Remarkable Bonds

 If you haven't seen the Blogger Secret Santa post, I suggest you check it out ASAP!

Now that that shameless plug is behind us, I decided to change it up recently and do something I'd always wanted to do, but never quite had the confidence to do so - I've been playing around with neckrope training.  It's been really fun for both Sierra and I, and she's taken to it surprisingly well.

Currently, we are playing around in the safety of her own paddock because I'm pretty sure any sense of the training would go out the window the second I took her into the pasture based on how amped up she's been even under tack #NotTodaySatan.  Either that, or I'm just not quite that brave... 

Now that I'm pretty sure she isn't going to kill me, my next goal is to swing up from the mounting block as opposed to the belly-flop method.  Sierra isn't a huge fan of it as a result of me sucking, so I can't say I blame her - she gets 10 points for being a tolerable lady.  I love how much she's genuinely enjoying it; it's both relaxing and mentally stimulating for both of us.  It's a confusing combination of absolutely no pressure and a lot of risk but worst case, I slide off into the snow and twist my ankle on some frozen turds.  

It's particularly remarkable to see her engaged when she came up to me as if she asked "Can we play?" my heart melted.  We've only done it twice so far, and on the second day I ditched the rope entirely but I was quickly reminded that she can't read my mind, and we aren't quite ready for that yet.  #Oops

She's a really intriguing horse - she can be an absolute nutcase, ready to boil over with anxiety and yet - she's the horse I trust the most on my farm.  She can be prancing sideways hardly able to contain herself, yet I can pilot her around with ease without any tack.  She can be a hot mother trucker, all while in a sidepull or basic snaffle.  She can go from leaping off your aids to feeling like an old plug of a kids pony.  She challenges me in ways I never considered, and the regret I feel daily of being convinced to try and sell her still plagues me.  I'm so incredibly grateful she's still in my life, and if it means I never compete because I don't want the anxiety-riddled fight, so be it.  People often joke or make comments about how much she loves me and I often thought that was just what you say to people to make them feel better - but the love and respect this horse shows me above everyone else is truly something.  She's given me her heart and even though her anxiety gets the best of her sometimes, I feel honoured to guard it.

I'd really like to buy or make an actual neckrope so I'm not just wrapping a leadrope around her neck, but it can wait for now!