Chessa makes progress

For the last couple of days I have been working with Chessa, my little (almost) 6 month old filly. She has been very resistant to human touch. I decided that in order to change that she must learn to trust me and I her. So each day I have spent time getting her used to my sound, mannerisms, and methods. Each day I try and gain her trust as I feed her and talk to her. The ritual is that when I come to the barn, I open up the round pen for her and her mom Star to go in to get their feed. The rest of the herd stays in the outer perimeter and get theirs separately. Chessa and her mom picked up on this very quickly and without any hesitation. Now Chessa won't even wait for mom, she is in the pen before Star even has time to swish her tail.

After everyone has finished licking the last morsels of feed from their pans, I open up a stall inside the barn and Chessa and Star go in to get another handful of feed with the stall door closed behind them. I enter the stall and this is how I can actually get my hands on Chessa. Note: I would never attempt this unless I was absolutely sure of the horse that I am working with. Star had a very good trainer and she is very calm and trusting of me around her baby.

The stall is a 12 x 12 stall, so there is limited space for the horses to move about. At first Chessa will bob and weave to try and avoid me, but I won't give up. I must position her mom so that I can kind of wedge Chessa between mom and the stall wall. She will try and back up as I approach her and then once I actually have my hands on her, she will stop resisting. The first couple of times I tried this, she had the look of absolute panic in her eyes. I must say I was a bit nervous myself. However, I remained calm and assertive but gentle. Rubbing her down her back and neck, as well as her rump and upper legs trying to get her used to my touch.

Now after almost a week, the transformation is amazing. She actually approaches me in the barn. While we still have a long way to go, she is showing more and more trust. Today, her resistance was minimal and she lowered her head almost right away when I begun to rub her. Last week, she would not let me get close to her, much less touch her. Yesterday, I was feeding her from a bucket that I held. Today she was allowing me to put her halter on and off repeatedly without too much protest and let me give her a rub down.

The jubilation that I feel inside is so wonderful. I am employing techniques that I have learned through watching my "horse whisperer" daughter and seminars I have attended and books that I have read on horses. I think it is amazing how smart these horses are and I find it fascinating to watch them "get it" when you are trying to teach them something new.

It is going to be fun watching this spirited little girl take her baby steps in this journey that I plan for us to take together. I invite you to join us as I post updates on "our" progress.

The New Adventure Begins

     Chessa is our newest addition. She is only 5 months old and yet she stands almost as tall as her Mother Star. She is a Quarterhorse Paint Arabian Mix. Quite the smorgasbord of blood lines. When I first laid eyes on Chessa she was housed in an outdoor pen with her mom at our trainers farm. No green grass and limited space seemed like a sad environment as I am used to green pastures for our horses.
     The first five minutes that I encountered her I knew she had spirit. She was happily playing around Star, bouncing and dodging. She even tried to climb upon her mom's back at one point. Jubilant and happy she tossed her head and tucked underneath Star for a sip of milk.
     Last month she and Star came to stay at our farm. While Star is temporary, Chessa is home. After a bit of a comic escape while loading onto the trailer for the first time, she Chessa finally followed mom onto the trailer for her short ride to our place. She would be joining our other horses, Cody, Daisy, Lacy, and Cowboy. Plus a few other "farm" animals. A donkey, a few cats, some chickens, and cows to the south, another neighbor horse to the east, dogs all around, and a rather ornery neighbor to the north. As she followed her mom off the trailer into the paddock, she seemed to be at ease and ready for a new adventure. Star seemed to be a little more wary. But the unloading went smooth and quick. Youtube video of unloading.
     We decided to separate the other horses into the back field with a fence between the established herd and the newcomers to avoid any injuries. The hope was to let them all get acquainted over the fence before allowing them full access. Star was actually already acquainted with Lacy and Cowboy as they were herd-mates and relatives from their "childhoods".
      Chessa immediately zeroed in on the head mare Daisey only to rebuffed. Daisey has always been "pissy" with her Standard-breed blood and had to always been monitored any time a new baby was born around the farm. She was always trying to steal the babies for her own, so caution needed to be heeded. But Daisey seemed uninterested, much to Chessa's chagrin.
     Chessa and Star settled in for the evening with what appeared to be calm and happiness at having actual green grass to graze on and open space to run. There is nothing more mesmerizing to me than to watch a happy horse kicking up their heels in exuberance. Until I start worrying about a misstep that might lead to injury...
     The next day we introduced Lacy into the pasture with them. After some nickering, running and stomping of feet with a few nips thrown in for good measure, they settled into a peaceful coexistence. The next day we decided to introduce the rest of the herd together. All was going well as one by one they came to investigate up close and personal the new arrivals. At least at first...
     The very one that is usually the calmest and most easy going, the one that I assumed would be fine was the very one that exploded into a wild eyed monster. You know what they say about assume (makes an ass out of you and me)...Well old Cody boy-the head gelding-took out after poor Star biting and kicking unmercifully. He chased her until I thought he'd have a heart attack. Poor Chessa was terrified and I was terrified that she would be trampled in melee. Cody's meeting with Star
     After what seemed like forever, we were able to separate them into front and back pastures. Poor Star was chewed up pretty bad with superficial bites, Chessa was frazzled but uninjured. Wow, that was pretty intense. I knew that the hierarchy had to be worked out but this was scary to watch.
     A couple of days later we reintroduced everyone one at a time and with lead ropes attached so we could step in immediately if needed. Not even a hint of aggression this time. They all act as if that first encounter never even happened. The hierarchy has been established and all is well. Its been a month now and it makes my heart swell to see how peaceful they all are now. They have been so patient with Chessa as she tries to run rough shod over the whole herd.
     Daisey has taken her under her tutelage and allows her to follow her every hoof beat. Star is going about her business as if she has lived there forever. Cody is calm and lumbering again and Lacy is doing her own thing. Poor Cowboy, as the former youngest of the herd, has always been low man and is trying to make Chessa understand that he is older than her and dang it she needs to behave; but is unsuccessful. It's quite comical to watch.
     All in all we are having fun with Chessa, but now the real work begins in her training. I predict that we all have some learning to do. As she dances around with her little tail held erect, tossing and leaping, her Arabian spirit is evident. While she lifts my spirit just watching her, I recognize that she will most likely try my patience many times to come. I will keep you posted as to the progress. Both hers and mine....