Do Not Wait ....

 "Do Not wait until conditions are perfect to begin...beginning makes conditions perfect" ~ Alan Cohen 

Curly Snugglezzzz

Hellllooooooooooo Fellow Curly Nation!!  I love the above quote and it has really applied to Sassy and me the last several weeks!!! Aside from officially changing my address to SNOW GLOBE.... Sassy has somehow managed to severely sprain her back right hock, (is on restricted movement til March....) and it is taking a while (even after draining) for the swelling to go down...So she and I are putting our horsey toys to 'work' and are making the best out of the recoup time ...playing / learning some new games...reinforcing current skills and some curly snuggles!!!!

Playing/learning with new toys. In the first picture the colorful ball with the spikes is an equi-spirit catch ball. Sassy is quite taken with this toy and we play tug of war and after worming... I am really seeing the advantage of playing with this toy.  We started out with her exploring it with her nose..and then she would close her lips around it...I decided to use the clicker(in  my right hand in the pic below) to reinforce if the movement was gentle! I take a spike...and move it around...ask her to smile and touch her gums and teeth. 

So, Sunday was worming day....I get out my lil woming paste...get it all dialed in...walk into Sassy's stall.....lift my hand ....my eyes on my interdermal target.......and Sassy turns her head....sniffs the paste...and puts her lips around it (just as she had the spirit ball spike) like its a lollipop!!!!!!!!!! And that my Curly Loving friends is how Sassy got wormed and a spikey toy showed me its worth!!! Spike ball = $$...... To be able to mess with or check Sassy's mouth without her being nervous or afraid = Priceless!!!!

Reinforcing current skills.... In the pic below I have asked Sassy to back...and then I turn my shoulder and point to the spikey ball and ask her to target it. She has to reach around to touch it with her nose.  We also do verbal back, turn, and I set it at the furthest point from her ..and ask her to touch target. We are also getting good at the target pointing to the leg we want to lift ...YAYYYYYYY (one of my mini goals for Jan) Since her sprain...we have only done this sparingly because I dont want to stress that hock with uneven weight.  I am amazed at how well she remembers even the lesser reinforced activities!!!! 



Rubba Rubba Sassy Girl

The Month of January was challenging for Sassy and me!! Snow....Swelling...Slicky footing....ice....subzero temps.. ..combined and created some interesting obstacles......but we adapted and worked and had an amazing time together!!  The look on my face when she enclosed that wormer with her mouth.and then allowed me to discharge the contents had to be HILLARIOUS!!!  I never ceased to be amazed at these creatures!!  I am so glad that my Equine Bff doesnt look for the perfect conditions to train her human.....she just begins...and that makes it CURLY perfect every single time!!!!

Curly Hugs from Sassy and Krissy in SNOW GLOBE Ohio !!!

I fully believe that when you look in their eyes....you are looking into a window of Heaven