A Honey of a Tale - Part 3

During the next few months, my sister Joan decided to lease Ms. Honey (guess who's idea THAT was ?) - and together we worked with her and loved her and gave her A LOT of attention. Honey seemed to know that Joan was kind and gentle and always approached her without fear. It was wonderful to see her become less and less wary of the human race.

                   Here they are.......Joan and her lil girl

At Christmas time when we decorated the barn  - –we decorated her - complete with red halter, garland around her neck and red vet tape on her legs. She didn’t even  blink an eye and I think she was just happy to be included in the festivities (of course, I had done Bud first!!) She never batted an eye when her photo was taken – unlike Bud, who thought the flash was an alien ship landing!

                   Here she is ...all dressed up for the holidays.


Honey proved to have quite the little personality and a few moments I remember well are - her flooding the outside of her stall (someone hung the hose over the hook by her stall door and failed to turn off the water)………She then turned it on by accident when she pulled the hose inside her stall and was flipping it all around and making the area look like a flood zone. I was glad she had a sense of humor and wanted to play.

Another time she was photographed for a library web sight, my sister worked for, and did far better than Bud. We placed a large book in front of her face and put small carrots inside - she ate those carrots like a trooper and the end result was a horse reading a horse book - the caption ended up being .... Reading is for everyone!!

                         What a lil star she was that day.....


I also remember a spring day when she was freshly groomed and looked beautiful. …until….she was released back out and immediately rolled in the mud and muck and was completely covered in gray slop. The only remaining black was on her face. And I wish you could have seen my sisters' face !

                      These were NOT her finest moments....

                       


During that spring and summer, I began lunging her and doing ground work with her - Joan preferred to ride the Buddha at this stage of the game.  The pinnacle was actually riding her – what a thrill. I kept it very basic and did a lot of turning, standing and backing up and trying to perfect her little trot. She didn’t quite understand what was asked of her – but – she was ready and willing.

I had purchased a new cinch just for her and once when I was lounging her – it started to stretch out and the saddle was slipping side ways on her - this could have made any horse panic and want to bolt. I was trying to slow her down but she picked up speed instead! I began pulling her in and she finally stopped and let me undo the cinch and refasten it without as much as moving a muscle. This is when I KNEW she trusted me – it was a powerful moment. I continued to lounge her and did ride her that morning – although she did test me on the mounting block – she moved quicker than I had liked – but I stayed on. It was almost like she was saying – “ okay, now we’re even “!

Once, on a Saturday, I was the solo groomer and since it was so cold and windy – I grabbed the halter that was closest (after doing Bud first, of course) - instead of heading back into the barn for all the individual halters.  I used the same one for everyone. This was okay til I went for Honey ….she kept approaching me and then backed away. This happened several times and then it hit me – I had just used this on the alpha mare and Honey wanted no part of it. I traipsed back to the barn and got her halter and lead rope and then she walked right up to me - lowered her head for her halter and I slid it on without any hesitation. She never ceased to amaze me..........