Today Finn walked up to me in the pasture from about 100 feet away. I'll take that as progress. I really don't imagine it'll take us too long to get back to normal... horses are so much quicker to move on than we are. The emotional charge is starting to ebb from my thoughts, as I knew it would in time. Onwards and upwards.
I set Finn the very simple goal of not pulling his lead rope through the crook of my elbow as I led him to the gate. Except for two small lapses, he was 100% successful. Aside from giving him his supplements, I decided to start teaching him to place a hind foot in his feed pan. I figured this would be a simple and clear thing we could talk about that shouldn't be too challenging for him, a recipe for success.
I was actually surprised because the first two times I simply lined him up, backed him up, and he stepped in the pan. Easy-peasy. I gave him a small piece of carrot each time. And then he decided he might ought to be concerned.
It took some time to get the third good try. What worked turned out to be convincing Finn that he could, in fact, yield his hindquarters to the other side of the feed pan while keeping his front end still, which meant he was moving the pan under his belly during the yield.
He was initially convinced that this was an impossible feat. Then he made a few sloppy efforts which resulted in him haphazardly stepping in the pan, occasionally dragging it or flipping it around. This put him off at first, and then I think he made the critical mental leap of realizing the moving pan was not actually a threat to his safety. After that he yielded across the pan thoughtfully and accurately, not stepping in or on it at all.
And THEN... I was able to just line him up and back his hind foot into the pan again. Easy-peasy. I delivered another carrot, and we left it at that.
Because I was running short on time, I didn't take him as close to Fiver as I otherwise would have to turn him loose again. When I released him he walked about 20 feet, than bolted off in Fiver's general direction. I hate that feeling, I really do, but today I was able to just write it off as a pattern he has unfortunately developed. It doesn't mean he hates me or can't wait to get away from me... it just is what it is. And we'll fix it, I have no doubt.
So things are looking up with us. I really did know this little hiccup would pass. This doesn't necessarily determine for sure that he is indeed the horse for me, forever... but my patience and good humor for his quirks is restored and we can move on.
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