Breakthroughs

I'm probably the Worst Blogger Ever. The thing is, I have to depend on my mom's help to write this and she's had a run of bad luck. She kept getting sick. She still came and took care of me and worked me, but she was awfully tired and run down. First she had a bad cold, and then she got something she called Diver Tickly Itis or something like that. She said it was like a bad tummy ache. Well, I've had bad tummy aches. Us horses call it Colic and it's no fun at all so I understand her not feeling like helping me blog.

After that, she was okay for a couple of days and then she got something called Pneumonia! So I've tried not to bug her with lots of extra things but now she's feeling lots better so we thought we'd get caught up again.

We've been doing lots of work with that Bag Thing. Mom brings me to the Round Pen just about every day and works me with it. I've gotten pretty used to it now and I'm not scared like I was at first but I still don't like it when it rattles at me so I try really hard to do what my mom wants me to. It is like a game, and since I like playing games that makes it sort of fun. I have to watch really closely to make sure I don't miss any cues and as soon as I see her begin to switch hands with the stick, I start to change direction. I've gotten really good at it.

At first, when we were done, Mom would put the stick down on the ground and move away from it. Then I'd walk up to her and nuzzle her and she'd pet me and tell me I was a Good Girl. I was afraid to come to her while she still had the stick and the Bag Thing. But after awhile when I got more used to it and less afraid, she'd just ask me to whoa and then she'd hold the stick upright with the bag kind of wrapped around it in her hand. That way it wouldn't rattle.

The first time she did that, I was kind of hesitant but I approached her and poked my nose way out for a pet. I didn't quite dare get too close. She pet me and talked quietly to me and then leaned the stick just a little bit closer to me. I knew she was doing it so I could sniff it if I wanted and so I very carefully put my nose out and sniffed lightly. Just the little bit of breath from my nose made it rattle just a little bit and I jumped back but Mom held it very still so I came back and sniffed again. It just smelled like a bag but I was very careful of it. I didn't want it to rattle at me again.

Since then, we've kind of gotten into a routine. First she takes me to the Round Pen. I try to behave when we walk there but it's pretty exciting and I'm usually frisky so I tend to twirl a bit. I'm not rearing anymore though. I've Learned. Rearing is not Manners. I'm also striking a lot less because that's not Manners too. Sometimes I still do it on accident but I'm not aiming at my mom - I'm just pawing at the air.

Anyway, once we get into the Round Pen, she works me hard with the Bag Thing. Then we go for a walk. I'm always better about walking after we have our workout. I'm tired out for one thing, and also I'm remembering better because I just got reminded that I have to be a Good Girl. Sometimes if I'm really good on our walk, Mom will take me onto the grass so I can graze. I have to behave though. If I try to rush or trot onto it, or if I go before she says to, she takes me right back to the road and has me start over. It's hard.

But today, we did something different. Once we finished our workout in the Round Pen, Mom began walking around it carrying the stick upright. I followed her because I knew we were done and I wanted her to know I was paying attention. I could tell that she liked that. Then I got kind of close and began nudging her back. As soon as I did that, she rattled the Bag Thing a little bit. I stopped quickly and she quietly folded her hand back over it so it didn't rattle anymore and told me to come on. So I walked with her again.

Well, every time I pushed her, or nibbled at her pant leg, or did anything except walk nicely, she rattled that bag. Just a little bit but it let me know that I wasn't supposed to be doing whatever it was I was doing. So I stopped doing those things and just walked. Sometimes she stopped and when she did, I did too. Then she'd quietly say, "good" and when she began walking again, I walked too. She even had me back up and I did that.

Once I'd gotten the idea, she got my halter and we did some more walking in the Round Pen with my halter on. She just held onto my lead very loosely and carried the stick and I walked along just as I'd been doing before. I knew what she wanted, you see. Finally, she walked to the gate and opened it up. Normally when we go out the gate, I'm in kind of a rush and I try to hurry out. This time though, I knew she had that Bag Thing and I'd better walk nicely like I'd been doing in the Round Pen. She kept the lead just as loose as it had been and we walked out of there.

I kept my eye on that Bag Thing and just walked. I walked right onto the road and kept beside my mom nicely. One time she stopped and I stopped too. She was happy with me for that. She walked me up and down the road and then around behind the tack boxes to the wash rack where she rinsed all the sweat and mud off me. Then she brought me back to the road and led me toward the grass.

I was happy about going on the grass but I knew I had to be good so I waited until she said I could step onto it and put my head down before I did it. She was so happy with me. She didn't have to tug on my lead or hold me tightly or anything. I was being extra good. I messed up just once. When she decided it was time to go back to my stall, I didn't want to leave and I pretended I didn't know she was asking me to pick up my head. She just reached that Bag Thing forward and shook it slightly by my face and I jumped out of my skin! My head came right up and I jumped backward but as soon as my head was up, she'd made the Bag Thing disappear into her hand again. I snorted but stopped and she talked quietly to me and asked me to walk and I did, nicely. We went to my stall and she gave me my hay while she cleaned.

It was an interesting day and Mom called it a Breakthrough because I'd walked so nicely on a loose lead. I feel like I'm Learning a lot and it makes me want to behave. I've kind of remembered that my mom really does know what she's doing and it's okay if she's telling me what to do. I'd sort of forgotten that. I get kind of bullheaded sometimes.

I don't have a new picture to put on this blog entry because we've been so busy working so I'll just use an older one. It's still cute. It's from the day I ate Sparky's cooler.