Having problems with message search?
Hi Laurel,
It hurts us to the core when our fragile flowers turn their rumps on us!!! Particularly when we think we've got the keys to the kingdom!! You've made so much progress and she's able to tell you now. You and Jedda deserve a huge group hug!!
Night before last, she actually approached me and without crowding me (as she would normally do which is sadly intimidating), she came towards me with a friendly face and stood before me. No teeth clanging or tail swishing - she seemed comfortable. First time in a very long time.
The above e-mail was written on Thursday and I have a much different story to report . . . . On Saturday, I went through a short CAT trial with Grace. Everything seemed okay, . . . I guess. Seemed like I kind of got the hang of CAT and she was responding with friendly behaviors. Good stuff. Then, I thought that she really wanted to C/T (we had done a whole year of C/T and there were aspects of it that I thought she enjoyed). So after the CAT trial, I went in the barn, got my clicker and treats (I wanted it to appear very different from the CAT trial). She likes headdown and I've rewarded her heavily, so I thought it was safe. So that went well, then I decided that she might like to trot around me. Why I would think that we could go from headdown to trot around me is beyond me. My mind works in mysterious ways that are generally pretty stupid. Well, uh, Grace didn't seem to like the idea and came after me rearing and striking and then when I started screaming and jumping up and down to get her away from me, she spinned and kicked out at me. By this time, I had taken my hat off and thrown it at her and immediately left the building so-to-speak. I went in the barn, sat on a hay bale and cried. She whinnied for me several times and after I got myself together, shed my C/T stuff; I went out and talked to her and we are okay.
My thoughts at this point are that we are in no way ready for C/T combined with CAT unless it is for very basic behaviors such as headdown or targeting.
Back to the drawing board.
Julie & Grace
Send Email
