So much has happened since Kim passed...
Little Candy moved into Kim's old stall right next to Madeira and although Madeira would never admit it, she really, actually likes her there. We regularly turn the four of them, Madeira, Steal, Candy and baby Leila out together and they all get along just fine.
Madeira and I have had a couple of break throughs in our journey this past few months. Despite the fact that she kicked me, she is really trying to communicate and do the right thing. Sometimes she tries so hard, that she anticipates what I want from her and does it before I even have the chance to ask. (She is reading my mind.) Sometimes her anticipations are incorrect and she does something I wasn't going to ask her to do, but I don't make her feel wrong about it, but just take what ever she offers. At least she is trying.
She is really starting to become more confident and left brain through our training, though she is innately a right brain extrovert. It is fun and interesting to observe all these different horsenalities emerging out of her. She still shows off her "wild" side every now and then, but I'm starting to detect more exuberance in that behavior instead of fear. She is also really trying to think her way through stressful situations instead of "flying off the handle" when she gets into a sticky spot. Here's the proof, that what ever I am doing is really working for her advantage, and as a result she is getting smarter and calmer, and able to think under pressure.
One day Virpi had gone to the ranch and taken Steal out into the arena. Then before she had gotten to Madeira she had stopped to chat with Debbi. In a mean while Madeira had grown impatient and started pawing in her paddock, wanting to get out. Virpi had just hollered at her to stop pawing and in her amazement she had soon stopped as Virpi and Debbi chatted on for about another 15 minutes. What Virpi didn't realize was, that the water hose, which was tied around the paddock fence had become loose and somehow Madeira had pawed her foot through the loop and gotten stuck!!! Just imagine a few years ago she would certainly have panicked and struggled to get free, most likely braking her leg in the process. But now she just stood there not moving a muscle until Virpi finally realized what had happened and went to free her. What a smart horse she has become!
This is why we play with our horses in all sorts of "funny" ways, letting ropes and hoses and Christmas tree ribbons tangle into their feet, to set them up for success when things really go wrong.
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