Yesterday was a fantastic adoptathon for BEHS. I trailered my foster horse, Kiley, to the event, as well as another foster horse "Nike." (My personal horse, Goose, nka Goliath, also came for the ride to his new home).
The experience was great for everyone - but mostly I am struck by how much Kiley has grown to trust me over the last 8 months. When I first met her at the Expo last year, she was very nervous, and wouldn't even look at me. She never turned her head to see me with both eyes - even when I sat outside her stall with the door open for 30 minutes, she never approached me or turned to look at me. When I handled her for our parade of foster horses, she was nervous, would constantly circle around me, and would only turn left.
At the adoptathon, when we came out of the trailer to a new place she had never been, she was a little slow, but she completely trusted me and followed me in to the barn and into her stall with little hesitation. When I walked her for the parade of horses into the ring, you could tell she was nervous, but she stood perfectly in line and waited for all of my cues. She walked somewhat nervously but stayed at my side the entire time - no circles at all. She was very well behaved and kept turning to me to get her cues, and you could sense she trusted me to keep her safe.
It was a very rewarding experience. I knew that she trusted me more, but I didn't realize quite how much until this experience. She's so funny - she has her limits of how much stress she can handle. When we got home and I opened the trailer, she jumped out into the field and galloped away. She deserved it!
The experience was great for everyone - but mostly I am struck by how much Kiley has grown to trust me over the last 8 months. When I first met her at the Expo last year, she was very nervous, and wouldn't even look at me. She never turned her head to see me with both eyes - even when I sat outside her stall with the door open for 30 minutes, she never approached me or turned to look at me. When I handled her for our parade of foster horses, she was nervous, would constantly circle around me, and would only turn left.
At the adoptathon, when we came out of the trailer to a new place she had never been, she was a little slow, but she completely trusted me and followed me in to the barn and into her stall with little hesitation. When I walked her for the parade of horses into the ring, you could tell she was nervous, but she stood perfectly in line and waited for all of my cues. She walked somewhat nervously but stayed at my side the entire time - no circles at all. She was very well behaved and kept turning to me to get her cues, and you could sense she trusted me to keep her safe.
It was a very rewarding experience. I knew that she trusted me more, but I didn't realize quite how much until this experience. She's so funny - she has her limits of how much stress she can handle. When we got home and I opened the trailer, she jumped out into the field and galloped away. She deserved it!
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