Chuparosa and Mick

The title of the post is Chuparosa and Mick but the picture is of Nancy riding Chupy. There's a bit of reasoning behind this. Chupy is the horse that Nancy got so she could ride. And boy, does Nancy love to go horseriding.



So why is this post about me and Rosa? Well I freely confess I am an animal lover, I love wildlife, I love our pets but until recently I have always stood off from Rosa because I was always afraid I would somehow interfere with the training Nancy has been working on with her. Chupy has always looked a little flighty, she is small, has twinkling feet and always looks like she is hurrying off down the street. Nancy has done a lot of studying of various trainers, getting insights from one and the other. Sometimes from Pat Parelli sometimes from reading Mark Rashid's wonderful books, reading up on Bill Dorrance or watching Dennis Reis on RFD TV. All the while working with this "hummingbird". Nancy has made astounding progress and I did not want to tread on her toes.

Rosa is too flighty to really work with Sean, I doubt that she would stand still long enough for us to hoist Sean up on her and Sean is too uncertain to be calm enough to keep her steady. But she and Bailey are the two horses we have so we are faced with the dilemma of how to bring this dancer and Sean together.

Well, maybe this is where I come in because I have my own idiosyncratic way of looking at our pets. I have no idea where it comes from all I know is that it is a big part of me. I think animals do best when they are secure in their positions, when they know what their rights rewards and 'responsibilities' are. Our dogs know, for example, that they get to share my breakfast sandwich with me. When I get up and make my breakfast I go sit down by the table and as my (large) backside is hittng the chair there is a dog on either side of me sitting and wagging and waitiing. They only do this for breakfast and posting this is probably making any dog trainer wince but I don't care. Our dogs know what they are allowed to do and they know they have a place in our hearts and our home.

Nancy and I agree on one thing - pets are for life. We don't sell animals, we don't breed them and if we get a dog, or a horse, then this is their home.

And that is what I am working on with Rosa - she is part of our home, our herd. When she fully realizes it I think she will be a lot less flighty and a lot more secure and Sean is a part of the whole thing.

Will it work? Hmm - stay tuned..