Bailey is in the Ground Division!

While Dream and I are in the Team Division, I also entered the Ground Division because I have a foster horse who belongs to the Curly Horse Rescue. Bailey is the second foster I've had, and definitely the one with the most "healing" needed. Right now he isn't being ridden, although he has had 30 days of saddle training. He is still very green under saddle, and since he had some body issues, I enlisted the help of a wonderful woman named Abby William-- http://www.thehorseknowstheway.com/horseknows.htm
Abby comes to help us do TTEAM (Linda Tellington-Jones program) training with Bailey. She is also an equine massage therapist, which has helped Bailey stay flexible after having chiropractic work and acupuncture done just before Christmas. Bailey could barely bend to his right either through his neck or his body. He couldn't lead on the right at first, and everything that is done on his right side still is more apt to be "traumatic" for him.

So on Monday, Abby and my neighbor/friend Nicole came so we could have another session working with Bailey. I remembered to have my camera, too! Just so you all know, every time I do anything with my horses, this is the first thing I see!

We did exercises and ground work with Bailey for two hours despite the fact that it was windy and cold. One of the things that still bothers him is the mounting block and having things above him. He ESPECIALLY reacts to the mounting block on his right side! So Nicole and I were each on a mounting block as Abby led Bailey in various patterns back and forth around and between us. We then used our "wands" (straight white whips) to first make a "bridge" that he had to walk under, and later to stroke his back and body from above him. You can tell how cold it is by the fact that Nicole has her hands all balled up in her gloves in this picture!


This is me looking down on Bailey:


And this is Abby with Bailey after we were all done for the day, and she was talking to him as I started making their dinner!

I totally forgot to have anyone use the camera to take a picture of me when I had Bailey! It was too cold and we were losing the light by the time I remembered! That will happen another day!

Laurie
(along with Abby, Nicole, and-- of course-- Bailey)