A thank you, and moving on.

 My heartfelt thanks to everyone who left comments on the passing of Beamer. It means a lot to me that you all loved and admired him too. He was an exceptional horse in looks and temperament as well as in personality. 

Moving on to this new phase in my life is not easy; as is to be expected. I have been filling my time in working with Theo. He is such a delight to work with, and he gives me as much joy as Beamer did- probably because he is so much like his sire. We had a really special moment this morning; I went to the barn to feed the cats, the mares and Theo were out in the pasture. Theo spotted me and came strolling into the barn to see what I was up to, and the mares paid no attention to him leaving them. We had a nice quiet moment together, I brushed him and bent over to scrape the bot eggs off his legs. He laid his neck over me and gave me what  seemed like a horse hug. Not trying to nibble or investigate, just a quiet moment of peace that filled my heart. 

After a bit I went to the house to get my phone for photos on this beautiful sunny day (we had an inch of rain over the last 24 hours) and he hung out at the barn until I came back. I haltered him and led him to the trailer for his daily loading lesson, and he spotted a couple of deer on the front lawn and paused to look at them. He wasn't alarmed or spooking, just stood quietly looking at them for a while before getting into the trailer for his morning bit of feed. 

Trailer training went really well over the last week. The first day, it went like this:

Theo: You want me to WHAT?

Me: Come and get your ration. Yumm!

Theo: Well... maybe. 

He had a few bites of ration, then I called it and tried again in the afternoon. 

Theo: You been holding out on me! Haven't had this for a while!

That evening went much quicker. Right to the door and started munching. 

Doesn't he just look like Beamer here.....

3rd session: Next day we got one foot loaded. And then two. 

 

Theo: I think I got this now

4th session: Me: Good boy, Theo! 

Theo: I am a good boy!

And that's all folks! After that Theo loaded every time without hesitation. Not only that, he willingly backed out right from the first time I asked him. I have yet to close him in the trailer, but that will have to wait for his person to teach. He will be here tomorrow to meet Theo, not sure if he is hauling Theo himself this weekend or if he has a professional hauler coming in a few days. 

I have a little update on a dog I had, remember Thea? She was so intensely wanting to work that I sold her back to her original breeders and now she has a job at the sheep trials that they attend; she sets and holds the flock along with her owner on horseback as they await each contestant. Best thing I ever did for that dog was letting her go.