Friday, April 29, 2011

Two Steps forward and Three Steps Back

I've been battling an internal dilemma with my little filly. Over the winter our "training" basically ceased. We visited and petted or brushed from time to time. But, now that all the ice is melted and the weather has warmed, we've really have gone backwards in our training. She did allow me to catch her one day and lead her to the Round Pen. Then I took my horse, Classy, from the pasture and went for a ride. I put her in the Round Pen because I fear that she will run through fences when he leaves her. So, I wanted her to be safe. However, when it came time to catch her and put her back, she wouldn't allow me to catch her. It was two weeks before my husband decided to back the horse trailer up and coax her inside and after a few hours of the trailer sitting there open to the pen, he closed the door and hauled her back to the pasture with Classy.

Still, she was loose with Classy and still I was unable to catch her. My husband helped me construct a catch pen and we caught her last Saturday. Since then she has been wearing a halter and drag rope. I've been able to catch her now with this and sometimes I come out and give her treats without trying to catch her. She's still very skeptical of me but, I am hoping we are making some progress a little by little.

Sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking getting a little "wild" horse. But, if I push through the obstacles, we will all pull through and reap the rewards in the end.