An Amazing Day>>>

Well as some of you may know, I work at a therapeutic horse ranch with special needs children (my angels on Earth). Well this year I will be partnering with my sister (who has special needs) in a drill team event. I have worked with the horses in this ranch for around 5 years and every year I have an issue with the horses (they do not listen, they freak in their stalls, they try to "own" the spotlight in the show, etc.). Well we got a new Paint last year that was not adjusted well enough to the children as well as the main instructor, other volunteers, and myself to go with us and actually show (she went due to the fact we had no one set up to feed her). She did well at the show (in the stall and round pen w/ myself on her at a walk).<br><br>Well for some reason she has gotten quite jumpy after the winter. She got scared of the lead rope and freaked out (without a rider thankfully), she jumped out of her coat when a brush fell 50 feet away from her, and she HATES the mounting ramp/stairs/etc, and she would not allow anyone to mount her at all. Since this has accrued none of our children have been riding her. <br><br>Well like I said above, this year I will be riding her in the show, so I thought it would be great to start bonding with her everyday after our lessons. She has gone from not going near the ramp to stopping at it in the place she would if some one were to be waiting to mount her, she allows me to make loud sudden sounds/movements around her and does not jump or spook, and she has even held still for me to mount her (from the ground). Today, the main instructor was telling me how Star would not longe for her. I decided that I would try it since I had taught my Appaloosa how to many years ago. She does not understand personal space, so at first Star wanted to be right agents me, but after I taught her that she was not to loosen her longe line and come passed my "carrot stick" (what we call longeing whips) she started to go around me happily. She even picked up on the trotting cue in the short time I had before I had to leave.