I had planned to ride Sina here, but since she had the baby, I've felt like my relationship with her has been...I don't know, we just haven't been quite the soul mates we once were. I started thinking about it, and I have so many horses that it seems when I go get her out, I'm in a hurry, and I probably haven't been giving her the full attention that she deserves. I love smart horses, the really smart ones, and Sina is the smartest. I think she's bored, and has been feeling sort of taken for granted. What woman can't identify with that feeling?
So, today, I decided to give her my full attention. I spent a little extra time brushing her, and I talked to her the whole time. I put the saddle pad and the saddle on her, and told her how nice she looked in it. Now, does she really know - or care - what it means to look nice? I don't know, and I don't care. I'm convinced that she DOES know when I'm bragging on her, even if she doesn't know the details of what I mean. She can tell that I'm happy with her and that I love her. I took her to the ring, and dragged the big black pipe over to the fence. Now, the last time I tried to drag the pipe while holding Eitill, he jumped about a mile and took off for cover. Sina - no, she just noticed that the grass had grown extra high right beside the pipe and she started clean-up duty. She just isn't scared of anything, even big attacking pipes. We played our normal Parelli games, and then I decided to add in a few things. I had the pipe near the fence, so I asked her to play "sideways" game over the pipe. She did. We played circling game over the barrels - she's always done that willingly and in nice form. Then we tried driving game around and through some standing barrels - no sweat. So I just started asking for some free-form playing. Backing a little turning circling and "hiding her hiney." She seems to love that sort of thing - her ears perk up and she stays right with me. When I see her having fun, I just relax and laugh and brag on her - and I'm sure at times like that she can tell that I'm no longer taking her for granted. We both are positively motivated - what a great relationship builder. Finally, I asked her to do something I'd never asked her to do before. We were playing "driving game" and she started to trot. On a whim, I did what I see some of the Parelli people do: I started to skip on the correct "lead" and she immediately went into canter. I clicked her and bragged on her and called her to me and gave her a cookie. After rubbing her for a few minutes, we tried the other direction...and when I started to skip, she took the canter again. I love this mare so much at times like this that I just can't stand it. She is my soul mate, the best horse ever. I'm just going to have to make a point of not taking her for granted. Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.0/639 - Release Date: 1/18/2007 6:47 PM
