Ride Your Pony Over And Through

 

 

Something very special arrived in the mail the other day. Something just for me. Something from my far away, dear blogger friend, Kacy from All Horse Stuff.

A while back I won a little contest on her blog and she wanted to pick out something unique for me as a prize. At the time I still owned Baby Doll and she was in the works for being included somehow in that prize. But Kacy knew the dilemma and difficulties I was going through with Baby Doll and she wisely decided to wait to choose a prize for me. And I’m so glad she did!

Kacy chose this photo of Apache and I crossing over a bridge during the last ACTHA ride, to be made into a wonderful poster for me! Thank you Kacy!

 

Isn’t it wonderful?!

Kacy helped design this fabulous poster with me in mind, but she had it created by the talented Honeysuckle Faire. Kacy was way too generous. I love it! And it is so meaningful for me, and for my horse, Apache, too.

As many of you all know, a few months ago, I brought my sweet, wonderful Apache home even though it was difficult for me to trust a horse again. She was willing and kind, but also guarded and cautious. I was worried that she might be uninterested in a relationship and partnership with me.

But I am so happy to tell everyone, that she already has a very special place in my heart. I don’t know exactly when it happened, as my heart was still sad and lonely for many aspects of Baby Doll, but in the past couple of weeks, she has stolen my heart while giving me hers. We are learning to trust and communicate with one another. She has obviously suffered neglect and probably even abuse before she came here, so it is a huge thing for her to let her guard down and open her heart to me. And because of what I experienced with my first horse, I, too can understand how she feels about trusting again, and I give her my patience, love and kindness.

Crossing over the bridges during the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) Trail Rides was a huge thing for us. It was all about trust and being willing to open our hearts again with a horse (for me) and a human (for her). It was also symbolic, in that we are crossing over this bridge and leaving behind the sadness, pain, fear, and distrust, and moving forward into a relationship filled with communication, partnership, willingness, love, kindness, fun, and most importantly, trust.

To prepare for future ACTHA rides, I recently decided to create a trail obstacle course in my pasture, using many of the same obstacles that Apache and I have seen and experienced already during the rides, and adding a few more that are listed on the ACTHA website. I figured, not only would be a great way to expose my mare to these obstacles and get prepared, but it would also be a terrific way for Apache and I to play together while building trust and communication between us.

So far, we’ve only done these obstacles with me on the ground here at home, because I want to make sure she is comfortable with the obstacles before I’m on her back. I think it also helps her confidence to see me going through or over an obstacle first before she will try it. Apache and I have been practicing walking over a big white blanket, grabbing my slicker off the fence and tossing it over her back, stepping down into a small water hole obstacle, and taking a rope off of a fence and pulling a log tied to that rope.  I don’t have photos of Apache and I doing those obstacles, because my photographer (my twinling, Jax) got bored and left us, but I do have photos of Apache and I practicing the Vine Simulator.

Here I am reassuring Apache that I do, indeed have cookies as her reward.

This obstacle was really no big deal for her, but when we rode through the Vine Simulator in our last ACTHA ride, she cheated me a little bit, by squeezing through the side of the vines, instead of going straight through the middle, so I wanted to practice with that. 

The first time I had her go through, was actually earlier in the week, and she did it without the lead rope on. She did rush through that first time, though. Now she will walk through slowly and stand in the center if I ask her to.

It was getting ready to rain with grumbling thunder and a small flashes of lightning across the ridge, and the wind had really kicked in. It made the ‘vines’ (hay strings) blow straight out and all over the place. Looks like Apache was trying to crawl under, instead of through, in the photo. haha!

 

 

“Hello! I did it! You do have cookies for me, right?”

Here in the photo below, Apache is trying to lick me. If you all remember, right after I brought Apache home, I was surprised and alarmed with Apache’s licking. I’ve never experienced that before. I even did a post on Apache's Horse Kisses and asked you what you all thought.

After getting to know Apache, I think I understand why she licks. And I will sometimes let Apache lick me, because she usually wants to do this when I am giving her positive encouragement and talking sweet to her, telling her what a good girl she is and how pretty she is, too. Sometimes after I hug her or give her a rub, she will seek out my hand, arm or cheek and give me a few horse kisses. She never uses her teeth and is very gentle about it, too. I think it’s her way of showing affection. Or maybe I just taste good.

 

I’ve got a few more obstacles in the works for us to play with and get us ready for the June 12 and 13th ACTHA rides. But most of all, I’m just enjoying spending time with my horse, and I think she is enjoying the challenges and attention, too.