Post by Peanut Loves EVERYONE!! on Apr 20, 2011 3:07:30 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300] Grace [/glow]
I walked into the ring slowly, talking calmly to my new horse. I'd finally talked myself into buying another horse; Bingo was doing well and I wanted to take on a challenge. And boy, was she a challenge. On the other end of the lead that was held firmly in both my hands, was a gorgeous bay mare. She pranced at the end of the lead, her eyes rolling as she shied away from me over and over. "It's okay, Rosie," I said to her soothingly, but she didn't want to hear a word of it. I'd always wanted to train my own horse, and Rosie had never been handled before. It had taken me an hour just to get a halter on her!
I managed to close the gate and latch it firmly behind us without letting go of the lead rope, so I turned to my filly and took a deep breath.
"Easy, girl," I said softly, letting the lead run through my hands until I was a bit closer to her. She snorted nervously and paced backwards a few steps. "It's okay, I won't hurt you," I said to her, taking a step towards her. As I knew she would, she backed up a few more steps. what I hadn't expected was the huge bucking fit that followed. Rosie leaped into the air and her back legs thrashed out. I nearly dropped the lead but I managed to stop it from slipping through my sweaty fingers. "It's okay, Rosie, it's okay," I murmured, struggling to keep my tone calm. Eventually the bucks ceased, and I took the opportunity to reach forward and unclip the lead from Rosie's halter. She immediately took off, galloping around the ring, bucking and rearing and glaring towards me. I kept myself motionless, watching her run. I forced myself to remain still even when she ran right towards me; I knew she would veer off at the last minute and she always did.
After ten minutes, Rosie was lathered with sweat and breathing hard, standing warily at the opposite end of the ring. "Good girl, that's it," I called softly towards her. I hid a smile when her ears flicked towards me. I took a step in her direction, and she took a step back. "Ok, I get it," I said gently. I walked backwards and turned away from her. Walking a few steps, I stopped and sat down, willing to wait until curiosity got the better of her and she came to investigate. I knew she wouldn't come all the way to me, but even a few steps would be progress. Once I heard hooves, I'd finish there and somehow get Rosie back to her stall.
After about five minutes of waiting, I risked a glance behind me. Rosie was still in the same place she'd been before, but she was looking right at me. That was a good sign, at least...
I made kissing noises towards her and she snorted and turned her back on me. I laughed and stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans. I walked slowly towards Rosie, and she walked steadily away from me, but there was no sign that she was actually afraid of me anymore. "Come on, Rosie," I said to her. She moved into a slow trot, flicking her tail as she moved away from me. I rolled my eyes and absentmindedly twirled the lead rope in my hand as I followed my new horse. She broke into a faster trot and circled the pen, looking pointedly out of the ring.
Hmm... I thought to myself, and figured I might as well lunge her if she would do it. I followed her around the pen with my body, keeping her moving forward. After a few laps, I took a step to my right, towards her head. Rosie spun around and started back the opposite way. "Good girl!" I said excitedly. She swung her head into the circle to look at me, and then continued at a trot. I stopped twirling the lead and dropped my arms to my side, and Rosie surprisingly turned in towards me. She even took a few steps into the centre of the ring.
"You're such a clever girl, Rosie," I said, praising her. I couldn't believe how far we'd come in her very first proper interaction with someone. I took a testing step towards her, and although her ears flicked, she didn't back off.
"Good girl," I murmured, walking slowly towards her and clipping on her lead. She resisted the slight pressure under her chin at first, then grudgingly took a step, only to rear and miss my head by an inch.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, and she dropped to the ground with a snort. Her head snaked towards me with her ears pinned back against her skull. "Rosie, no!" I scolded. She pulled her head away from me and then pulled against the lead, dancing to the end of the line. I sighed.
"Why can't we just be friends?" I asked her. She'd done so well in the ring, but it was going to take a long time before she trusted me.
I walked into the ring slowly, talking calmly to my new horse. I'd finally talked myself into buying another horse; Bingo was doing well and I wanted to take on a challenge. And boy, was she a challenge. On the other end of the lead that was held firmly in both my hands, was a gorgeous bay mare. She pranced at the end of the lead, her eyes rolling as she shied away from me over and over. "It's okay, Rosie," I said to her soothingly, but she didn't want to hear a word of it. I'd always wanted to train my own horse, and Rosie had never been handled before. It had taken me an hour just to get a halter on her!
I managed to close the gate and latch it firmly behind us without letting go of the lead rope, so I turned to my filly and took a deep breath.
"Easy, girl," I said softly, letting the lead run through my hands until I was a bit closer to her. She snorted nervously and paced backwards a few steps. "It's okay, I won't hurt you," I said to her, taking a step towards her. As I knew she would, she backed up a few more steps. what I hadn't expected was the huge bucking fit that followed. Rosie leaped into the air and her back legs thrashed out. I nearly dropped the lead but I managed to stop it from slipping through my sweaty fingers. "It's okay, Rosie, it's okay," I murmured, struggling to keep my tone calm. Eventually the bucks ceased, and I took the opportunity to reach forward and unclip the lead from Rosie's halter. She immediately took off, galloping around the ring, bucking and rearing and glaring towards me. I kept myself motionless, watching her run. I forced myself to remain still even when she ran right towards me; I knew she would veer off at the last minute and she always did.
After ten minutes, Rosie was lathered with sweat and breathing hard, standing warily at the opposite end of the ring. "Good girl, that's it," I called softly towards her. I hid a smile when her ears flicked towards me. I took a step in her direction, and she took a step back. "Ok, I get it," I said gently. I walked backwards and turned away from her. Walking a few steps, I stopped and sat down, willing to wait until curiosity got the better of her and she came to investigate. I knew she wouldn't come all the way to me, but even a few steps would be progress. Once I heard hooves, I'd finish there and somehow get Rosie back to her stall.
After about five minutes of waiting, I risked a glance behind me. Rosie was still in the same place she'd been before, but she was looking right at me. That was a good sign, at least...
I made kissing noises towards her and she snorted and turned her back on me. I laughed and stood up, brushing the dirt off my jeans. I walked slowly towards Rosie, and she walked steadily away from me, but there was no sign that she was actually afraid of me anymore. "Come on, Rosie," I said to her. She moved into a slow trot, flicking her tail as she moved away from me. I rolled my eyes and absentmindedly twirled the lead rope in my hand as I followed my new horse. She broke into a faster trot and circled the pen, looking pointedly out of the ring.
Hmm... I thought to myself, and figured I might as well lunge her if she would do it. I followed her around the pen with my body, keeping her moving forward. After a few laps, I took a step to my right, towards her head. Rosie spun around and started back the opposite way. "Good girl!" I said excitedly. She swung her head into the circle to look at me, and then continued at a trot. I stopped twirling the lead and dropped my arms to my side, and Rosie surprisingly turned in towards me. She even took a few steps into the centre of the ring.
"You're such a clever girl, Rosie," I said, praising her. I couldn't believe how far we'd come in her very first proper interaction with someone. I took a testing step towards her, and although her ears flicked, she didn't back off.
"Good girl," I murmured, walking slowly towards her and clipping on her lead. She resisted the slight pressure under her chin at first, then grudgingly took a step, only to rear and miss my head by an inch.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, and she dropped to the ground with a snort. Her head snaked towards me with her ears pinned back against her skull. "Rosie, no!" I scolded. She pulled her head away from me and then pulled against the lead, dancing to the end of the line. I sighed.
"Why can't we just be friends?" I asked her. She'd done so well in the ring, but it was going to take a long time before she trusted me.
)