Meg

I learned so much about Meg this morning. I had a short training session with her to see if we could figure out a way that I could lead her around without getting bumped . I led her on my left side and walked very slowly and made it clear that she needed to stay behind my left shoulder. She learned fast, and she was careful. she really likes the attention -- just have something to do, to be told to do this walk this way , stop, start again. She enjoyed herself. Then I took off the lead rope and practiced putting her halter on and off with one arm. She was helpful -- she put her nose right into the halter and waited patiently while I took it off and then put her nose back into it again when I wanted to put it back on again. Then I sat in the ring with her. Van was mending fences when a funny thing happened: Meg developed a crush on Van. He had a drill and a saw and he was working all up and down the side of the ring. She followed him like a little puppy. When he stood still and worked for a while in the same spot she closed her eyes and stood near him with this cute little smirk on her face. When he left the ring she even got a little bit upset. I sat on my beach chair in the middle and watched all of this. When Van came back she started following him around again. Van said that if things go along as they have been, he'll have a girlfriend in every species on the farm.

I free-lunged Meg a little bit. She joins up so well! In about five minutes she was following me around matching me step for step , stopping when I stopped , matching my pace, paying careful attention to where my feet were and where her feet were.

This afternoon, we will saddle and bridle her, Rachelle will ride her, and then I think Van will take a turn in the ring riding her. It is possible that Meg and Van will make a better pair than Rocket and Van. Rocket is afraid of men it seems -- he gets upset and scared when he has a man on his back. I suspect that the spur scars on his sides were not put there by a woman.

No matter how it works out -- which one of us rides which horse, clearly the foursome of me and Van and Rocket and Meg shows a lot of promise. We are absolutely delighted with her. She's funny, curious, and confident. She pays attention. She loves to have people paying attention to her even when what they're asking her to do is work. Van commented that if she was going to follow him around while he worked on fences he should give her her own tool belt.

I miss Amigo. I miss his beautiful face, and his expressive eyes. I miss his funny and complex and silly ways. but I think this arrangement is excellent for the people and for the horses. Amigo has a new friend, Ed, who is an extremely laid-back Belgian. Amigo will learn from Ed's attitude that anxieties are pointless. the people Amigo lives with want to keep Amigo and Ed together, both in the paddock and on rides. I am eager to hear how things go for him.