Dinky Duty pays off!

As usual, I couldn't wait for Wednesday. I teach a looooooong class (4 hours straight - what on Earth was I thinking when I signed up for that?) on Monday nights, then Tuesday I had to drive down to Columbia, SC for work. So Wednesday is the day to go the barn. This week I was so exhausted from my long Monday and Tuesday, I considered bagging it and just heading down later on Thursday now that the time has changed. But in the end I couldn't stand it. I had to go see my girl.

I was so tired and it was pretty chilly, so I really didn't consider riding.  Skye had just been fed, so she was in a great mood, happy to meet me at the gate. I brought her in and groomed her. A couple of barn girls were there riding so I had the barn to myself and my horse. I seemed to take a long time to get very little done, but there's quite a bit of value in that sometimes. What I wanted was to hang out with my girl and relax. I took a long time getting her feet really clean in an effort to stave off her thrush getting any worse. (It's been rainy until this week, and for her, mud = thrush). I combed her mane and tail, promising her as I always do that I will never pull her mane, as she clearly had it done roughly in her past. Then we did our forehead to forehead thing. If she likes it half as much as I do, we're right where we need to be.

Skye. She's everywhere I want to be. Even
if she is looking fairly sarcastic here.

She also seemed up for doing something a little more stimulating, so I took her in the round pen for a little ground work. The vet has told me to leave off working much in a circle until we get her back in shape, but I just wanted to see what she remembered about moving her feet around for me. I used the methods in this new book I got (101 Horsemanship Exercises), which are laid out in a way that seems logical to me and which recommends methods I'm comfortable with. So I backed her up by pointing my finger. She was perfect. I moved her hindquarters with the bent back of my hand. She crossed her back legs just like the book recommended. I moved her forequarters the same way, and this time she did it PERFECTLY.

I had tried to move around her front half in the past, and Skye had met me with a far amount of resistance, for her. She doesn't like to move her forequarters for me on the ground other than backing up, and she doesn't like to lower her head on command, though she does it automatically for me to brush her face with the soft brush, comb her forelock and bridle her. Which is pretty damn hard to complain about. (Her Excellency!)

Anyway, I don't know whether it was my attitude, the use of the back of my flat fingers (gives even gentle pressure without poking as the trainer I used had shown me) or the sequence that I did them, but she seemed to know just what I wanted. I wonder if someone who had her before did these with her in the same order or the same way. Whatever they did, she remembered it.

However, I think they also used treats to do it, because she clearly felt she deserved some after each exercise. I told her good girl (which I say when I do treat her) and gave her some effusive love instead. She thought she'd been gypped, but I did give her some carrots when we were finished. Then I was mad that I hadn't planned to ride, as I hate to waste an opportunity, especially when we were so in sync. When I let her go, she hung out with me at the gate, and even let Reebok approach for some love.

Double the love. Double the goofiness. Take your pick.

Then I grabbed some carrots I'd left in the fridge and headed out to do my dinky duty. Even if they get re-homed somewhere else, being more tame will benefit them. So out I go calling "Dinky Doodles! Bravo, Echo, Zulu!" fully expecting them to respond mainly by stopping chewing and staring at me. Instead they looked up and started trotting toward me. Hurray! And let me tell ya, dinkies trotting toward you on their tiny hooves with their swishing little tails will cure whatever is wrong with you. It was so cute I had to catch my breath. This despite me such a tough customer.

(By the way, when I related this to Dave, he then said "You're getting attached to them." Gee, you think so?)

So then they mobbed me for carrots, and Bravo did his thing where he leans his whole side on me, and stands there for a long time to be rubbed on his back. I also rubbed Echo between his ears, and touched Zulu ever so lightly on his nose. That's victory.  I think Tammy, who is out there during the day now, must be visiting them when she gets time. Which is double victory. Because the dinkies need all the friends they can get. I do too.

Zulu contemplates the implication of our friendship.