Friday, February 24, 2017

Tanka Softly, Gently



I left Pony Baloney and Tanka out back in the big pen today. Pony looks like he has been slobbered on all day on his face. I think I need to get a wet towel and clean him up. I'm thinking Tanka was the winner of this round.
I made Tanka go away while I haltered Pony and took him out of the gate.
I brought Pony back to his home pen and his buddy Wiseguy.
I went back into the big pen with Tanka. I walked right by Tanka and went to the far side of the pen. Tanka decided to follow me. So cute.
I spent a lovely soft quiet time with him. I rubbed his back and his neck. I rubbed up onto his ears. I had to persist a bit with the ears. I asked for a front foot and then a back foot.
I held the halter in my hand but didn't offer it to him. I walked away again and once again he followed me. We looked out across the the desert to where the neighbor was putting up fence. I rubbed his cheek and tickled his nose. He let me touch his lips. I pet him from both sides. His right side is starting to be as good as his left side. I felt privileged that he and I felt so good together.
I walked away again. He came over and I let him sniff the halter. He wanted to look away but I asked him to look towards me by letting him run into pressure from my hand on the far side of his face. Eventually I got the rope around his neck and we did the same with the rope. Let him run into pressure when he looked away. Let him find the answer.
Eventually I got the halter near his nose and when he looked my way I dropped the halter down away from his nose. After a few times I asked him to put his nose in the halter.
Soft and gentle today. Soft and gentle. We did some back and some walk on the lead. Stop, back, walk, stop, back. Took Tanka the long way round the pen and then out through the gate and across the back acres. The dog across the street was there. I gently asked Tanka to keep moving, turn fore, turn hind, back, walk. Eventually we made it to his home pen.
Today was sweet and soft and gentle and it felt so good to come home to that.

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