A Funny Five Minutes and other stories

I know, I know, I'm terrible at this keeping up to date lark, but to be honest we haven't been up to a great deal this week.

The funny five minutes was Sunday morning, and oh lord Bailerina had me in stitches :-) She started charging and dodging the wheelbarrow as I was pooh picking and it eventually prompted an all out hoolie up down and around and round the field - I was treated to extended trots, canter serpentines with perfect flying changes on each bend, some beautifully cadenced collected trot, some gallopy bucks, some hand stands, some buck rear spin combos and a fair bit of flat out whooooohooooo gallopy gallopy (me with hands over my eyes as she executed sliding stops approaching the fence :-o )
Someone was feeling particularly well lol!
Once she'd had her blowout she stopped and wandered over to me and started grazing calm as you like...funny girl

I've missed being able to practice box work for the last few weeks as someone had parked a car right close up to the back of my box and it took me a while to figure out who owned it, then after I'd asked if they could move it they forgot, so it was only Monday night I got hold of them and they very apologetically and sheepishly moved it for me.

I brought B round and with her on a long line actually opened the ramp whilst she was there so she could hear the noise of the springs, she had a little snort and a jump, but walked straight up for a sniff once it was down
And then refused to go on it...*sigh*
It took me 15 minutes of gentle persuasion in pressure / release mode to get both front feet on, Bally was just planting like she did right back at the start. I was setting myself up for a long haul when a chappy at one of the industrial units suddenly pulled his metal shutter down....well you've never seen a horse go up a ramp so quick :-o
Once on I tied her up and let her have a nibble of feed, then shut the loading gates, all good. B was still nervous - she doesn't sweat up but I can feel her tiny tremors and her eyes are a bit worried, but bless her she let me move her around the box without any panic at the movement. After five minutes I backed her off , gave her a minute to chill and asked again
Not much better, she was still quite sticky, but eventually wandered up the ramp and I let her back off straight away with loads of praise.
Third time lucky and a much better effort, B took maybe 2 minutes after getting her front feet on and fair motored on up the ramp. This time I tied her and shut the gates...and walked off the box for a minute or two for the first time!!! B watched me without showing a hint of panic - nervous and tense still, but no tap dancing *YAY*

I let her straight off after that to huge praise!!

So on to tonight and straight back to another box session as I really want to try and move things on a step each time (B willing of course!) So again I undid the ramp and lowered it whilst she was on the longline behind me - better, still a bit of a snort and a step back but again as soon as it was down she walked straight up to it..banged a hoof and put both front feet on. What a good girl..I asked for another step and...she walked straight on the box in one go!!!

This time I tied her up, did the gates, stayed with her for a couple of minutes and let myself off. Again she was nervous but steady. I got back on and off a couple of times without provoking any kind of reaction...so keeping a light chatter up I lifted the ramp up half way and nothing but a snort. So I lifted it a little more, but Bally thought that was a step too far and had a shuffle so I brought it back down to half way and kept chattering to her and she stood nice and steady again. Gave it a minute (I must have arms like popeye) and then lifted it again - just a snort this time so I lowered it again, undid the gates and popped on the box to give her lots of scratches and a cuddle. She was still a bit quivery and it's a testament to her wonderful character that she can be so obviously worried and still try her heart out to be brave abut this - quite humbling!

I gently backed her off and gave her loads of scratches and praise and walked her round to the stable where she had a quiet five minutes and her tea. She's perfectly settled in her box even when she's in the barn on her own which is a big improvement :-)

All those little baby steps are really starting to add up to quite a journey!