Adventure time for Amber.

So I gave Amber a good grooming and banded her mane over so that it will hopefully grow downward and train that way. De-tangled her tail, picked her feet. She was a very well behaved mare in the wash pit.

By the way, have I mentioned how everyone keeps telling me what a pretty/nice horse she is? Well, of course she is!



After I groomed her, I decided to walk her around on the property and let her eyeball her new surroundings. Emma mentioned before that all the horses kind of get silly in the dressage arena due to it being right beside the woods. I decided that this was a good place to start. I lead her out and all the horses in the side pastures came galloping over. She thought about being silly, but decided to behave. We walked around in the open area behind the barn, and made our way back to the dressage arena. I decided to walk around the outside first. She got super anxious as we started around the back and I could see she was thinking about flying back, so I decided we'd go inside and look around first. We started on the side away from the woods, and as we got near M by the woods, I stopped to let her look, and a bird or something started to make a bunch of noise and Amber went "O-M-G" and half reared and started to go back. I patiently followed along and talked to her. I definitely wasn't going to let her get away from me and murder herself by tripping on the lead. She continued to back around for a few seconds, at this point I think she was expecting me to beat the shit out of her for rearing in the first place. She trotted around me for a few seconds and then I calmed her down and let her know I wasn't going to kill her for it, but I did back her up a few steps.

Then, we went and stood right where she spooked. She looked and listened and then we walked up and down that side both ways a few times. Then we went and walked on the outside by the woods. Not a problem at all.

We walked around the big jumping ring, into the round pen. She definitely is interested in the other horses, more interested in them than I've ever seen her interested in other horses. Hopefully in a couple of days she will be able to go out with some of them. I'll be lunging her tomorrow just to let her burn off some energy. She's definitely got way too much of that built up from having to be cooped up inside, but obviously she needs time to settle and also time for us to keep checking her poop to make sure she is worm free before she mingles with the other resident equines.



Checking out the dressage arena after the scary bird incident.

I also walked her around the front of the barn. The ponies came galloping over fast and she danced sideways a little. I didn't fault her, because they were so loud it made ME jump too! She settled down quickly.

I can definitely tell I haven't been working with her as much recently though. She seems to have forgotten a few manners, but fortunately, she seemed to remember them pretty quick when she found out that I wasn't going to get frustrated, nor was she going to get away with anything. ;)