CurlyQ is on the payroll

Enlightening had a job today. It was first her job since she's had her enlightenment. It was a simple job, but an important one nonetheless. She really didn't have to do much physically, which made her happy. She didn't have to make any tough decisions, and her only responsibility was to be quiet and at ease. If all jobs were so easy for us humans.

All she had to do today was be one of the demo horses for our saddle fitting workshop. I could have used a number of my other horses, but I wanted her to have a purpose for all the changes she's made recently. While we oohed and ahhhed over the pretty saddles presented to us, Lightening stood next to me and waited for her time in the spotlight. She didn't fidget around much but was curious. A little girl spent time kissing her nose and petting her while I sat down holding her on a loose rope. She called her CurlyQ. It was pleasant to have CurlyQ standing next to me with a hind foot cocked and her head low. She was patient. That in itself is a big lesson accomplished.

We put a number of different bare trees on her and fussed with the saddles, learning about shimming and placement. All of us staring at her back can create discomfort, as the horse can perceive it as pressure. Nine sets of eyes focused on her at once made her a little bit unsure of the situation but instead of getting pushy because of her discomfort, she allowed me to guide her and help her feel okay. She relaxed into it and started to enjoy the attention. She got a lot of praising and smiles and in return, she relaxes. It was such a subtle moment and possibly I was the only one to notice it.

Many horses are happiest when they have a task or purpose. The more jobs they have, the more their confidence builds and they learn life lessons like being calm and trusting. I can't expect CurlyQ to build her confidence if she doesn't get an opportunity to be part of something. I have to trust her as much as possible and allow her to trust me too. Self esteem in horses is as important as our own self esteem. When they are able to put their new skill sets to work and get rewarded, they'll begin to look for the right answer. I like horses that ask questions. It's the beginning of a partnership based on communication.