Day Seven & Eight- Two different sides of Blue

Monday marked the seventh day and completed Blue's first week with us. Sometimes I watch him outside and wish we could fast forward to the point in the story when he's once again fat, healthy and restored to his proper self but I know that in doing that, we would be missing a lot of what's important about this special little horse. We would miss his recuperation and the process of him learning to trust in people again. We would miss the transformation from the horse we picked up in Bradford to the horse I know he will become. As much as I want Blue to be 'better' again now, I know that this part of the story is important for him and even more important for those following it. People need to understand what it takes to bring a horse back from this sort of physical and mental neglect so we're strongly reminded to do what we can to make sure that no horse in our care gets to that point in the first place. Even though I don't like to see him go through it, a lot of what is so inspiring about Blue will come from this process.....

I worked with Blue outside in the grass ring for the first time on Monday. There's always the potential for the Hyde side of a horse's “Jekel & Hyde” personality to emerge when they work outside for the first time.....wide open spaces seem to have that effect. Of course, Blue was a complete gentleman and took to the work with no excess silliness. We lunged and walked over some poles and afterwards, went for a walk around. Blue seemed to enjoy being outdoors and returned to his paddock content and relaxed.

 

First lunging session outside

Tuesday, however, brought forward a different side of Blue than any of us had seen before. Sarah returned, eager to continue where they had left off on the weekend with the goal of getting him to trot beside her in hand. Unfortunately for Sarah, Blue had a different plan. Whether he was tired or unsure, Blue was having none of the process and made every effort possible not to move his feet. After our efforts produced no return, we called Barry in for assistance and he worked with the horse for some time, sending him one way or the other to “unstick” his feet. By the end of the session, Blue had it figured out and Sarah was able to complete her goal of getting him to trot in hand. Blue finished his day with a nice bath, for which he stood with no issue and returned to his stall squeaky clean and shiny.

 

Blue's first bath

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure how Sarah felt about the whole process but it was an important lesson for her to experience. Generally speaking, when we arrive at the barn with A PLAN, our horse almost always has different one and we need to adapt and adjust.....welcome to horses Sarah :) It was interesting to see Blue with such a difference of opinion than he had shown on previous occasions but it was bound to come out at some point. What I did like was that, even in his uncertainty, he never once became mean or rude and Barry was able to reason with him to accomplish the goal. Blue has a wonderful mind and that will continue to aid in his training going forward.... he wants to please and wants to learn and this makes for an easier project.

We head into our second week with a different horse than the one who arrived last Tuesday. He's brighter, more expressive and even has some covering over his ribs. His coat is definitely shinier and he's more confident overall. He will remain in quarantine for a few more days to be sure all is well and then we will begin introducing him to the rest of the herd, many of whom have expressed interest in him over the fence for some time. When I think about the time he's been with us, it seems much longer than a week......he has become part of our daily routine, part of our family and part of our story. I barely even remember what I did in the evenings before Blue gave me something to write about! I'm very happy with his progress and hope he continues steadily along the path to good health, wellness and what lies ahead in his future.

 

Blue & Sarah