Winter days are often much slower for me and my family. But in some ways I enjoy the reduced pace. It's a chance to plan for the coming seasons, creating dreams and ideas! This winter has been especially wonderful.
A few days ago, I got an email from a friend and client who was searching for a new home for two young little mares. They were thin, untrained and unregistered. Their history is part mystery, part negligence. My family and I did a lot of thinking before we decided we would take this opportunity to get these mares out of a sad situation and onto a path that included setting a solid foundation of understanding and willingness without fear.
On January 4th, we bundled into layers of warm clothes and set up the round pen panels in an area just inside the gate. The wind was very cold but we didn't mind too much. After lunch, we loaded into the truck and hauled the stock trailer to the outskirts of town. I had no idea how difficult it would be to load the two mares into the trailer. The frozen mud formed incredible holes and peaks, making movement treacherous. We backed the trailer as close to the pasture gate as we could, considering there was a big maple tree in the yard. We opened the trailer door to use as one side of a funnel and took the pasture gate off its hinge to use as the other side. Some grain coaxed the little mares into the funnel and encouragement from behind did the rest. They quietly stepped aboard and the door was closed.
On the drive home, I got to think some more about the two red mares in the trailer. It was clear they were very skittish, un-used to being handled. They were both a little thin and in need of grooming. Their feet were not too long but obviously had not been trimmed in some time. Their manes were short, probably from reaching through the barbed wire fence of their pasture, trying to nab the grass on the other side.
When we got home and had released them into the large panelled pen, we tossed in some hay and set up a trough with a water heater.
Now we needed to think up names for our new arrivals!! We must have stood for more than an hour in the cold, watching them munch hay and occasionally go to the trough for a drink. My sister, Melanie stood in the pen near them, but they would not let her get within touching distance. Our friend, Krystal, helped in the name search with us. We each piped up with any name that flittered across our minds. Most suggestions were met with rejections or bouts of hilarity! Somewhere between repeated comments about our freezing toes and Melanie saying how much she liked the older mare, we decided on a couple names.
"Reba" would be Melanie's project for a while. She is 5 years old and possi
bly has experience with a halter and saddle, although her wariness with any touch says she has had bad experience if any. She a little broader than her half sister, has a slightly clutsy face but straight legs and short back. Her height might reach 14.1hh.
"Pumpkin" at only 3 years old, stands maybe an inch shorter than Reba and is certainly more slight of frame. Her face is more petite and she shows more need for good, consistent food. She may be smaller but her fear of people is certainly greater. She used Reba as a shield in some ways, hiding behind her or pressing to her side if any of us were in the pen. Pumpkin has a stripe on her face, while Reba has a prominent star.
In the last week, they have both improved a great deal! Pumpkin learned to turn and face me on cue. I can rub the halter and rope on her face and back, put the halter on and introduce the feeling of pressure on her face. Reba is learning the same lessons and doing well. Our goals have been to work forward in consistent phases, not going on to the next hurdle until they are firmly comfortable with the previous one.
Yesterday we turned them out in the big pasture with our other three horses. Reba galloped around the field, giving bursts of speed and looking like she was having lots of fun! Pumpkin wasn't quite as bold, but stayed around the hay piles and watched for her sister's return.
The next weeks are sure to see a lot of changes in Reba and Pumpkin. Horses excel at change and learning! The stuff they went through two years or even two weeks ago doesn't matter anymore. Each day that we introduce new lessons and experiences to "the girls" as we've come to call them, we prioritize understanding and right responses, not just accomplishing goals like getting the halter or saddle on. How we do a job is more important than what we do. Our goal shouldn't just be to go on a trail ride, lope a circle or run a barrel pattern. We should be doing it so that tomorrow's ride, circle and control are better than today's. If we make just a small amount of improvement with our horse each day, think of where we could be in three months!
