We aim to please!

Had a lovely session with Faith this morning. She had a lovely groom, then we started doing some work with the rug. We did have a little spook and a scoot forward, and I am not sure whether that was because of a scary jingle of the straps, or whether Tommy’s teeth had connected with the top of her tail! It was the world’s slowest spook and scoot though, as she started to, thought about it for a split second then had a little scoot. Whatever the cause, Faith was right back at my side again in one smooth movement. This is a world away from what we would have had a month or so ago, where there would have been a blur of movement and a flurry of mane, and I would have been left thinking “What was that?”

It’s funny that my little boy’s favourite catchphrase at the moment is; “Try that again!” That is exactly what Faith is like at the moment. A little hitch like that is immediately followed by her getting ready to have another attempt, and she really, really wants to get things right, and be a brave girl.

So we carried on with the rug for a bit, and I put it on, unfolded it all, folded it and slid it off lots of times on both sides, and she was perfect.

Then I started doing a little ‘Why would you leave me?’ with her, and she was really good, stopping and starting with me, and I even got a couple of steps back just with my fingertips placed lightly on the point of her shoulder. What a good girl!

Actually yesterday we had a lovely moment when I turned them out into the field. We had had a couple of light showers of rain, so the yard was a different colour, and there was a little water in the drain which runs down the middle of the yard. Now last time I had to turn Faith out in these circumstances, she refused to come out of her stable, and had a huge panic attack in the stable, literally flinging herself from one side to the other and rearing. I couldn’t even get into the stable to be with her. Fortunately Tommy saved the day by coming back from the field and standing in her stable doorway until she calmed down, then he literally led her out into the field touching her all the time shoulder to shoulder. Meanwhile the useless human was draped against a wall!

Anyway, this time, armed with a clicker and a bumbag of treats, we managed to calmly if a little hesitantly venture out of the stable and onto the wet concrete. We then walked up and down the yard a couple of times, them calmly and slowly stepped over the raging torrent of the ‘drain of doom’ just walking at my shoulder, cue a click and a massive handful of treats, and a huge hug, while Faith just looked slightly embarrassed. That sounds like a very little, minor thing, but for me it speaks absolute volumes, and it totally made my entire day!