slapped myself and carried on. No more mental chatter.

We walked to a barrel of pine cones and sticks that had blown over with the wind and the dogs. She offered to lick it and sniff it, then put her foot on it. I quit everything and let her explore to the point that she cracked the trash can! (don't tell my husband). Kept putting that huge foot on it. OK by me. Carrot time.

Then we played games with the horse trailer like I stood on the ramp (you can't go in there) and did circles to left and right ending with side of trailer. Then we put a specific foot on the ramp. She was starting to get into it with a soft eye and two eyes on me, two ears alert. NO freaking, NO attacking and all was well. I had hay in the trailer and a tarp on the floor. She offered head on ramp, then feet, then neck. As light was fading we quit. Good place and her face was so sweet and soft. Wind had died down, too. Nice evening. I turned her loose, she walked away and then IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK! HUGE! HUGE! Put her head on my hand and lowered head. Very sweet! I was tearful.

I was chuffed as my friends say.

She kept her eye on me and kept coming in to me for comfort. I allowed it each time, as each time I did let her come to me her head went WAY down and she was very calm. I let her stand with her head on my chest for a few moments stroking her face and throat then asked her to very softly move away and she did with no problems. And she came in with a very soft expression. NO dominance at all. This was a very RBE and now she's evolving to a LB. I'm amazed! So far no extreme behavior except when she has the occasional revert to RBE (usually because the herd is yelling at her and bucking and running) and then I quickly get her attention with turn and face, turn and face, and let's do it quickly...and she almost immediately gets control again. It's amazing!


On Monday I took her out to my Parelli Playground, which at this time consists of a Tractor Tire with no dirt....four jumps in a circle....some poles laying on the ground, and a pedestal. And a fence along one side.

We got there by retreat and advance from the gate after about 4 mins. She did rather well.
Played with all things in the playground and rotated, not staying at one thing very long. Kept it moving and fresh. She offered to get on pedestal and put foot on everything. We did sideways over a post first time today!
cool!

Great day and no freakouts. But she ran from me when we were finished. :(