desensitizing

Is this weather ever going to cool down? It sure does not feel like it! 

I discovered a few new things about Shyloh today.

1. She is a grain thief. She steals Chick's grain, or he dumps some out for her because she does not get her own grain. They have become good horse friends!

2. She does not mind the big curry comb, but will let me know if she does not like it on a certain spot. 

3. She loves her neck to be scratched and groomed! Now that she is getting more comfortable with me, she is letting me know what she likes. 

4. She really enjoys having her forelock brushed! She puts her head down for it now and even let me do this to her. . .

She is pretty darn cute!

. . . put a braid in her hair!

5. She is smart...so very smart!

After her usual grooming, I took Shy out to lunge. She did great. Then Leslie suggested I work on desensitizing. I put the lunge line over her back and drug it down her rear. She jumped a little at that! I reassured her and continued touching her all over with the lunge line and draping it over hear head and back. Then I moved on to the other side of her. To a horse, each side is a whole new experience. I repeated everything with the lunge whip.

Next, we put a pole on the ground to see if Shy would walk over it. I had to coax her up to it and over it the first time, but then she was fine! I turned her around to walk over it the other way. Again, it was a whole new experience, but she went over the pole! I walked her over it a bunch of times to get her comfortable with going over the pole.

I lunged Shy again, this time so she had to walk or trot over the pole. She was awesome! She went over it every time without a problem! I am not sure if she is generally this awesome, or was just being extra awesome  to make up for our (my) little. . .ahem. . .spill yesterday. It appears that once she decided that the pole was not an alligator or some similar evil waiting to eat her, she had no problem with going over it. Leslie also said that it was a good mental workout for her. 

I am going to continue desensitizing exercises with Shy. It think it will build up her confidence and mine along our journey together.