tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042861147279144012024-03-04T21:28:23.967-08:00Cali the Mini Guide HorseCali the mini horse will be Mona's guide. In Mona's words Cali represents freedom for her. Cali will be Mona's eyes.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-8608846813633600942011-06-07T14:11:00.000-07:002011-06-07T14:13:07.151-07:00Little Moments, Big Steps<br /><br />June 7<br />Let me begin by saying that I'm so proud of Penny. If her legs straighten out, she'll make an amazing little guide horse, I'm absolutely convinced. She is so smart and so willing to learn, even when she's nervous. Maybe it's the food, or maybe it's the attention. Whatever the case, she's always game when I come out, even if Cali chases her off, which, unfortunately, happens much too frequently.<br />Today I had to fly spray both girls. Cali made her usual protest, but that was okay because she wasn't too much trouble to spray, and she didn't resist when I used the roll-on fly repellent on her face. Progress, progress.<br />Penny didn't like the fly spray one little bit, but she tolerated it as each sprits was accompanied by clicks and treats. She pranced around a bit, but I got the job done. Instead of using the roll-on repellent on her face, I sprayed my hands and rubbed her face. She doesn't mind having her face or ears touched. Even her legs are no longer off limits, at least not if I briefly touch them. Picking up her feet is another matter, though. She'll let me do that for a moment, but then she resists.<br />Penny is learning amazingly quickly. She usually touches my hand pretty gently now, which is a huge improvement. In fact, several times, I've mistaken Penny for Cali because Penny touched my hand so gently that I didn't believe it was Penny. Only when I touched Penny's short mane did I realize that it was Penny and not Cali. Now, the only way I can distinguish one from the other at a touch is if I deliberately press my hand against the horse's nose. Cali's nose is softer than Penny's, not to mention a bit bigger!<br />It's above 95 degrees out today, so I'm not venturing out much, though I did go out and give the girls fresh water. I even added a little ice to it to keep it cooler for longer. Then I took a spray bottle of water and sprayed each one down. Again, both horses protested. Cali was won over pretty quickly, but Penny did a little more prancing around before she decided that clicking and treating did wonders and that she could tolerate being sprayed. I think she liked being cooled off, too, because she stood perfectly still for a while and just let me spray and spray. The poor sweeties were pretty hot. Even the fan in the shed is basically just blowing around hot air. And when I come out to see them, they insist on calling to me and waiting for me, Cali standing at the gate, and Penny running into the shed to meet me on her side. How easy it is to fall in love with a horse! They're so uncomplicated and they live in the present, not worrying about what's going to happen or what has happened. They take each moment as it comes. I force myself to remember this each time I think about the past, about how this and that horrible thing happened or about the future and how I have to do this thing or the other, about how stressed I am because something isn't going to turn out exactly the way I want it. I remind myself to live in the moment, to take each second as it comes because really, that's all we've got. It's trite, but we've really got no guarantees. Better to enjoy the moments we've got than to dwell on past miseries or future possibilities. These horses tell me this each time I see them. That in and of itself is worth all the time and effort I put into them and so much more.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-76824910064951977722011-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:002011-06-07T08:02:36.076-07:00June 1-6<br />Time flies when you're having fun—and working hard!<br />Penny and I have been working on "touch." She now understands the concept that click equals treat. When she hears that sound, her head turns and she is completely focused. Now she knows that if she even brushes my hand with her nose, that gets a click and treat. Taking treats is a little harder because she still wants to take them roughly, though that's getting better and better. She isn't intentionally hurt me, so I just draw my hand back a bit and give her the treat carefully. I just have to remember to do this when Cali isn't around and preferably when she's distracted because otherwise, she stands and waits for her treat. I tried clicking and treating both of them, one after the other, but I think j's too confusing, or at least, it's too confusing for the handler!<br />The two horses are getting along well now except when I go in to interact with them. Cali chases Penny off, and Penny chews submissively before she leaves. When they're alone together, they're perfectly fine, even eating side by side. I have to separate them when I give grain or hay, though, because Cali needs to lose some weight, and given her way, she would eat her grain, then go to Penny's and eat the rest of that as well. Penny will eat her grain but will save some for later, and when later comes, Cali has eaten it all! My greedy, precious little girl!<br />Yesterday, the farrier came to trim the horses' feet. Of course, he's in love with Cali—who wouldn't be?—and thinks she's amazing, which, let's face it, she is. He also says her feet are in great shape, which is no thanks to me. I clean them all the time, but I'm also lucky that Cali has good feet. Honestly, though, I haven't found a farrier who did as good a job as Dolores did. I've gone through farrier and farrier and have been disappointed each time. So Dolores, if you'd come to do some trimming...<br />The farrier had something to say about Penny, though, and I am very upset about the whole situation. Apparently, Penny's front feet and legs are pretty bad, meaning that both are crooked. Her left front hoof has been trimmed so that it's almost straight now. One more trimming and that leg will be perfectly fine. Penny's right front leg, though, has been twisted, and her hoof has been turned. Apparently, her leg is not looking too great. I couldn't tell when I bought her because she, like many young horses, wouldn't let me touch her legs. Anyway, the farrier believes her feet have never been trimmed because of how bad they are. He also thinks that it's possible to fix the right front leg, but only time will tell. I don't know how much little Penny has, though, and am sad about the situation. If her leg can't be straightened, there's no sense in training her as a guide because guide work will require that she learn to jump in and out of vehicles as well as living quite a long life without being lame, which Penny probably won't do if that leg isn't straightened out. Bruce, Claudia's husband, says that Penny's legs already look much better, but I'm still worried. The vet is coming out on Wednesday, and after her prognosis, I'll make a decision. At this point, I'm torn about what to do. I can't and won't sell Penny for what I paid for her, partly because it's not fair to sell her without making it clear that she's got an issue with her legs. I was impetuous in buying her, and I guess that'll learn me. Hopefully, though, I won't have to pay too high a price for my stupidity. If I have to give up Penny, I might find a mini rescue that'll take her. Otherwise, I can't in good conscience just sell her to someone. Maybe it won't come to that. Maybe she'll be fine in a few months. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Please let the vet give me and Penny some hope.<br />I've been working with Penny on letting me touch her legs because I knew that the farrier would come, but frankly, I hadn't gotten very far because I only had a few days to prepare. At this point, I am a novice trainer, so I didn't think I could get too much accomplished.<br />Before the farrier came, I told him that I wasn't going to manhandle Penny, and he agreed that I could do whatever I wanted to calm her. He isn't at all averse to clicker training, though I don't think he does it with his own horses. At any rate, when the farrier touched Penny's legs, I clicked and treated like crazy. When he picked up each foot, I clicked and treated. Everything he did to her earned lots and lots of clicks and treats, which I think contributed a lot to Penny's association between clicking and treating. So the farrier got his job done with Penny no worse for wear.<br />And now, on to Cali. She is still the best of the best, the cutest of the cute. Now that Penny is here, Cali has become even more obedient, even more biddable, probably because she's extremely jealous. When I call her while she's on grass, my girl now comes right over, takes her treat, and lets me pet her, which doesn't sound like a feat but really is, considering that a few weeks ago, she would take the treat, turn and run off to eat more grass, and simply walk away when I got close to her. Now she takes her treat and will find the deck steps for me. Then I'll treat her, and she'll turn around and grab a mouthful of grass. This is because I taught her that finding the deck steps deserves the reward of a few bites of grass. A few weeks ago, Cali would walk around those steps to get to the gate so that we could leave. Now she realizes that finding steps means grass, and she loves the game. She also loves to run up the deck steps and find things such as chairs, tables, her bucket, hoof picks, the door, and the hose. Smart girl! The only problem is getting her off the deck. Believe it or not, She loves being on the deck more than she loves grass. To coax her off the deck, I've got to go down the steps myself and wait at the bottom until she's convinced that the game is over. Then she'll reluctantly come down.<br />Today I was at a doctor's appointment while both horses were on grass. I asked Bruce to take them off the grass and put them in their respective pens, and when I got home, he had an interesting Cali story to tell me.<br />Apparently, Penny was reluctant to come off the grass. With me, she doesn't hesitate to let me touch her and take her off grass, though she won't actually come to me, so finding her is an interesting challenge. Anyhow, Bruce left the gate open while he was taking Penny into the shed and was letting her out into her area when he happened to feel a soft nose on his hand and looked over to find that Cali was in the shed beside him! My jealous girl, who never ever goes into the shed off of grass on her own was so jealous that she came willingly into the shed and didn't even try to leave when Bruce was leaving. Again, the best of the best, the cutest of the cute!<br />I didn't do too much with Cali today because I had a horrible migraine and was convinced that I needed a vacation from myself. Still am, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that just yet! I had fruitless doctor's appointments for most of the afternoon, so when I got home, it was past seven. The girls weren't getting hay tonight because they'd feasted on grass all day, so I decided that I'd play with them. I worked again with Penny, clicked and treating for "touch" and then working carefully to touch her legs. I only worked on the front legs today because I really wasn't in the mood to be kicked. Little as she is, I still don't relish the prospect. Penny didn't approve of being touched, but lots of clicking and treating allowed me to rub her front legs, where before, she would pin her ears and try to bite me each time my hand touched those tiny legs. She's still not happy about the prospect, but she's getting to where she understands that I'm not going to hurt her. This is an amazing accomplishment considering that two weeks ago, this horse had never been handled, or at least, not gently, as far as I can tell.<br />Tonight Bruce was putting up a fan between both stalls, and Miss Cali decided that she would stand right underneath the saw while Bruce worked. She didn't even flinch at the loud noise the saw made or the electric screwdriver or when he pulled some of the boards out to put in the fan. She was covered in sawdust and didn't care at all. Silly girl! And when the fan was in and on, Cali stood beneath it.<br />Penny, on the other hand, was a different story. I had to constantly click and treat her each time we heard a loud noise. Bruce let me know before he did anything, so I was prepared and didn't flinch myself at the loud noises. At the end of the ordeal, Pennystock didn't try to run away but stood with ears forward, ready for the next treat. Just a few days ago, Penny would take treats, but her ears were always pinned. Maybe it's a sign of anxiety? I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter now because she's happy to take treats when new things happen.<br />But Penny was still afraid of the loud fan and didn't want anything to do with the shed for about ten minutes. When she saw that I was walking in and she would be alone outside, though, she changed her mind and came in, at which point, there was more clicking and treating going on. So much for trying to be on a strict diet regime with the girls!<br />Both of these horses are so amazing that I can't believe how blessed I am to have them. Many days, they're the only reason I get up. Many days, I feel completely alone, and Penny and Cali are my solace. How lucky I am!Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-45693210292255125162011-05-31T14:39:00.000-07:002011-05-31T14:41:02.002-07:00May 30, 2011<br />Today I decided to start teaching Penny that the click means a treat is Coming. I made a mistake early on and gave her treats randomly as we were walking or when I saw her in her pen. I think I shouldn't have done that, but at the time, I wanted her to associate me with good things. Now, when she sees me, she automatically looks for the treat and pushes and shoves at me. When I give her the treat away from my body, she bites my palm. I don't think it's intentional, but I don't want her to get into the habit of doing this.<br />So I decided to treat Penny like a big horse and stood on the other side of the stall door in Cali's part of the shed. This created some problems because when Cali heard the click, she turned to me, wanting her own treat. So I asked her to wait, then clicked and treated her for waiting. I clicked and treated Penny quite a few times and in between, I clicked and treated Cali for waiting. I think that Cali got confused, though, and am going to find somewhere else Cali can be while I'm working with Penny. I don't want Cali to think that click doesn't equal treat, and I'm afraid that might happen if I continue to click and treat Penny, not her. I've heard of people who've trained multiple dogs at once,; how they do it is a mystery to me.<br />When Penny dropped treats, Cali would put her nose under the door and get what she could. Penny reached down, too, and Cali squealed at her. I think Cali is warning Penny away but am not really sure if that's the case. Hopefully, they'll tolerate each other someday. If not, I guess Cali won't have a friend like I envisioned.<br />As Penny was eating her hay this evening, I pattered, rubbed, and scratched her, talking quietly as I did so. Even when I touched behind her front legs, she didn't flinch. I guess she's getting used to me. I couldn't tell if her ears were back or not, but since she still kept eating, my assumption is that she wasn't too upset. I am so lucky to have these two amazing, smart horses! Now, if only I could figure out how to teach them to get along!<br />May 31, 2011<br />This morning, I had to use fly spray on both horses, as mosquitoes and flies have gotten horrible. Cali decided to protest, which means she saw the bottle in my hand, turned around, walked out of the then, turned back around, and walked into the shed, whereupon she let me spray her without any fuss. Why she does this, I haven't figured out. My guess is that she's simply telling me she's not happy about what I'm doing. Sometimes when I'm getting ready to brush her, she does this. It's funny, but I'm thinking I should listen to her and perhaps click and treat her for not doing it, if I can catch her not protesting about being sprayed, that is!<br />When Penny's turn came, I had to brush her first and so set the bottle of fly spray down on the floor. Penny let me brush her with no hassle. I suspect that's because I didn't even try to do her legs. When I finished brushing her, I walked over to where the bottle was and she put her nose on it. This is when I should have clicked and treated, but I wasn't prepared. Handler error! I exchanged the brush for the fly spray, let Penny sniff at it, then sprayed some in the air away from her face. She wasn't disturbed and didn't even flinch when I sprayed<br />her—except when I tried to do her legs and her tummy near her legs. Then she tried to kick and danced around some. I talked quietly to her, but her ears stayed pinned. If it hadn't been necessary to spray her, I would have just left her alone, but as it was, I didn't want her to get bitten by mosquitoes. She hasn't had all of her vaccines yet, and I don't want to take any chances. Bruce was outside, so I asked him to spray Penny while I talked to her and tried to soothe her. She wasn't happy about the procedure, but we were able to spray her down, at which point, I gave her some hay pellets. Of course, this is something we'll have to work on.<br />One of the things I really want Penny to learn is manners. I want her to understand that she'll only get a treat if she stands with her head far enough away that she can't mug me. This is something I didn't do with Cali, something I paid dearly for in the beginning.<br />When I went to Penny, she nickered at me and put her nose over the stall door. Cali was outside on the grass, so there was no interference, jealousy, or confusion from her, which meant I could focus exclusively on Penny.<br />First, I started clicking and treating from outside the stall, putting my hand down far enough that she had to lower her head to get the treat. A few minutes later, I decided to go into the stall and stand beside her. She stood on my left side, the side she'll learn is guide position, and tried to get at the cup of treats in my left hand. I raised my hand high enough that she couldn't touch the cup, and then Penny started mugging me, moving over to my right, nipping at my sleeves, nudging me with her nose. I didn't respond except to say "uh-uh." When she moved away and stood quietly for a second, I clicked and treated. It took several more times of this for her to get the concept that standing away from me gets the click and treat. I still don't know if she really understands. Time will tell, but I'm so excited because I feel like I'm getting somewhere with her.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-35860076304445921982011-05-29T20:15:00.000-07:002011-05-29T20:19:07.712-07:00May 28<br />Cali and Penny—another eventful day<br />This morning, I found that Penny had barely eaten any of her alfalfa and grass and chose instead to eat some of Cali's timothy hay which I had given her. It's a good sign because I'm changing her diet from sweet feed and alfalfa and grass mix to timothy hay and Purina Horse Chow and Strategy 100. Even though she's a yearling and needs lots of food, I figure she'll do fine on this diet, especially given that the grass is so rich right now. Penny decided that she really likes hay pellets, and since she won't touch her sweet feed or the Purina grain, I was happy to hand feed her some hay pellets. She's funny about it because she tries to take a lot into her mouth, then drops some on the floor and eats it. I'm happy that she's eating a little but wish she'd eat more. She still worries me a bit, especially since she doesn't drink enough water.<br />Penny and Cali are still separated and will stay that way for another week or so. I want them to get used to each other before I try again to put them in the same area.<br />Penny was very good about letting me take off her blanket this morning and stood quietly beside me even thghgh all I was doing was petting her and talking quietly to her. She didn't try to move away, and when I left and returned to her, she nickered at me and put her head up far enough that I could pet her over the half door separating her from Cali. I really wanted to groom her, as both she and Cali are unbelievably muddy, but that will have to wait until she's a bit more relaxed around me because I don't want to have to tie her up to gffoom her. I'd prefer not to have to tie her up for any reason, so I'll work slowly with her at grooming, picking up feet, etc.<br />In the evening, I decided that both horses needed a walk, and I cajoled a friend into coming with me. Because Cali is obviously jealous of Penny, I took Cali and worked her while my friend took Penny. She stayed behind us so that Cali would be in the lead. The only problem was, Penny was afraid of Cali and kept pinning her ears and showing the whites of her eyes. My friend told me that Penny started walking behind her, which made me worry that Penny would no longer want to walk, that she'd be afraid now.<br />After some time, I let my friend take Cali and I took Penny, instructing Joann to walk quite a distance ahead of us. Penny calmed right down, and her ears went forward. Where before she had refused to go faster than a very slow walk, now she trotted beside me, ears forward and curious. I could tell she was enjoying herself and quite eager to continue. Even when we passed a woman walking her dog, Penny was only curious, not afraid at all. As long as Cali was well ahead of us, she was fine. Note to self: Cali and Penny should not walk together until they have adjusted to each other.<br />I took Penny back home after we had walked for about forty-five minutes, and then it was time to take Cali on an excursion. After all, I owed Cali and wanted her to know that she is and always will be my girl.<br />We walked for quite some time, and Cali enjoyed herself, even though I refused to let her have grass. Granted, it was past her dinner that, but she was working and knew that grass was off limits with working girls. I have to admit that when grass was at face level, Cali would snatch a bite as we were walking. I couldn't really catch her at it because she didn't even pause as she grabbed a mouthful. My friend started telling me when we were coming up on tall grass so that I could remind Cali to leave it when I knew that temptation lay just ahead. Like the good horse she is, she ignored the grass, though I suspect from the way she turned her head slightly that she was staring longingly at it. The grass is very gree right now, which undoubtedly makes it hard to resist.<br />When we came to curbs, Cali always stopped at them, then crossed right to the other curb as she was supposed to do. But there was an incident where she crossed and then veered into the road, confused about where to go. At first, I couldn't figure out what was going on and thought that Cali just wasn't doing her job. Why couldn't she find the curb? What was her issue?<br />My friend told me exactly where to go, and then we stopped to reconoiter. Neither of us could figure out what was going on for a moment, and then my friend finally figured it out. She said that Cali couldn't find a curb where one should be and was looking for it, so she veered to find it.<br />I turned around and made Cali cross twice more;, this time, she crossed the street and found the sidewalk without any difficulty. I wanted her to find a spot where I could figure out where I was, and she did. I have to be careful, though, because I won't always have a friend to tell me what's going on.<br />In many places, there were no sidewalks, so Cali and I had to walk in the street. The whole time, Cali had her ears pinned, and she started trotting, obviously looking for the next sidewalk, and finding it, she immediately took me straight there. My smart girl knows enough to understand that being in the road can be dangerous.<br />Once, after we crossed a street, we went across a ditch, whereupon Cali stopped to show me the decline, then the incline. My good girl. And when we came across a manhole, she took me around it rather than showing it to me as she does with most other things. Apparently, her feet are small enough that she could have gotten one stuck in it.<br />As we were walking past some bushes, I got hit in the face with some ovhanging branches. Immediately, I stopped, pulled one down, and asked Cali to touch it with her nose. Then I turned around and walked her past them again. This time, she took me around them, and subsequent overhead obstacles were no problem at all. I think Cali just had to be reminded that she has to look out for things that wouldn't be hazardous to her but might to me.<br />At one point, there were steps leading up to a road. I wanted to tffy them and see what Cali would do. She has become good at going up flights of stairs. Going down, however, is another matter entirely. As I thought would happen, Cali did not hesitate to take the steps, though she was good at not rushing as she used to do. I didn't want to take the road where the steps lead, so we turned back around and I asked Cali to try going down. The steps were spaced far enough apart that Cali was able to go down without much difficulty. Still, she was not happy about it and laid her ears back a bit. Encouragement and clicking and treating helped, and we made it down without any unfavorable incident, which proves to me that Cali can do just about anything I ask if it's safe, even if she is nervous.<br />The more we walked, the happier Cali became. I thought she'd get tired after an hour and a half of walking, but she didn't. By the time we finished, she was still ready to go, and I felt bad about putting her in her pen, even though it was because I needed to feed both her and Penny.<br />Today was a productive day for the horses and I. Penny learned that she could trot along at my side if Cali wasn't around, and Cali got lots of work and a refresher in a few things. Things keep getting better and better. How blessed I am!<br />May 29<br />This morning, I decided to try to groom Penny. I had groomed Cali and put on her new fly sheet, and it was time that Penny got beautified for her fly sheet as well. Unfortunately, the fly sheet doesn't fit her. She's a lot smaller than I thought, but the experience of grooming her and putting on the sheet taught me a little more about Penny.<br />Penny doesn't mind being gromed. She ate while I groomed her. Apparently, she likes Cali's timothy hay more than her alfalfa and mixed grass hay, so that's wonderful. Anyhow, her mane and forelock were no problem to groom at all. Neither were her back and sides. Even her tummy was fine—until I got to just behind her front legs. Then she turned and tried to bite me. I soothed her for a moment, scratching her neck and waiting until I felt her ears go forward. Then I gently touched her behind her front leg, still scratching with the other hand. Against my cheek, I could feel one of her ears go forward, and then I stopped touching her legs. I did this a few more times, and she relaxed more. I'm a little worried about how she'll deal with the farrier, but I guess farriers are used to this kind of thing. Hopefully, Penny will be okay, or at least not completely terrified when she gets her feet done. I know that she had her feet trimmed about two months ago, so it's not completely foreign to her. However, I'm not sure exactly how she reacted or what happened between her and the farrier. What I'm going to do is work with her and see if I can get her used to being touched on the legs and then see where we go from there. I'm sure it'll take some time, but I think that with some clicker training and a lot of love and patience, she'll be fine.<br />Late in the afternoon, I took Cali for a walk. As usual, she did her fantastic job quite happily and did not want to return to the yard. My friend came over to help me walk Penny, and I had her hold Cali that I could get Penny out. In order to get Penny out of the pen, I had to take her through Cali's side of the shed and then out of the gate. To avoid any problems between the two girls, I had Joann hold Cali while I went in and got Penny. I kept telling Cali to wait as I took Penny out, but she still pulled to get to Penny. Getting Penny out wasn't such a simple feat, either. There are plastic strips which Bruce tacked up to keep wind out of the shed, and they flap a great deal. Unless the horse sees that it's a way out, and unless it's not afraid of the flapping, it's a little daunting to walk out of the shed. Penny was nervous about going through, as she had been the other times I'd taken her out. Even when I parted the sheets and showed her there was a way out, she was still nervous, possibly because of the noise. I don't know, but at least she decided to walk through when she saw that I was doing it.<br />Here's another fascinating thing Penny has started doing. When there's an obstacle directly in our path, Penny touches it with her nose. I'm not making this up, I swear! Maybe she's just exploring it. I don't know. Whatever the cause, she touched her nose to things like a bucket, a tree, and the latch to the gate. The latch might be because Cali always shows me where the latch is when I come to get her. I can't say what's going on, but it's intriguing.<br />Our walk was uneventful, at least in the beginning. But there were storms in the forecast, and a tornado watch had been issued, even though we hadn't yet seen storm clouds. Joann and I decided to stay only a block away from home so that we could get back if it started raining. Well, the sky started to darken, and I suggested we head for home. Joann agreed. Apparently, we didn't do it soon enough, though. After she heard a clap of thunder, Penny got nervous and ended up biting at me. She started hurrying, and I just told her quietly that everything was okay. I know she was scared, so I wasn't really annoyed, though it had hurt. Little horse teeth do hurt, by the way.<br />After we got back, I fed both horses despite the fact that it was too early, simply because I wasn't sure when the storms would begin. It's a good thing I did, too, because for quite some time, we had some severe weather. The tornado watch turned into a warning, and the sirens blared for quite awhile. I was out with Cali and Penny when they started, so I hurried to give both of them some hay and then headed inside.<br />This evening, I went back out to check on the horses. Both were fine. I gave them both some hay pellets and petted them for a bit. Penny has started really enjoying the pellets and keeps searching for them when I have my treat bag with me. I guess she's telling me it's really time for some clicker training! Another good thing is that she's started to eat the Purina Horse Chow. I hand fed her some hay pellets and some Horse Chow, and then I put some in her dish. She went right to work.<br />While I was visiting both horses, I decided to stand between both of them so that they could touch noses. I wanted to see what would happen if I held both halters and had only half the door open so that neither horse could really get to the other. Well, Cali squealed once. Penny did a lot of chewing. I don't really know what that means. Then, for about thirty seconds, they just stood nose to nose, neither of them moving a muscle. It was then that Cali did something I have NEVER seen her do. She peed in the shed! Since we've moved to East Lansing, she has never peed in the shed, as she prefers to do it outside. At my parents' home in Dearborn, she was shut in the shed and used shavings for peeing and pooping, but here, she uses the shed as a run-in, so I don't have any idea why she did this. Interpretations, anyone?<br />Well, it looks like my life is definitely not going to be boring, and I'll be too busy to whine about much. Taking care of two horses, even two minis, is a lot of work, and stableboys are hard to find, not to mention you actually have to pay them. Starving students don't have the luxury of real money.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-80564824849555068352011-05-27T17:27:00.000-07:002011-05-27T17:28:14.090-07:00Cali and Penny<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">May 27<br /><br />Yesterday, my new yearling filly, Penny, arrived. I was so excited ! I<br />could hardly stand it. My plan is to try to train this little filly<br />and see if she can become someone's guide, or, God forbid, if<br />something happened to Cali, she might become my guide. I know, I know,<br />I haven't ever trained a guide, and Cali and I haven't been a team for<br />too long. Still, I think I'm up for the challenge. Even if Penny<br />doesn't become a guide, she could still do some other work, such as<br />helping someone in a wheelchair or something else equally important.<br />I'm pretty inexperienced in some ways, but I know enough about Cali<br />and therefore horses, to say that I'm sure I can do this. Of course,<br />I'll need some help along the way. Hence, the myriad questions I'll be<br />posing to lists I'm on, but questions are good. Learning is good.<br />First, let me give a little description of Penny and her lineage, as I<br />find it fascinating. Penny's full name is IPO's Pennystock. Her<br />father, IPO, is a three-time national AMHR champion and is in the Amhr<br />hall of fame, and her grandfather is also a national champion. Her<br />mother is a granddaughter of Buckarooo, a famous little stallion.<br />Penny is a liver chestnut, which I have learned means she is a<br />chocolate brown all over, including her mane and tail. Although Penny<br />is beautifully proportioned, she wouldn't win in halter shows because<br />her coloring isn't striking. Of course, I don't mind and think she's<br />adorable. She has an Arab face, I think, and is very fine-boned. The<br />breeder estimates that she'll be about Cali's size, and although Cali<br />is probably the largest guide horse, I don't think Penny's size will<br />be a problem.<br />When I first met Penny at a mini expo nearly two weeks ago, I wasn't<br />intending to buy a mini, I swear! My only interest was to look at tack<br />for minis and to see babies and moms. Penny's breeder, Max White, was<br />showing one of his mares and had brought along two mares and their<br />foals, two precious little ones that will be a little bigger than<br />Cali. We were about to leave when Max mentioned that he had a little<br />yearling filly if we were interested in seeing her. Now, who could<br />pass up the chance to see another little mini? I know Claudia, the<br />friend I live with, and I sure couldn't, so we went out to see her.<br />Max told me matter-of-factly that Penny was a little skittish and that<br />she probably wouldn't let us handle her but that he'd try to see if<br />she'd be cooperative. She didn't resist when he went to get her. This<br />sounds really weird, but as soon as I touched her, I just knew she was<br />mine. There was nothing else to be said. Max warned me that Penny<br />wouldn't let me walk her on a lead rope and that in fact, she was<br />always out on pasture and handled only for vet visits, but when I<br />asked if I could take her lead rope, he relented. This little horse<br />just walked with me as if we'd been doing it forever! It was amazing.<br />Bystanders commented on it, and I was thrilled. There was a connection<br />between us that I can't explain. It was like the connection I felt the<br />first time Dolores brought Cali over and she walked out of the trailer<br />and lined right up to me. I just knew this was meant to be.<br />Anyhow, I digress. Back to my story about Penny's arrival yesterday.<br />When Penny arrived, I took her halter and stood outside with her for a<br />while. Whenever a car went by, she would turn and look, her ears would<br />go back, then forward. She was also interested in her reflection in<br />the Explorer parked in the driveway. She nickered at the little horse<br />she saw, and I laughed at her.<br />I took Penny into the yard for a while and just stood with her while<br />she relaxed a bit and had some grass. I checked to see where she would<br />and wouldn't let me touch her. Her face, back, chest, and tummy are<br />all fine, but her legs are off limits, apparently. That was the only<br />time she tried to kick me. Because it was raining out, I took out<br />Cali's old raincoat, one that I'd bought and didn't fit her, and put<br />it on Penny. It fits her perfectly. What I don't like about it is that<br />you have to put it over the animal's head before you can fasten it, so<br />if an animal is at all nervous, you have a problem. Also, it's a tight<br />fit on a mini, even a little one like Penny. She did fantastically,<br />though, as I encouraged her the whole way and was careful to make it<br />as quick at possible. I inadvertently leaned against her a few times,<br />and she was fine with that. Now, this is a horse that hadn't even been<br />taught to lead, so I was astonished at just what she'd tolerate.<br />Then I made the mistake of introducing Penny to Cali. They had met at<br />the expo, but of course, that was on neutral territory, so all that<br />happened was a little squealing on Cali's part and a lot of ignoring<br />on Penny's. When I put Penny into Cali's pen, there was quite a<br />commotion. Cali kept chasing Penny round and round, and when Penny<br />tried to escape by running into the shed, miss Cali followed her.<br />Penny kept whinny and ran out again. I heard a lot of crashing around,<br />like Cali had kicked the wall of the shed. At this point, I decided to<br />intervene. I know horses have to work things out, but Cali was<br />protecting her turf, which meant that she wouldn't take kindly to<br />Penny's intrusion. So I went into the pen and took Cali out. Penny had<br />had a stressful day and hadn't pooped at all since she'd arrived, and<br />I wanted her to get a chance to poop, pee, and maybe eat and drink a<br />little. Cali came with me, and she got a bath, as she'd gotten muddy<br />from running around so much. Her area is a morass right now, due to<br />all the rain we've been having, and I wanted to take her into the<br />house and keep her occupied for a few hours so that Penny would have<br />some time to herself. Although Bruce, Claudia's husband, has built an<br />extension on the shed and partitioned it for the two girls, they<br />wouldn't be separated, as they'd have the ability to go into the shed<br />or out if they so chose. That's why I decided that Cali had to come<br />and stay in the house for a while.<br />Cali was patient while she got her bath, even though the hot water<br />wasn't on and it was pretty chilly out. Then I took her inside. At<br />first, she wouldn't listen to anyone. She pushed past everyone, turned<br />away when she was called, and generally made a nuissance of herself.<br />Then I walked over to her, took her halter, and said firmly, "That's<br />enough, Cali. You may be the boss in the shed, but here, you'll be a<br />good girl and do what I say." Right away, she calmed down.<br />I took her into my room and worked on some basic obedience like<br />coming, touching my hand, lining up, and finding a chair. Then I asked<br />her to wait, and for the next hour or so, she was wonderful. She just<br />stood patiently by while I worked. I will say this for the umteenth<br />time: Cal is an amazing, brilliant little horse!<br />By the time I went out with Cali, Bruce had partitioned the shed and<br />pen off so that each of the horses had a section of their own but<br />could touch aroses through the fence. Both had stalls, so they would<br />be out of the wind and rain, which made me happy. This is just a<br />temporary fix until Bruce can open up a larger section of the yard and<br />give the two horses more room. Hopefully, by that time, they'll get<br />along better. One can hope, right?<br />I fed both horses and noticed that Penny was shivering, but I thought<br />maybe it was due to nervousness. I jave her extra hay and let her be.<br />This morning, when I fed both horses, Penny was shivering. I think<br />it's because she was body clipped and the weather has been cooler than<br />normal. I took out a foal blanket that's heavier than a summer sheet<br />but not as heavy as a winter blanket, and after I put it on her, she<br />stopped shivering. I feel bad because I should have done this last<br />night. Sorry, Penny. I'll try to do better.<br /><br />Penny didn't eat or drink much last night, which was really worrying,<br />so I decided to see if she'd try some of Cali's timothy hay pellets,<br />which I use as treats when we're out. Penny is on sweet feed and<br />alfalfa grass mix, which I don't think is good for minis, as they're<br />too high in sugar and protein. I'm going to wean Penny off of them and<br />get her on Cali's diet of Purina Horse Chow and timothy hay, but in<br />the meantime, she refused to eat her grain. I was really worried about<br />that because really, what horse will pass up sweet feed?<br />However, when I gave Penny some hay pellets, she had no problem eating<br />them. The funny thing is, she'll only take one at a time, chew it up,<br />and then touch my hand for more. I guess it won't be too hard to<br />ration her treats. I wonder if she'll be as motivated by food as Cali<br />is.<br />While I was out with Penny, I discovered that she really likes to be<br />scratched. I'm not sure how I'll introduce her to clicker training, if<br />maybe I'll use scratches instead of food at first or if that's unwise.<br />I don't know that food is really motivating to Penny, except for<br />grass, I think, so I'm going to have a little challenge on my hands.<br />This afternoon, a friend and I went walking. I took Penny along just<br />to get her used to being led and also to see new things in a<br />controlled, safe way. She was really interested in everything and<br />sometimes pinned her ears at new things, like barking dogs, but after<br />a moment, her ears would go forward and she'd just walk on. She really<br />isn't skittish at all, especially when I let her know that everything<br />is fine. I pretend that all these new things are just routine, and she<br />seems to pick up on my confidence. We didn't walk down busy streets,<br />so when a car was passing us by just before we were going to cross a<br />street, I had Penny stand, wait, and watch. She was concerned about<br />the car and her ears went back for a moment, but she didn't startle at<br />all. Instead, she just watched the car go by. I'm glad she's wary of<br />cars because that's going to be important WHEN she becomes a guide.<br />I also noticed that as we were walking, she was content to walk on my<br />left side and just a little behind me, but when I asked her to walk<br />beside me, she wanted to cut in front of my friend and lead. I had to<br />get her to walk beside me again, which didn't take me very long. It<br />pleased me that she wanted to be in the lead because I think this<br />bodes well for her future. You want a guide that is willing to make<br />some decisions, a guide that wants to lead the way, one that is<br />willing to accept directions but will also take the lead if need be.<br />This is how Cali is, and I think that's a major part of what makes her<br />such an awesome guide.<br />We only walked for a few blocks, but in that short time, Penny saw a<br />mom with her two little kids, one in a stroller, quite a few barking<br />dogs, tempting bushes and grass, and cars in driveways. We heard kids<br />playing, people running power tools, and a few cars coming from behind<br />us. While Penny was concerned at all this, she didn't startle even<br />once, which made me proud, as if I'd accomplished something.<br />Then we went to my friend's yard, which had a few interesting things<br />in it, including logs set in a circle with an opening at one end so<br />that it looks like a fort. I wanted to see what Penny would do if I<br />asked her to walk through that "doorway," and although she hesitated<br />and pinned her ears for a moment, she walked right through. Then we<br />went home, and she was allowed to relax. Granted, we were only out for<br />about half an hour, but I think she did an amazing job. Unless I'm<br />completely wrong (which is always possible and maybe even probable),<br />Penny seems very curious and definitely smart. Of fwhrse, for whatever<br />reason, she might not make it as a guide, but either way, she's a<br />marvelous little horse, and I've fallen in love with her.<br />When we returned, Cali was very upset. She kept marching around her<br />area, splattering herself with even more mud. Treats cured her of her<br />jealwhsy, though, and I hope the hugs and kisses contributed as well.<br />Penny is an awesome horse, but Cali is my baby. I want to do them both<br />justice. It'll take a whole lot of work, time, and love, but I'm<br />willing to invest all that into both of them. One day, I hope to start<br />a foundation for people with disabilities who want an alternative to<br />service and guide dogs. Horses aren't for everyone, or even most<br />people, but people should have the opportunity and ability to choose.<br />I don't want others to have to save up for years for a horse as I did,<br />even though it makes me cherish Cali even more. Instead, I want horses<br />to someday become available to people just as guide dogs are. They're<br />much more work than a dog, but there are advantages to having a horse,<br />including their life span and the fact that horses, unlike many dogs,<br />aren't clingy. They're content to go out and graze when they're done<br />working. I like dogs and would get a German shepherd if I ever needed<br />a dog for some reason; however, a horse suits me better. So one day,<br />I hope to help others have the same choice I did. Again, a great deal<br />of time, effort, and money will have to be put into this, but I'm up<br />for the challenge. Life is about challenges, after all, and world,<br />bring them on!<br /></span>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-19985398008069032112011-04-08T07:24:00.000-07:002011-04-08T07:31:00.888-07:00A Little Horse with a Big Story<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Today, Cali and I attended the annual Michigan National Association of<br />Social Workers <a href="http://www.naswdc.org/">http://www.naswdc.org/</a> conference as presenters. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Well, I presented and Cali did what she does best—work and look completely adorable. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Claudia, my friend, was pretty nervous about the whole thing, while I wasn't at<br />all. In a novel, that would have boded ill for me and I would have<br />made a complete mess of things. Luckily, this is real life, and my<br />lack of nervousness just meant I was completely relaxed about the<br />whole thing.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br />As usual, Cali was a huge success. People told me I did a wonderful<br />job, and when I thanked them, I had to add that Cali makes the whole<br />thing even better! She was the most perfect of the perfect, the<br />sweetest of the sweet. Everyone fell in love with her, despite the<br />fact that she wasn't as cute as she might have been.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">So, the story goes like this: Due to unforseen circustances, I didn't<br />give my girl a bath yesterday and so rushed to do it this morning. She<br />was an angel while getting a bath (I think it helped that the water<br />was hot!), and I didn't have any trouble at all with her. The only<br />funny thing was that she decided by drink the hot water from the hose.<br />I pulled it away pretty quickly because I didn't know if it would make<br />her sick. Call me overpretective because well, I am. That's probably<br />the reason I won't have kids. God only knows what I'd do to them, for<br />them!<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Anyhow, I dried Cali off as best I could, but we were running late,<br />which meant I didn't have much time. I figured she'd aear dry pretty<br />quickly, especially since we were in the car and the heat was on, but<br />as all too frequently happens, I was WRONG.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">When we got to the NASW conference, Miss Cali was still a little damp<br />and her hair was going everywhere! She was spikey and so NOT cute! So<br />I took her into the bathroom and brushed her. Okay, so I carry a brush<br />and shampoo in my backpack. It isn't a crime, right? Anyway, amidst<br />numerous questions from women who came in to the ladies' room, I<br />brushed her as well as I could, meaning that I made her look only<br />marginally better. Despite that, during the conference, many people<br />commented on how beautiful she is. My only rejoinder was, "That's<br />because she's so awesome!"<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">After the conference was over, Cali took me straight to the bank of<br />elevators and did not hesitate when one of the doors opened. She<br />walked right in even before I realized that a door had opened. Of<br />course, I was impressed and gave her lots of praise.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">After the conference, we went to my parents' house for dinner. As soon<br />as we got out of the car, Cali made a beeline for the fence of her<br />enclosure, showed me the fence, then put her head down to graze. This<br />is something she did last summer. It's something I taught her because I<br />wanted her to show me the fence in order to get my bearings before I<br />allowed her to stop and graze. And again, she impressed me. Obviously,<br />she remembered the rule.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">When Cali was put into her pen, she decided it was time to roll, and<br />roll she did. There was straw and hay on the ground to keep down the<br />mud, Cali decided it was just fine to roll and get dusty. I would<br />have cried. After all, I'd only just given her a bath in the morning,<br />but I decided that a horse is a horse, and mine is just Cali.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br />I am normally meticulous about brushing Cali before I go anywhere, but<br />after dinner, when we were ready to leave, I found that Cali had once<br />again rolled. There was straw in her mane, tail, and forelock, and she<br />was happy. I brushed out some of the straw with my hands and said,<br />"Fogret it." Then we went home.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br />Every day, Cali amazes me, teaches me something new about people and<br />love and horses. she taught me today that I underestimate her and even<br />myself, that I'm capable of doing more than I think, and that she is<br />simply magnificent, best of the best, cutest of the cutest, and<br />sweetest of the sweet. May she have many more happy, healthy,<br />love-filled years! And may I be deserving of her love and trust and<br />loyalty. Often, I tell her how much I love her, and I hope she really<br />understands.<br /><br />--<br /><span >Mona</span></span></div>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-19715407895133710272011-03-17T18:27:00.000-07:002011-03-17T18:29:42.075-07:00Cali can, Cali does<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> I am completely exhausted after a long, grueling day at school. The<br /> last week has been hard because I've had a horrible migraine that just<br /> would not let up, and now I've got so much catching up to do.<br /> I thought that since I haven't been working Cali for a few days, she<br /> would test me today. I thought I was in for a little bit of a<br /> challenge. How wrong one can be!<br /> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">When we got to school after an hour and a half of a car ride, Cali was<br /> the perfect girl. She found the button for the elevator, and when we<br /> heard the ping and she saw an elevator door opening, she knew that was<br /> where we were supposed to go. Smart girl!<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> We got to class, and I found a good spot for her. The classroom is<br /> actually a computer lab, and it's carpeted, which meant I had to find<br /> a place where Cali would have enough room to lie down if she so<br /> chose. That, she often does, to the delight of my classmates.<br /> I sat down and settled myself, intending to tie Cali to my chair, but I<br /> inadvertently let go of her leash. Cali walked sedately off, but<br /> not where I thought she would go. My assuption was that she would head<br /> for the door (and please, God, don't let it be open, I thought as I<br /> stood up to go after her), but it turned out that Cali had no<br /> intention of going to the door. Instead, she walked up to my professor<br /> and lined up beside her, calm as can be. Mortified, I grabbed her<br /> leash, and we went back to where we were supposed to be. Not exactly<br /> inconspicuous, but how can you be with a miniature horse at your side?<br /> Then, during our measley ten-minute break, I took Cali outside to<br /> potty. She had never peed here before, so I wasn't sure she would,<br /> especially since she had to stand in about four inches of snow. But no<br /> sooner had I given her the command than she did what she was supposed<br /> to. Talk about a wonderful horse!<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> When I walked back into the classroom, the professor was just handing<br /> out more computer printouts (sigh) and asked what I had been up to. I<br /> told her, and she congratulated Cali. A job well done.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> On the way home, we stopped at a tractor supply store and bought a few<br /> things I needed for Cali. Okay, so she insisted on stopping at the bag<br /> of green apple treats, and okay, so I bought them for her. Every once<br /> in a while, I can do that, right?<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> Cali did a beautiful job guiding in the store, as there were many<br /> obstacles. You can imagine how a tractor supply store would be full of<br /> horsey delights, but my girl just walked on by. There was only one<br /> slight mishap. Someone had left a bag of feed at the edge of an aisle,<br /> and my foot caught on it. I stopped Cali and made her backtrack. She<br /> pointed out the bag, then carefully took me around it. Precious,<br /> beautiful, special little girl.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> Then we went back out to get into the pickup truck. Cali has learned a<br /> new technique of getting in, as she has slipped several times, mostly<br /> on ice. Now, what she does is gather her back legs under her, pushing<br /> them forward beneath her, and she leaps up more than forward.<br /> Apparently, it makes it less likely for her to slip. I'm so happy she<br /> figured this out on her own instead of just giving up. In the morning,<br /> when we'd left for school, she slipped twice and had to be helped up<br /> by partially being lifted. Cali is probably the biggest of the<br /> miniature horse guides, so giving her a lift is a challenge, and a<br /> workout! But she wasn't afraid at all, and simply seems to have<br /> learned what to do.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "> I know to many people, this doesn't seem like such an awesome Cali<br /> day. But to me, it is a day when I reaffirmed that Cali does her job<br /> as well as any other guide. It is a day when I woke up and felt<br /> healthy enough to get what I needed done, and it is a day when<br /> everything I saw made me remember why I'm grateful to be where I'm at.<br /> Life is hard sometimes—complicated and full of challenges that we<br /> think we might not be able to handle. But we can. Cali has shown me<br /> that Cali CAN, and she DOES. Therefore, what more can I do but follow<br /> her grace? If Cali can try, if Cali can persevere, it is my duty, my<br /> privilege, to keep on keeping on as well, because I can't let my sweet<br /> girl down.<br /> .</span></div>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-83247761218762928082010-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:002010-10-28T13:29:40.201-07:00School DaysI don't get many updates from Mona and Cali. They are just too busy. But, the other day a film maker called from Germany. She's considering a film about Mona and Cali. So I dropped Mona a note. She wrote back:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">There's so much to tell you and it's too hard to find where to begin. I'm now in school, living about two hours from home. Cali is thriving and loving all the work and activities. I bring her into the house a lot now and have even taught her to potty in the bathroom. She now responds to "get busy" pretty much anywhere and will try even in places she'd rather not go. Love can't even begin to describe what I feel for her. I only hope she loves me as well.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">If she writes more I'll update this page. I know Cali loves Mona as much as Mona loves Cali. Life is good. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><br /></span></div>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-47482166494086730192009-10-12T18:21:00.000-07:002009-10-12T18:24:03.015-07:00The Wonder of a Mini Horse Guide<style></style> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Here's another little update I thought you might appreciate. I wish you were here to see some of this--and to yell at me when I need it, which is, well, more often than I want to admit!<br /><br /></span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">A few days ago, I was getting ready to take Cali for a walk when Mariam, my three-year-old niece, asked if she could come with me. Because she absolutely loves Cali and thinks my little horse is her best friend, I couldn't turn her down, even though it meant I would have to change my plan and not cross any side streets.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />So, off we went, and Cali did a good job. Mariam said she wanted Cali to slow down, so I had Cali go at a snail's pace. It was a little adventure, holding Mariam's little hand and letting Cali guide. Mariam showed me that she's learning to skip, which was adorable, even though I know she really hasn't got the hang of it yet.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Interestingly, after the first right turn around the block, Cali walked to the corner of the next and turned without going all the way to the curb. I didn't stop her and ask her to rework it because I could hear the traffic and gauged the distance, so I knew that we were turning at the right spot. I wonder now if I should've asked her to find the curb, but because I was comfortable, I didn't.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />Anyway, onward we went, with Mariam chattering on about being a big girl, telling me how we had to walk with Cali every day, and reminding me that she was so good because she doesn't tell Cali what to do. Suddenly, Cali stopped in front of a house. I could hear people outside, and they were working with tools. Cali just stopped, and they said hello. I returned the greeting and then asked Cali to proceed, but she refused. Not only did she refuse, but she cut across both Mariam and I. I thought maybe she was trying to get to the grass at my right, but she didn't put her head down, just stood in front of both of us.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />I asked Cali to line up, which she promptly did, and again, when I asked her for a forward, she staunchly refused. The people working outside were surprised, and one of them explained that there were tools in front of us. He removed them and then said we could go on. But still, Cali refused!</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />By this time, I was thinking that my horse was just being obstinate. There wasn't anything in her path, so she should walk on with no trouble. I broke a handler's cardinal rule and stepped in front of my horse and asked her to walk on. No go. She kept walking in front of my niece and I, then moving to the right of Mariam, as if she was trying to circle us. I could get her to line up, but forward was another matter. So, I did the only thing I could think of; I asked if there was anything else in our path that Cali might find dangerous.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />"There's a car blocking the driveway and most of the sidewalk a few houses away," he told me. "It would be difficult to get through there."</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />Mystery solved! My horse really did have her reasons. I'm sure that had we gone ahead, we could have walked single file, but that wasn't safe, according to my girl. So, amid protests from Mariam, we turned around and walked back home.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span> </div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">A Close Call?</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Today, I was doing my normal Cali chores. I filled a water bucket and returned to the shed. I closed the gate with one hand, something I'm usually good at, and put the water down. I wondered why Cali didn't follow me inside as she always does. She likes the company. So I called to her. There was no response. After a few tries, I got impatient and went out to see what she was up to. Maybe she was trying to get me to play ball with her, which wasn't going to happen, not in the cold!</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />I came out to the distinctive smell of grass being eaten by a horse. It doesn't smell like fresh-mown grass but like it's greener, maybe, and the sound of my horse happily munching. Okay, it took me a minute to figure out what had happened. Apparently, I hadn't let the latch on the gate fall completely, and Cali decided to see if she could get a few nibbles.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />So, what to do? I had all these horrible thoughts of my horse running off, being hit by a car. We live on a main road, so the cars go by pretty quickly.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />What could I tempt her with? Skittles? Hey, that might work, but first, I tried calling her, and even though I had to call a few times, she came to me! As a reward, because I knew she really wanted the grass, I stood with my hand on her neck and let her have some grass for a few minutes. Besides, I needed a few minutes to get my heart rate down!</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Then I asked Cali to come into her shed. She did and was promptly rewarded with two Skittles dropped into her dish. Wow! That was a close one! I hope there are no more adventures like that one very soon!</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />I just wanted to give you these little updates because they were interesting and well, educational, for me, at least.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Now I'll go, as Cali is probably starving. I'm a few minutes late with nighttime hay and potty and grooming.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br />Love always and forever,</span></div> <div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Mona</span></div>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-7884636677037993492009-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:002009-10-06T18:23:02.162-07:00Long Cali Update<p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">It's time for a more detailed update on what Cali and I are actually doing these days. There is so much to say that it's hard to figure out where to start, so I'll just begin by talking about the visit Cali and I had with Claudia's little Egyptian Arab mare, Exie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Beth, who boards Exie for Claudia, was gracious enough to spend the entire evening with us. Cali got to meet Beth's horses. It was starting to rain when we arrived, so Beth had stalled all the horses. Cali was free to greet each of the big horses without my interference and angst about whether or not she'd be kicked by an annoyed horse.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">She decided to check each horse out and went to them, touched noses, squealed, and struck at the half-doors with her front hooves. I'd never heard her squeal like that and was duly surprised. Everyone laughed because it was obvious she was telling the bigger horses that she was the boss mare. It was interesting because she elicited a lot of attention from the others. The brood mare, Kelsea, sniffed at her and nickered the way a mare will when she's talking to a foal. The yearling and two-year-old geldings both just wanted to see what was what, I think. Noah, the two-year-old, was particularly intrigued with Cali, though that might simply have been because she was fascinated with him. She kept running back and forth on the carpeted barn floor, slipping a bit, but still running. The doors were closed, and she had the run of the barn. There was even timothy hay out, which she nibbled at every so often, but what engaged her most was the horses, especially Noah. She'd trot off away from him, come to me, get clicked and treated, then trot back to Noah, whereupon, she'd squeal at him, then make noises she doesn't usually make, and finally, leave Noah to return to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Later, she met Exie, a wonderful little Arab mare, a mare with such a spirit. Cali and Exie DID NOT like each other at all. Cali tolerated Exie and didn't approach her too closely. Exie pinned her ears and tried to go after Cali. Of course, she was held back, but it was interesting to see the dynamics between the horses. Needless to say, I was pretty nervous because even though Exie is a small horse, she's not a mini, and I couldn't help wondering what might happen. Not that I worry or anything!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">When the rain let up a bit, we took Cali out to a fenced-in dog run. There, Cali galloped like a racehorse, something I've never had the pleasure of witnessing at home, as she just doesn't have enough room. Oh, the sound of her little feet running, and her squeals and snorts of happiness as she ran around just made my week! I wish someone had had a working camera! More, I wish I could have seen her running, happy, doing what a horse should always be able to do. Oh, I wish I could give her that freedom every day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Before we'd gone to Beth's to see Exie, we had stopped at a tack store, just because, and I had a blast looking at everything. Of course, there were things to buy for Cali, things she actually needed but were fun to buy anyway. When we were looking at all the grooming supplies, Cali kept picking up brushes and giving them to me. I laughed but wasn't surprised because she does this at home when I'm grooming her. Even if I set a brush down on the floor because my hands are full, she will show the brush to me and pick it up. It was cute to see her picking up the brushes. Otherwise, she did an awesome job guiding in the store. She's always very sure of where she should lead me, and if she's following someone, she is quite serious about it. I love having her guide because it's so obvious that she enjoys it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">On our way home after our eventful day, Cali was so worn out that when I touched her nose, her little lips didn't even move as they normally do, checking just in case I'm passing her a treat. In fact, she was so exhausted that several times, she nearly fell over when the car turned! It took us both a few days to recover from that adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Work, Work, and well, more WORK!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">At work, Cali has been doing a terrific job. She knows our routine there, knows when it's time for a potty break, and anticipates many things, such as when I'm going to stop and chitchat with another coworker. She stands quietly and doesn't interact much with my coworkers, except for Adria. She likes Adria because Adria works with us all day and Cali knows that when I ask her to find Adria, she'll get a treat. Also, Adria sometimes takes us to the bank, and while Cali isn't thrilled about the car ride, she is always game, following Adria in the store and the bank. But otherwise, Cali doesn't do much interacting with everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes, not surprisingly, Cali gets bored and fidgety at work. She wants to DO something! And so, we go for a walk at lunch. It's the work that Cali loves; she'll show me everything around us, and I get a clearer picture of what is around the office building where I work. She loves to climb the steps of the bank next door. It's closed now, so no one really cares that my horse and I go up the steps, down the ramp, and back again so often. I like doing this because it gives Cali some practice on steps. These aren't even steps, so I have to work at getting her to step up each one. Up is easy; down, not so much. When we're going down, I have to help her stop at each one because she'd prefer to run down the last two. The last step is very shallow, so she sometimes tries to skip it altogether, but with practice, she's learning to stop at each one. How smart and trusting of me she is!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">To Pee, or Not to Pee<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, pottying at work is another challenge altogether. I've been having issues with that. Well actually it's Cali with the potty issues, and I probably compound them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Cali and I have a great routine at home. I can get her to potty whenever I ask. She'll pee and poop within a few minutes. That's perfect because it means that in the morning, she goes just before nine and doesn't need to pee or poop until one thirty at the earliest. Perfect, because that's during my break. If she doesn't go at half past one, I give her another chance an hour later. By then, she usually really does produce.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">So, we had this perfect system going. It was just fabulous, and I was feeling like I knew what I was doing. Then, along came the well-meaning farrier. Instead of keeping Cali's feet sharp, he trimmed them so that the edges were rounded. And this is where I should have stepped in. But I didn't because I didn't touch her feet until after he'd left, and even then, I didn't realize what would happen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">The next day, Cali went to pee, stretching out like she usually does, and then, she just stopped trying. Her tail would go up, and I would think, "Now she'll go," but she didn't. Cali would give me the signal that she needed to go. Her tail would swish vigorously, and out we'd go, but she wouldn't pee. As soon as we entered the building, she'd stretch and try to pee. I had no idea<span style=""> </span>what was going on. My horse had suddenly changed on me. She was being a brat! Why couldn't she just do what she was supposed to?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">By the end of that frustrating day, I was so upset that I just didn't know what to do. I went home and thought about it for a while, but nothing came to mind. I was unable to figure out why my horse suddenly wouldn't pee outside. She pooped at work but wouldn't pee. Why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">At home, Cali behaved normally. She peed and pooped when I asked and got her reward, so I was even more mystified. What had changed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">And then, the next day, she again gave me the signal that she needed out; again, I took her out, and again, she stretched, her tail went up, and nothing! Inside we'd go, and she'd pee in her bag. Thank God, I had the foresight to put it on her when I saw she wasn't peeing outside! Otherwise, well, I'd be doing a whole lot of scrubbing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, that day, it dawned on me what was happening. Cali was stretching, and I could hear her hooves spreading a bit as she did so. Then I'd hear that same sound, only just a bit sharper, and Cali would get out of potty position. What was happening was simple: She was slipping on the concrete where she stands to pee. The farrier had trimmed her feet so that they were too rounded for her to stand in potty position on concrete. She finally decided not to try any more, but by that time, I'd figured out the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Getting the farrier out was another matter, though. He wasn't able to come out for more than a week. Meanwhile, I found a patch of dirt close to Cali's normal potty spot, and after I showed her how to stand with her hind feet in that spot, she went for me! What a relief. It was hard work getting her to understand what I wanted because she didn't want to try to pee outside any more, but finally, she started peeing outside again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">The farrier came by again and trimmed her feet the way I wanted. He wasn't thrilled about it, but I explained that this was the way Cali's feet need to be done. He did what I asked, though he still disagreed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">It took a few days to get Cali to understand that her feet were trimmed the way she needed and that she didn't have to stand in the dirt patch any more. Now, she tries to stand in the dirt patch, which is perfectly fine because she understands that she doesn't have to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">A happy ending to the potty story? Well, not quite yet. Yesterday, some city workers came by and pulled all the weeds around Cali's potty spot and tore down an old, rotting step that Cali used to point out to me. Not that significant, in my opinion, but to Cali, it's a cold spot now. The workers even swept the dirt patch so well that they took off a thick layer of dirt. now, the dirt patch is more of a depression.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">So Cali isn't certain she should potty there any more. I can feel her head turning a bit when I ask her to go, and she is nervous about the whole idea of peeing in that spot, even though I put shavings down.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">So, the drama continues. I'm not sure how things will go tomorrow, but I'm hoping Cali gets the idea that pottying there is fine now. I let her sniff around and see that everything else is basically the same, but I can tell she's still not convinced.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Let Her Guide!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I found out something interesting—about Cali or myself, I'm not quite sure, but interesting, nevertheless. Cali does a better job at guiding when I'm in an unfamiliar place, possibly because I actually let her guide as opposed to second-guessing what she's doing. For instance, if I think the curb should be coming up<span style=""> </span>soon, I slowdown, and so does she. I stop sometimes, and she does, too, because I do, not because there's anything to stop at. Or, I'm a bit off on my calculation as to where we are and I ask her to find the door. She stops at something, and I'm just so in tune with her that I say, "Find the door." Now, we're already at the door, and if I'd been paying attention or trusting her more, I'd have known this. I reach out, and lo and behold! She's taken me where I want to go. I just didn't do my part.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sometimes Adria chastises me for this. She tells me that Cali is doing her job and that I need to listen to what she's saying. And she's right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">This was brought home to me a week ago when I went somewhere new, alone except for Cali. It was a high school, and I was there because I serve on the Dearborn Commission on Disability Concerns, and we were doing a show on Disability Awareness Day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">;of course, everyone was enamored with Cali, even before they saw her guide work. People focus so much on how pretty she is. I know she's a gorgeous little horse, but that isn't so important to me. What I found most endearing about her that evening was that she did a phenomenal, and I mean flawless, job of guiding. I actually let her guide, truly guide in a strange place with no one I knew around to give directions or support and she was amazing. She took me around a parked car, and then continued toward the door I'd asked her to find. Now, I knew generally where the door was, but I wasn't too positive about what we were doing. Dolores had told me not to ask her to find the door if she wasn't within about ten or fifteen feet of it, but I asked anyway because I wasn't sure exactly how far away the door was. And she found it. She walked right in, and when I was given directions to the studio, she did an impeccable job at taking me there. Not once did she bump me into a camera or a chair, or miss a terrain change from carpet to polished tile floor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Cali did have a bit of a problem walking on the slippery tiles, but I helped her by walking slowly and encouraging her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I took her out to potty before taping was supposed to start, and though she didn't go, she tried for me, which was surprising because it was near some enticing grass, and kids kept riding by, asking questions, making comments, and generally being kids. They were good about not coming up to her, as I asked that we be left alone, but Cali still watched everything. Despite that, she tried to do what I asked. The one thing I have to say about Cali is that she always tries to do what she thinks I want.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">We went back in just in time for taping. Cali took me to the steps that led up to where we were supposed to tape. She didn't mind going up because the steps and the small stage area were carpeted. We taped, and she did a good job standing quietly by, though she got fidgety after about half an hour. I knew it was because she needed to go out, but at that point, I couldn't stop and take her out, so I hoped she'd wait until we were done. And she did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">When taping was over, Cali took me to the top of the steps leading down, and then she stopped. I explained to the host that she was unsure of how to get down because of the slick tiles. I had thought this would be an issue. One of the cameramen brought over a floor mat, and as soon as he set it down, Cali walked down the steps without any hesitation at all. Now, that's what I call a smart horse!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">We waited for the bus then, and it took longer than I'd anticipated. I let Cali have a little grass but had to cut her snack time short because I was getting eaten by the mosquitoes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">We went inside and stood by the door. Cali did an excellent job of just standing there, even though we waited for a long time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">At one point, cops with police dogs came into the building. Apparently, they do some of their training in the high school. One of the dogs whined and growled at Cali, and the officer reprimanded her, but Cali stood perfectly still, just watching. She didn't turn to kick or try to run. That's my girl.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I Think I Can<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">The Little Engine That Could is a story I heard over and over as a child, and though I knew what the moral was, it didn't truly have meaning for me until Cali came into my life. She has taught me that believing in yourself really is what enables you to do things. Cali will try anything if she thinks it's possible for her. Even if I'm skeptical, she still tries. And she is the one who makes the decision. I can cajole, plead, and even bribe, but until she decides that she's going to do something, it won't happen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">An excellent example of this is riding in cars. Dolores did an awesome job of teaching Cali to get into cars, SUV's, buses, vans, etc. When she was here with Cali, my little horse got in and rode with no trouble. But Cali had to learn that she can ride in all those vehicles with me as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">One day, I asked Adria to take me somewhere, and she graciously agreed. Getting Cali into her car, though, proved more difficult than either of us had anticipated. We took her to the car at the beginning of my lunch break. Cali stood by the car door, sniffing, checking out the car, and refusing to get in. I was so frustrated that I decided to give up. This just wasn't going to work! I knew it. Only Dolores had the ability to get Cali into a Ford Taurus. Who was I kidding? My horse wasn't going to be able to ride in mid-sized cars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">And so, I stopped asking Cali to get in. Instead, I just sat there, not speaking to her at all, telling myself that there were other solutions, that I shouldn't get upset. This just wasn't supposed to happen for us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">And suddenly, without any warning, Cali jumped into the car! I was so thrilled that I didn't even mind when Adria drove around the block and Cali stepped on me as we were making our turns! She was in, my horse! She had made the decision and just gotten in all on her own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">The story is pretty similar regarding SUV's. At first, Cali didn't think she could jump. I hadn't been keeping that skill up with her because frankly, there aren't too many people in my life who have SUV's, and even fewer who are willing to let Cali get into theirs. So I was expecting some issues getting Cali in. Therefore, I gave us plenty of time before we were supposed to leave so that neither of us would be stressed out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Again, I had to wait until Cali made the decision. It took some time, but she finally decided to jump in. Only one problem arose, and it was again my doing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">We were getting ready to go home that same day, and I was expecting that Cali would need plenty of time to remind herself that she could jump into the SUV. I know, Dolores, I underestimated my horse. I asked Cali to jump, and without hesitation, she did. In fact, it was so fast that I hadn't had enough time to unwrap the mint I had in my hand. Of course, Cali didn't care about the wrapper. The mint was partially unwrapped, and she took the whole thing. I panicked because I didn't want her swallowing the wrapper. Without thinking about it, I shoved my fingers into her mouth and pulled. It took a few seconds, but I was able to pull the wrapper out of her mouth. Up until then, I'd never had my fingers in a horse's mouth! Good thing Cali doesn’t bite!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, when I ask Cali to get into an SUV, it takes her a moment. Sometimes she backs away for a minute, but then she<span style=""> </span>comes right up to the SUV and jumps in. It's her decision that makes the difference. I can only ask, and she lets me know what she can do. She shows me that I am the one who makes things possible. Life holds so many possibilities. It is up to us to remember that we can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I should be going to bed now, as I have work in the morning, but I'm too worried to sleep. Both of my grandmothers are in the hospital. One of them is at the end of her life, the doctors say. The other is afraid of the test results she'll be getting soon. I can't help but wonder what possibilities or impossibilities they lived by. Did they decide to take chances? I don't know. I never asked, and maybe I'll never get to now. Did they, like me, hope for more and fight for more? Did they find their Cali? One of my grandmothers might be able to answer this question. The other probably never will. I think about this now and remind myself that there's so much out there for us, but we have to take those chances and find those possibilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I know that the DOJ might change the definition of a service animal so as to exclude Cali and other minis and well-trained service animals. Theoretically, it's possible. Certainly, it's something I dread. At first, I thought I shouldn't love Cali because she could be taken from me. It might happen. I can't say. What I do know for sure, though, is that I can't not love her, can't not look for all the possibilities. Anything might happen, and it's up to me to see that I make it all count. Cali is my reminder of all the possibilities. The DOJ might tell me I can't have her. Someday, they might make that horrible decision, but if that happens, I will remind them of possibilities, and one of those possibilities is that I can and will keep Cali. I can and will keep this precious reminder of hope and happiness and meaning in life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span style=""><o:p><span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style=""><span><span style="font-size:100%;">I left Cali for the night a few minutes ago. Because I came home late, I fed her later than usual, but she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she wanted to be with me, wanted me to play with her. Even after I gave her her hay, she came over to me and wanted to play. "We'll play tomorrow," I told her. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you lots." And I do.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New';"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-73102543799083424392009-09-17T19:35:00.000-07:002009-09-17T19:37:19.650-07:00Walking Through GrassI just had to comment on the issue of walking through grass and using c/t for absolutely everything I do with my mini.<br /><br />Because Cali is a working horse and needs to be guiding, I don't generally let her have grass while we work, though I do occasionally give her grass as a reward or when I stop to chat with someone. Cali is pretty good about keeping her head up while we work and won't stop for grass except when she knows my mind is elsewhere.<br /><br />I've worked quite a bit on getting her to understand when she can and cannot have grass. For instance, in the mornings, when I've got a few minutes before the bus comes to pick us up for work, I deliberately walk her over to the grass and say "go ahead" so she gets the idea. And when the bus comes, I tell her it's time to go. Her ears go up, her head comes up, too, and we're off.<br /><br />Also, there are times when I ask her to pick up her head and move along with me. I then reward her for coming with a bit of grass. That way, she knows the grass supply won't run out. I want Cali to love to work and to know she'll get rewarded for doing what I need from her.<br />Now, when we're walking, Cali almost never stops for grass. She just trots along with her head up, passing all the grass on both sides of us. There's always grass to the right and left of us because we walk on city sidewalks. And there are also the tempting flowers. But Cali rarely goes for the grass. Now, I usually take Cali for a walk after I've fed her because I figure if she's hungry, she'll be wanting food, in this case, grass, and it isn't fair to take her out and work her if she's hungry.<br /><br />Now, I just have to address the issue of the suggestion that to much c/t could make a horse an automaton. Cali is living proof that c/t doesn't do that. She has a mind of her own, and I actually think the clicker makes her more confident in her abilities as a guide. She always insists she's right when we stop for something, whether it's a curb, a terrain change I didn't notice, or some obstacle. I've gotten a few good bruises from not stopping and listening to my little girl! She really is always right!<br /><br />Cali also potties on cue. I can ask her to potty, and usually, she'll pee first. Then she gets her c/t, and I ask again. Usually, within two minutes or so, Cali poops, and another c/t. We go to work, and she won't need to potty for a good four hours! Talk about an awesome horse!<br />Okay. I'll go away now and let everyone ponder all that. Really, Cali is even more amazing that I've explained, and the more I work with her, the more in awe of her I am. It's only been three months since we really became a team. I can't imagine how it will be in three years or, God willing, thirty years.<br />I'm off to clean up horse poop and feed my girl, and maybe we'll play with her ball. That, too, is accompanied by lots of c/t!Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-64061909794160911032009-09-17T19:32:00.000-07:002009-09-17T19:34:43.549-07:00Mona's UpdatesWell, it was bound to happen. This is something else, I'll tell you. Every <br />day is a new adventure. I'd write it all down, but just living it takes all <br />my energy.<br /><br />Dr. Woodward came to see Cali last week, and Cali is losing a baby tooth and<br />got her teeth floated. She sure needed it, which was why I called in the<br />first place. The vet says Cali is great and not to worry too much. Uh-huh.<br />I'm good at worrying.<br /><br />Cali and I are learning so much together, and now that I'm learning to relax<br />a bit (only a bit, unfortunately), we have more fun together. Cali and I<br />even make a game out of cleanup in the morning. And now, she calls to me<br />every time I come outside or to the window where she can see me. She even<br />calls to my family.<br /><br />Only one thing mars this for me, and it has nothing to do with Cali at all.<br />I had to give Baylea to Adria because the owner of the office building said<br />she had to go, and I didn't trust leaving Baylea at home, not with my family<br />and their predilection for getting rid of bunnies. So Adria took her. The<br />office is more spacious now, and all of Baylea's things are gone, replaced<br />now with a myriad of horse things. I knew that this might happen, but it's<br />still hard. My only solace is that despite Adria's vows that she isn't<br />interested in animals, she loves Baylea and is taking excellent care of her.<br /><br />I still want my bunny back and have thought about what I could do to keep<br />her. It wouldn't be fair, though, for her to be alone all day and most of<br />the evening, as Cali and I take walks. And she wouldn't be able to run<br />around like she can at Adria's. So I let her go.<br /><br />Other than that, things are pretty much okay. Even though I try not to, for<br />many reasons, I fall in love with Cali more and more each day, for the <br />little things, like when she puts her head on me to sleep or the way she <br />breathes out just before she gets a treat, or the way she runs for her ball <br />as soon as we get home, or the way she wipes her wet face on me after she <br />gets a drink if I'm not quick enough at grabbing a paper towel. I can't help <br />it, even though I've told myself that loving her so soon might not be wise. <br />But life is about risks, about taking chances, and I'm taking mine. I stand <br />right next to Cali now, and she knows it. I really try, but I can't love her <br />less.<br /><br />So, things are fine right now. I just got my GPS last night and am playing<br />with it. There are places around here that I never knew about! Imagine that!<br />And within walking distance! The one store I can get to is definitely NOT<br />wheelchair accessible. It's a store with mostly Arabic stuff, but when you<br />need something...<br /><br />Well, I'll go away for now and get some sleep. Tomorrow, there's more of<br />that fabulous calculus book to read, though I can't complain, because Rob is<br />actually rotating it so I don't have to read the entire thing. He realizes,<br />I'm sure, that I wouldn't!<br /><br />By the way, I taught Cali Adria's name just once, and now she takes me<br />straight to her, even when Adria doesn't want to be found, I think! And yes,<br />Adria really likes Cali, not enough to let her in the car when her feet are<br />wet, but enough to take her otherwise.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-16079871455501835682009-09-17T19:26:00.000-07:002009-09-17T19:32:29.669-07:00Guide Dog User Visits MonaClaudia visited with Cali and Mona. Claudia is blind and uses a Guide dog.<br />She also has horses. Since she also lives in Michigan. She asked about a mini<br />as a guide for some time in the future.<br /><br />This is her report of visiting with Cali and Mona.<br /> <br />We had a fabulous time! Cali is unbelievably beautiful and smart, as good a <br />worker as any of my dogs! Mona spent about three hours with me and my <br />husband and shared a wealth of information. I learned so much about guide <br />horses over the weekend. I visited two farms on Friday and am forwarding <br />pictures for your opinion. After careful consideration, I believe the wisest <br />path for me is to look for the foal of my choice and raise it myself to be <br />trained when mature. I still have a good 3-4 or more years with Freedom and <br />I see real benefit to not having two guides at the same time. I also need to <br />research funding or grant feasibility to finance the training. As you know, <br />all my guide dogs have been provided to me with no charge. Training a guide <br />horse is unaffordable at this time . Michigan State University has an Human <br />Animal Bond Initiative which is a place for me to start. I'm hoping to write <br />a grant proposal to fund an experimental guide horse training project. Are <br />you interested in participating? I need expertise from the horse trainer's <br />perspective, as well as recommendations for potential grant resources. I <br />also invite you to start searching for the right foal. I am checking out <br />Michigan mini breeders as well. You probably have more resources on the east <br />Coast. I want an Arab, similar to Cali. Cali actually could pass for my Arab <br />mare's offspring, same color and disposition. Mona expressed interest in <br />visiting me and my mare and I plan to take pictures of Cali with Exie <br /><br /><br /><span class="468502215-23082009"><span style="font-family:Georgia;font-size:85%;color:#008080;"><br /><br /></span></span>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-12190626209035874842009-06-13T10:38:00.000-07:002009-06-13T11:34:48.186-07:00Cali and Mona begin their life together<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_yhLBVs64Lrj3VXRH1vAeCZC4RmoOZ38XMuUsdQTfBwQndwPJYG1zt1svUg_Ff2vs6-WUEGSOPriiJ1GvnYJfNHJul5DIg6zjR_f9qhGXPTJJD22l4Yn6q7ILzovUT1cuilS_F1Bo8Q/s1600-h/P1010001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_yhLBVs64Lrj3VXRH1vAeCZC4RmoOZ38XMuUsdQTfBwQndwPJYG1zt1svUg_Ff2vs6-WUEGSOPriiJ1GvnYJfNHJul5DIg6zjR_f9qhGXPTJJD22l4Yn6q7ILzovUT1cuilS_F1Bo8Q/s200/P1010001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346873462706996594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sPjnvU1uFhGSe7sgqwoHN9992-UzygqBk-5RTlGE19PKvPH1ccHHaBqyGPZSI8SBbENPXby33J3hlG0drGz8gLMLvrSwrKVFTGfR5vGqE0AlxhDL2y7T1BX76LFQHsZrhqaU8Qf-TBo/s1600-h/P1010006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sPjnvU1uFhGSe7sgqwoHN9992-UzygqBk-5RTlGE19PKvPH1ccHHaBqyGPZSI8SBbENPXby33J3hlG0drGz8gLMLvrSwrKVFTGfR5vGqE0AlxhDL2y7T1BX76LFQHsZrhqaU8Qf-TBo/s200/P1010006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346873455510236978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x2XyQFJmHaKSPkDMNW1Yoo3PSXnnXm1cGzMLNbb7zD9wwqTDk-QQKtljsdNx-pu0FItzcFeOc6lQZPjONu0Ps1HnuoSUjZP-lus0_mS-0zSbCsESgJLbcBvlNB4yquHOY7fYOZ0GAm0/s1600-h/P1010005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x2XyQFJmHaKSPkDMNW1Yoo3PSXnnXm1cGzMLNbb7zD9wwqTDk-QQKtljsdNx-pu0FItzcFeOc6lQZPjONu0Ps1HnuoSUjZP-lus0_mS-0zSbCsESgJLbcBvlNB4yquHOY7fYOZ0GAm0/s200/P1010005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346871603649696802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC15rNsq4658-lCFn0EYP4Mf0BVF7Ztsh9JNGnabxzhwo6s5fxjltWno7b8-_D5ORS45MDlMa9WbkRIDg7UjIAbjigXcr31_iZQh55KJiIf2ZWeprgjJqKq-4osT9J7wUBUzWToHnLCok/s1600-h/P1010004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC15rNsq4658-lCFn0EYP4Mf0BVF7Ztsh9JNGnabxzhwo6s5fxjltWno7b8-_D5ORS45MDlMa9WbkRIDg7UjIAbjigXcr31_iZQh55KJiIf2ZWeprgjJqKq-4osT9J7wUBUzWToHnLCok/s200/P1010004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346871603535304578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYxykpbSjG8XX5q3NxM5c0ovmsgHy10Z7vfUE7TgPRj5-dZfrpLtI1j-P26bDH4HPWRjRlpaVsRx0VgtDpJm4VMDdMeEJXhQySN0cBlvPHxd1JLS-RJHHZ3pTv9JX3_tlodX_pgl-8FM/s1600-h/P1010003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYxykpbSjG8XX5q3NxM5c0ovmsgHy10Z7vfUE7TgPRj5-dZfrpLtI1j-P26bDH4HPWRjRlpaVsRx0VgtDpJm4VMDdMeEJXhQySN0cBlvPHxd1JLS-RJHHZ3pTv9JX3_tlodX_pgl-8FM/s200/P1010003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346871597904520738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzISB40tF1VQrcuulEBV3Rh2cltk4hAaFFkiF4jIKig0qwTdSMVzVamGm7wznXZr_jjuchSQzl685aU-NpjiqB8Imro_Uajhyr01DGqys7KG1hd0ycrCn8Q7PPb14q022hgCKpCwHRaU/s1600-h/P1010002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzISB40tF1VQrcuulEBV3Rh2cltk4hAaFFkiF4jIKig0qwTdSMVzVamGm7wznXZr_jjuchSQzl685aU-NpjiqB8Imro_Uajhyr01DGqys7KG1hd0ycrCn8Q7PPb14q022hgCKpCwHRaU/s200/P1010002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346871596948670642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWCTZKuBjVmPCDhgaThCqqPanH7M7Z6Tgu9u2amQPy-tMy2DuGfE0m5quaQmoxY1-p7wU-UxevcJmPGl_fePSPzepbFy9Kg2Vz8ap8m2Yw5cx41hGAnLtO6ocHGad2cXZ-BtmpgAEPBU/s1600-h/P1010001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWCTZKuBjVmPCDhgaThCqqPanH7M7Z6Tgu9u2amQPy-tMy2DuGfE0m5quaQmoxY1-p7wU-UxevcJmPGl_fePSPzepbFy9Kg2Vz8ap8m2Yw5cx41hGAnLtO6ocHGad2cXZ-BtmpgAEPBU/s200/P1010001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346871592111869218" border="0" /></a><br />I haven't been able to update this blog in forever. It seems like there is always something else to train, do, or solve. The last few months have been a whirlwind as my new book Conversations With Cadbury was released and we got to the final details of Cali going to live with Mona. Mona and Cali have been a team now since Jun 2, 2009. Mona flew by herself to our place in Upstate NY to practice with Cali. Of course, we had to deal with the Al Hurra news coming to do a story in-between too. Nothing like the media to make the turn-over more complicated.<br /><br />We returned to Dearborn Jun 9th. Cali and Mona have been together 100% since then. That's not very long in the lifetime of a guide. Guide Dog users tell me it takes 6 months to 1 year to get fully into a relationship. So, without saying another word, I'll let the photos do the talking.<br /><br />And, a note to that Dutch and German TV are also doing a feature on them. They said it would be posted to Youtube. I'll post a link when I have it.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-85654565172319693572009-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:002009-01-13T08:16:59.553-08:00It Isn't Easy Being a Mini Horse Guide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2uMNpSXG6SeDW4or3xZ8Ci6qlRI-xLvXAV4iY3zzJJ_1AR1W4XkjahfEdAgQRcbuInbZ1i3Jx3eLsFvadtKqa_ZWevmP3L9ROZ1jXy0UJc8Y2qtDx770S6CwDrRny1a8ebpp9uuS8yA/s1600-h/P1010035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2uMNpSXG6SeDW4or3xZ8Ci6qlRI-xLvXAV4iY3zzJJ_1AR1W4XkjahfEdAgQRcbuInbZ1i3Jx3eLsFvadtKqa_ZWevmP3L9ROZ1jXy0UJc8Y2qtDx770S6CwDrRny1a8ebpp9uuS8yA/s200/P1010035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290808590025516146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_9qNmKV7-nwMklaxdUsVlLbS5yV_ZfYcvXrZB9gwAAIA6Fgb6_35O1ZI-93bc1nutfm41H-O1hFP5_axustUrbExz-OdWAuhomGvgxNd-zIXF4rxK7PvKE8ccvgtTo-jhjYmHa8iSb8/s1600-h/P1010034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_9qNmKV7-nwMklaxdUsVlLbS5yV_ZfYcvXrZB9gwAAIA6Fgb6_35O1ZI-93bc1nutfm41H-O1hFP5_axustUrbExz-OdWAuhomGvgxNd-zIXF4rxK7PvKE8ccvgtTo-jhjYmHa8iSb8/s200/P1010034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290808580389959842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjAZ00kqItk_AK3wA6uCEgLKcoOlWvHFiDNCEvsZlx-9t3-pqcTV7RybSqvOQ2l8Zn6mPeJjIAMH9WMa1Fxt0jWHh6zTH43Rz1_4ftIt5LOxpYFUZJi9McCE2TIYDzr2FyOtvhZGZ6As/s1600-h/P1010033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjAZ00kqItk_AK3wA6uCEgLKcoOlWvHFiDNCEvsZlx-9t3-pqcTV7RybSqvOQ2l8Zn6mPeJjIAMH9WMa1Fxt0jWHh6zTH43Rz1_4ftIt5LOxpYFUZJi9McCE2TIYDzr2FyOtvhZGZ6As/s200/P1010033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290807296470692338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_8BCpAWV4BuicBQQTPLfuWVWGqE449uGaBgX9Z_dW-GqAFjUbf7SCQeOQKhEz6wI6luATk_DbuEFzHywmq09ppN9tFAtfeF4WP-72pq0u1LZLlSb4PBL2n0Hdq4l8JlaTMWalIIdsiU/s1600-h/P1010032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_8BCpAWV4BuicBQQTPLfuWVWGqE449uGaBgX9Z_dW-GqAFjUbf7SCQeOQKhEz6wI6luATk_DbuEFzHywmq09ppN9tFAtfeF4WP-72pq0u1LZLlSb4PBL2n0Hdq4l8JlaTMWalIIdsiU/s200/P1010032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290807298072103954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Uso8QaZQwpQ9dvB5zLwoPrXt1nO-u3QdoQtrzlspJ-JVRYi4u6FYnfyH3UAdxXykglC4BC6K2gr0ZsfcVOb81JgOCvY6H7drIlw3tBT6i0jFc14YQLSXdH0VEsIT1fOVTLHehmoWAp4/s1600-h/P1010031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Uso8QaZQwpQ9dvB5zLwoPrXt1nO-u3QdoQtrzlspJ-JVRYi4u6FYnfyH3UAdxXykglC4BC6K2gr0ZsfcVOb81JgOCvY6H7drIlw3tBT6i0jFc14YQLSXdH0VEsIT1fOVTLHehmoWAp4/s200/P1010031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290807293010107378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzmcAZVBwKGLpRFJk14_dW6XbN84kvRO3_ayPA3uqEUQoSqxMzeD_FqMKsyvYe3Vg91J2lRYDRHiu9zb8zhtdei9p7tBzJokdL8yNuedhGCGHnj4VdrMD4PMlhUA0T0dr5QxdB8YxFOY/s1600-h/P1010030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzmcAZVBwKGLpRFJk14_dW6XbN84kvRO3_ayPA3uqEUQoSqxMzeD_FqMKsyvYe3Vg91J2lRYDRHiu9zb8zhtdei9p7tBzJokdL8yNuedhGCGHnj4VdrMD4PMlhUA0T0dr5QxdB8YxFOY/s200/P1010030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290807286205739986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgHhmQbGSvdxUvqCME3syUS3NmD7layfTRlT7x9A4HJpXwuu3HQEgTusItx7tZr-t370okuShQWO5GEMsTGIg8sfwY4SX7msn6EVw3HFOLUOVObi0qRCaatlnSU1Jx65bo3t9rrqyoxQ/s1600-h/P1010029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgHhmQbGSvdxUvqCME3syUS3NmD7layfTRlT7x9A4HJpXwuu3HQEgTusItx7tZr-t370okuShQWO5GEMsTGIg8sfwY4SX7msn6EVw3HFOLUOVObi0qRCaatlnSU1Jx65bo3t9rrqyoxQ/s200/P1010029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290807285851286690" border="0" /></a><br />Sighted people have no idea how difficult they can make situations in trying to be helpful. Cali will have to negotiate some of the most amazing situations. I took these photos in our little town in Arkansas and ask that you imagine how you would travel these situations with no sight. Cali and I will be traveling this intersection this week. I will report back to you what she discovers. Of course, I'll be there helping her. She has enough training that she can make some decisions. It will be interesting how she negotiates the challenge.<br /><br />Cali will not make the decision to cross. She will stop and indicate that she and Mona are at a crossing. Mona can tell by the sound of the traffic which way they are going. She will listen to the sounds to determine which way the cars travel. She will wait for several cycles of the lights changing (if there are lights). She will then indicate to Cali to go forward. Cali must know whether to obey the forward command or not. But, Cali will not try to go forward until told. If there are no lights, Mona would wait for no sound of traffic.<br /><br />At this particular intersection there are crossing indicators. But, there is no sound so the blind person cannot see when the light is on. And, cars still turn when the walk light is on. And, if that isn't enough of a challenge the buttons for crossing are on different poles for different directions but not close to the cross walk. The buttons are labeled which does nothing for the blind person.<br /><br />Take particular note of the crossing of the railroad tracks. I suppose a person is supposed to follow the red brick to safely get to lining up the walkway with the crossing. But, a blind person will not see the brick road. If one continues straight towards the tracks on the sidewalk, they will come to a steep drop off. I will expect Cali to take us to the drop off. She will then have to turn right to find the next curb and then left to go across the tracks.<br /><br />You might ask why she doesn't just follow the brick path. Cali must have a shoreline and Mona must trust that Cali is taking her straight. The blind person makes all the directional decisions. Cali provides the information to allow the decision. If Mona were familiar with this intersection she might tell Cali "over-right" and follow the right side of the curb as the shoreline. If not, she would have to find her way by trial and error with the information that Cali provides.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-89075703113010683822009-01-12T08:17:00.000-08:002009-01-12T08:21:20.326-08:00Another Stunning MomentWe took several walks today in town. One took us past the old railroad <br />depot, up a side street and then we turned right to go past the County Parole Office. Lots'<br />of people commented especially as we crossed the street directly towards a loading dock<br />drop-off.<br /><br />Straight across the street took us to the precipice of this 4' drop off.<br />Cali stopped.<br /><br />"Forward" took us right and back to the walkway to go on again by turning<br />left.<br /><br />A little ways down the street Cali stopped dead in her tracks. Once when I<br />was walking with Panda and Alex at an Expo we walked towards the spot that<br />all the big horses were getting ready to go into the practice arena. Panda<br />stopped.<br /><br />A "forward" command left her standing. She would not go forward.<br /><br />Clearly Panda had decided that this environment was one where she did not<br />feel she could safely take us through. And so it was with Cali today. I've never<br />taught her this. Technically speaking this is called intelligent disobedience. This is<br />when the guide disobeys a command in order to keep the handler safe.<br /><br />"Forward" from that spot had her do a U-turn. I faced her back down the road<br />and asked for forward again. Again she quietly turned us around. She never does <br />that.<br /><br />So I scanned the street. Clearly in her mind she could not take us safely<br />down that road. Was it due to the smell of the Parole back door? Was it the unevenness<br />of the upcoming path. I do not know what it was and at first I thought I would<br />correct her and send her forward again. My in the back of my mind I heard the words<br />"Trust her"<br />And, so I did.<br /><br />Without a quickening of a step, without any signs of alarm, just the <br />steadfastness that forward would not be the way to go, we turned 180 deg and walked back up the walk.<br /><br />We never had another blink of an incident like this. This trust in a horse.<br />Somehow, she knew.<br /><br />Later, we walked in a strip mall. Up stairs, no problem. Found the doors to <br />stores, ran into and spoke with gawkers. Nice people asking nice questions. Some<br />said she was the most beautiful mini that they had ever seen. Priceless.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-54571275209074889592009-01-10T18:37:00.000-08:002009-01-10T18:43:45.773-08:00Cali Visits Friends<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2V9Gq0uKqRq4V4kayFhIIeKAzcV3aIR4d50xtErdQIuPAOEelbgWyKxxi340Bk4VFx0fAZGzBg242nF_wHfB_6rvh1tEbGPJJ9nFZx4M6aDHilumG5MZwaFOs9taZ0LbkRCbJrScgo8/s1600-h/1-9-09+029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2V9Gq0uKqRq4V4kayFhIIeKAzcV3aIR4d50xtErdQIuPAOEelbgWyKxxi340Bk4VFx0fAZGzBg242nF_wHfB_6rvh1tEbGPJJ9nFZx4M6aDHilumG5MZwaFOs9taZ0LbkRCbJrScgo8/s320/1-9-09+029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289860756971395506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUcmtJbpWAulPIMAjo8rIVr3Lvom795IY9P4swjxtDLV1rgFxYnPwIJFoKSvczYRX4xnuj5Ui0gH2_6H-khhgncbe6EjvNop4-cJ8V39zPipNEDvhZkcf091NHfOGGSllN0kPNcbG0qA/s1600-h/1-9-09+030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUcmtJbpWAulPIMAjo8rIVr3Lvom795IY9P4swjxtDLV1rgFxYnPwIJFoKSvczYRX4xnuj5Ui0gH2_6H-khhgncbe6EjvNop4-cJ8V39zPipNEDvhZkcf091NHfOGGSllN0kPNcbG0qA/s320/1-9-09+030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289860752156228530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4tBazaACBsOpM5CWuzXSPHaCfcmYUwh6JcBe3rb_RKtSQV4rWQVIjQKrTcsqi-nVVusgBnCFACmZth68WAbxKuR73-jeUHl7KTXmcxYtXXcWAYka-1GHNYJ8ZWO4ftQecBYu0Q5y8oA/s1600-h/1-9-09+031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4tBazaACBsOpM5CWuzXSPHaCfcmYUwh6JcBe3rb_RKtSQV4rWQVIjQKrTcsqi-nVVusgBnCFACmZth68WAbxKuR73-jeUHl7KTXmcxYtXXcWAYka-1GHNYJ8ZWO4ftQecBYu0Q5y8oA/s320/1-9-09+031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289860314268184050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Cali sometimes goes to visit friends. Here she meets some new big horses. We were just taking a ride in the car. It's fun to go visiting.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-686880164596311742009-01-07T16:51:00.000-08:002009-01-07T16:54:35.431-08:00A horse in the house - Oh myWe are settled in our winter home in Arkansas. This house is set up well to<br />have Cali come in and out<br />of the house. She has a backyard with a stall in the yard.<br /><br />So, Cali comes in while I work and write in the morning. She comes in via<br />the French Doors and right<br />into the kitchen. Good girl. And, sometimes in the evening she will also<br />come in. In fact, I sometimes have<br />to kick her out. She'd rather be in with me.<br /><br />We have lots of plans for Cali in the next few months. She'll be going to<br />classes at the Rich Mountain Community<br />College as well as walking in the little town of Mena. The town of Mena has<br />a busy highway that runs right through<br />the middle of town complete with Tractor Trailers and the big duel wheeled <br />trucks that the southern men seem to love so much.<br /><br />Mena also has very challenging streets and crossings. I wish Mona was here<br />to tell me how she would cross. We got a good idea when we visited but this<br />town while doing in essence what a VI or wheelchair bound person might need<br />it is clear that they really didn't have any idea of the practicality of<br />what they were doing.<br /><br />For example, the main crossing in town has ramps in the sidewalks that go<br />down on a diagonal. So, as you go down the sidewalk and hit the bumps that<br />indicate that you are near the street you are not facing towards across the<br />street.<br />Cali will have to understand to turn slightly to get to the other side. And,<br />Mona will have to know when that's OK.<br /><br />Based on our test walks with Mona, I've now added a whoa off the harness.<br />The word whoa coupled with a slight backward traction on the harness handle<br />asks her to stop and stop straight. Cali is terrific with the traffic and<br />dogs. The other day while walking we walked past a horse in it's pasture.<br />The big horse was very excited by Cali. And, although Cali raised her head<br />in dismay, she kept on walking straight.<br /><br />Another big test has been passed. Cali can now jump into the little Geo<br />Tracker. At first we used the ramp for her to get in. The Tracker is very<br />small but it does have a rear deck which is barely the size of Cali. Cali<br />can stand sideways and we take a not very smooth ride. Since I don't want<br />her to be nervous in this car, we've delayed going to town in it.<br />I am pleased though that she can get in and I don't have to carry her ramp.<br />I'm looking for a small step that can be carried to help her get into other<br />cars that might be small. Doors have to open enough for her body to get<br />through in order for her to jump in. But, if she can step up in she is more<br />than willing to squeeze a little.<br /><br />In March Cali will also be going to the University of North Texas for a talk<br />by some famous animal trainers. Since Mona wants to return to school these<br />will be wonderful venues for practicing. The folks at UNT are excited to<br />have her. And, they even expressed a desire that it would be great if Mona<br />could go to UNT. Michigan is a great school too but wouldn't it be cool to<br />go to a school where animal behavior study is on the cutting edge. Dr<br />Rosales in the UNT Behavioral Sciences Department is a good friend and his<br />wife works with Autistic kids.<br /><br />My plan is to take Cali by car to Texas. This will be a challenge. I've got<br />on tap a plan to speak with Ann again regarding the challenges of traveling<br />with Cali. To me it seems simple. It's virtually impossible to stay over<br />night in a hotel without adequate plans for relieving. On average, Cali<br />"goes" every 3 hours. That's a better average than Panda.<br />And, Cali does not seem to urinate as frequently nor does she produce as<br />much volume as Panda. It's easily caught in our "bag".<br /><br />So, to expand on my plan of having Cali be able to "go" in handicapped <br />restrooms, I expect that we can "go" in a room with a handicapped bathroom. <br />This is a bathroom that is big enough to accommodate a wheelchair. And so, <br />it can<br />accommodate Cali overnight. She will have to wear her relieving bag over<br />night or Mona and I will have to take her out every three hours even over<br />night. It will be like traveling with a baby.<br /><br />From the professional campers we have taken a hint. As it turns out a single<br />Alfalfa cube will not only absorb any liquid in her bag, it will also make<br />smell non existent. Who knew. Professional campers (like those that climb<br />mountains) will put a few Alfalfa pellets in their porta potty's to absorb<br />liquid and smell.<br /><br />Cali does seem to understand the bag means "go". I also hope that the<br />presence of the bag will tell her it's ok to go when she might not <br />otherwise. She has picked her spot in the yard and has reserved this place <br />as the potty.<br /><br />Today's plan is another ride in the car. And, more waiting while I write.<br />Soon, we'll be working on lie down in the living room. As soon as I dig out<br />my camera from the mired of boxes I've packed, I'll post another photo or<br />two.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-45188892090509696032008-12-08T14:55:00.000-08:002008-12-08T15:02:18.080-08:00Mona's Thoughts on First Meeting Cali<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Last </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">week, for the first time, I met Dolores and Cali, and my life, the possibilities in it, changed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There is so much I could say, and maybe one day, I'll write a book, or, if that turns out to be too daunting, perhaps something shorter, about the experience. This was only the first meeting, and hopefully, Dolores and Cali will be back in February, bringing with them more excitement, possibilities, and yes, even stress.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When Dolores got Cali out of the trailer for the first time and I was able to put my hands on her, to "see" her for myself, the joy of it was immeasurable. I wanted to hug Dolores, to hug Cali, to stand there and just revel in the whole idea that this little living creature would open up my world. At that point, I knew theoretically that Cali would show me things I didn't know, would take me places I wouldn't dare try to go on my own. I say I knew this theoretically, but even then, standing there with Dolores and Cali those first few minutes, I didn't truly understand it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dolores and I took Cali for a short walk around the block, a walk in which she held one leash on Cali's left and I held onto the other leash and the harness on Cali's right. Even so, I was walking with her! I was so excited and had to be reminded to slow down. "Take a deep breath," I told myself. "You can do this." And I did. At first, Cali trit-trotted along faster than I was comfortable with. Usually, when I'm confident about where I'm going, I walk at a brisk pace, but because I was nervous and had never walked with a guide animal, let alone a mini, going slowly seemed the more prudent choice.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And when Cali understood that I needed her to slow down, there was a moment between us, as if we knew each other, and without pressure on the leash or words, we communicated. She slowed for me. C/t, Cali!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Which brings me to clicking and treating. There's a real knack to it, one which I can't claim I've gotten quite yet. I wanted to click and give the treat quickly, but I kept forgetting to stop first by letting the harness handle go, then reaching for the treat _after I clicked. Dolores finally told me that I couldn't expect to do everything right the first time. What I really wanted to say was, "Why not?" But, again, I tried to be prudent and reminded myself that she was right, after all. I'd get it in time. Meanwhile, she was there to help see that I got it through my thick head.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That day flew by like a blur, with Cali coming to work with me, standing beside my chair while I pretended to get work done. The office door was closed and her leash was off, so she was able to move around the office at will. I clicked and treated when she came to stand quietly next to me and then when she stood quietly for a minute or two.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The next day, Dolores and Cali met me at work, and again, Cali had to stand quietly in the office. Again, I pretended I was getting work done.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In the afternoon, Cali, Dolores, and I went for a walk, and that was when I really understood what Cali may someday become for me. She was pretty excited to go for her walk, and I had a hard time getting the harness on, but eventually, it was on and we were off. The happy sound of her hooves clicking on the pavement gave me a little thrill. She kept the perfect pace for me, and we walked around the block first.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">At first, I thought it would be a good idea to walk next to the curb. Well, it might have been a good idea had I been somewhere else, but as there were so many obstacles in the form of planters, posts, and things I can't even remember, we decided that walking close to the buildings would be a better option.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But what was really exciting was that Cali showed me things I'd never seen before. For instance, I didn't know about the posts or the planters or the driveways we came across. Sighted people don't tell you about these things when you're walking along, mainly because they're not important at that particular moment. They may not be essential, but imagine! Cali showed me things that I didn't know existed. She'll show me trash cans or fire hydrants or mail boxes—anything that is on our path and that she thinks I'll find interesting. That is more amazing than I can say, and definitely more than I'd expected. That's when I truly understood what Cali could bring into my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When we came back around to the building where I work, Cali pointed out the front door even though she had never walked through that door to get into the building. We always went in through the back, yet she knew! How thrilling! C/t. Go Cali!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our walk took us to MacDonald's, where she stopped to show me the flagpole. It wasn't on our path, but because I'd been here before and heard the flag waving in the breeze, I knew why she'd stopped. Dolores told me to always assume that Cali had stopped for a good reason, at least in the beginning, and even though it was hard, I did. Sometimes, Cali stopped, and I couldn't figure out why. It would turn out to be an obstacle to my right, a crack in the sidewalk, a wide driveway, a terrain change, or something else that she thought I might find interesting. C/t.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Then Cali stopped, and neither Dolores nor I could figure out why. I thought of asking Cali to go on, but it was clear she was a bit nervous. So I didn't push her. Instead, Dolores and I waited for something to happen. Apparently, there was a man some ways off. I don't know if he looked shady or if he was even looked at us, but Cali didn't like it. We had passed other people and Cali hadn't reacted that way, so I c/t'd, and after a bit, we continued. Who says horses can't be protective?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Which brings me to people and their reactions to Cali. All along, as we'd been walking, people would stop their cars and stare. I could hear them stop, and often, they'd yell, "I thought that was a dog. Is that really a horse?" Or, "Is that a guide pony?" I mostly didn't respond because I was concentrating so hard on where we were going and what Cali was trying to show me. Thank God for Dolores, who answered the questions and allowed me to focus. One person asked if she could pet Cali, and again, Dolores came to my rescue and explained that no, Cali couldn't be petted because she was working. I had been about to say yes. At one point, Cali decided we were passing a particularly delectable stretch of grass, and she needed to have a little snack. Dolores told me to pick up her head by applying a bit of pressure to the leash and turning her nose toward me, and at first, I thought, I can't do this. She's too strong. But I got her head up, and we continued. She stopped several more times, insisting that this was perfectly good grass and shouldn't go to waste. After a while, I felt when her nose was turning and automatically turned her head back so that she was facing straight ahead. Finally, she remembered herself and her guide work, and on we went.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When we returned to my building, Cali found the door, and as we'd been working on "find the handle," she found thatas well, and in we went. C/t for an awesome walk, Cali and Dolores!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For a while longer, Cali stayed in the office with me, "chilling". There was one moment when I wished someone had had a camera, because Cali put her head on the arm of my chair and stayed like that for a bit. But alas! There's never a camera around at the perfect moment! As a matter of fact, my boss, who had to take pictures because people he knew insisted on seeing photos of Cali, claims that Cali isn't very good at picture-taking. As soon as he's ready to take the perfect shot, Cali looks away or puts her head down. He even claimed I'd done that as well!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dolores and Cali left a bit later as it looked like the weather was going to get pretty bad, and I was left to really get some work done and then go home. The visit had been the most incredible thing I'd ever experienced, and it had been exhausting as well. I wished Cali and Dolores could stay, but I knew that I had to take some time out to recuperate. It had been stressful to learn how to interact with Cali, how to put the harness on, to take it off of a prancing, excited horse, to keep hold of the leash and take off the harness. I wouldn't have traded it for the world, though. I am eagerly awaiting the day when Cali and I will become partners and will travel to places neither of us would have alone. My world is now a place I never dreamed, one I never dared hope for; it is now a world full of hope and possibilities and opportunities. It is a world where the words "I can" are once more a part of my vocabulary. With the help of Dolores and Cali, I am now beginning to find my way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-17184948419557625732008-12-05T10:11:00.000-08:002008-12-05T11:05:47.681-08:00If you don't see it, It doesn't exist<div style="text-align: left;">"If you don't SEE it. It doesn't exist". Mona said that when<br /></div>Cali targeted a fire extinguisher that Mona never knew was<br />there. Mona was thrilled not only because Cali will help to<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwvyGkHdlb2UYrFWGa3Rf0VW8jHIhdmt5kS4N61FzhsZCZ8j-4ClaP-srr3BQ1n9WBl3J6i_YKhQsKqPv-iYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />take her places and keep her safe but that she will point<br />out things that Mona didn't know were there. Mona can<br />then decide whether its important or not. How much more<br />colorful will Mona's world be with Cali as her eyes.<br /><br />Everytime Cali stopped, Mona would ask "Why did<br />she stop". I said "Explore it and find out". I won't always<br /><div style="text-align: right;">be here to tell you. But, Cali will.</div>Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-36662834391514527442008-11-12T20:19:00.000-08:002008-11-12T20:23:13.712-08:00Cali made her first visit to a restaurant today. With permission of the <br />owners we attended the year end banquet for the local Mini Horse club.<br /><br />Cali, rode in the SUV. We towed her bathroom. Which is her trailer at this <br />moment.She is comfortable "going" there. She goes right on cue every time I ask <br />her. She did need her ramp to get in to the SUV, but she jumped out. Good girl!<br /><br />She found the door, stopped at the step, found the door handle (this one <br />still needs work) and found an empty chair. She stood by calmly while I ate brunch and answered questions.<br /><br />As at waitress came over to pour some more coffee I asked her what her <br />impressions were of having a horse in the room. She answered in a way that was most <br />rewarding. She said at first she didn't even realize that it was a "real" horse. She thought <span style="font-weight:bold;">"How cute, the club has brought a stuffed horse".<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> This is a great testimonial on how good Cali was. She told us she felt no fear walking around her to serve and that she was not a disturbance in any way. She didn't think she took up too much room at all.<br /><br />I sat on the left end of a table. Cali stood by my left knee sometimes with <br />her little nose resting on my knee. She never intruded on the table goodies. What a little star.<br /><br />As I've said before this being "still" is the hardest thing to train. Just <br />being still while she is alone is one thing. But, being still while her person is there is quite another.<br /><br />After about 1/2 hour, I took her out to her bathroom and she went easily and <br />quickly.<br /><br />She stayed in another 1/2 hour before I took her out again. She went again <br />and that told me she was a little stressed by the experience. When not stressed, she <br />goes for about 2 hours when doing nothing.<br /><br />She can work a lot longer but the doing nothing is still confusing.<br /><br />Then, she led me back in. She knew right away where we were going to get <br />back and pointed out all the terrain changes along the way. She found the door, the <br />mat at the doorstep (wouldn't want any tripping) and she found our chair.<br /><br />This is the conclusion of a week that had her inside quite frequently. She <br />stands on her rug, or stands quietly with her nose on my knee. She has a toy or two in the house but doesn't play much yet.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-20520440674485659772008-10-28T14:31:00.000-07:002008-10-28T14:33:27.367-07:00Just Do NothingIf training a guide was all about training leading, following a path and<br />avoiding obstacles Cali would be ready to go home with Mona.<br /><br />It's not though. With dogs we are now entering the phase of training that<br />would be termed - easy. Teaching a dog to do what a dog does best. That's<br />nothing. Dogs are perfectly happy to sleep 17 hours a day. Unless that dog<br />is a Border Collie or Siberian Husky it would just be a matter of setting<br />the dog up for success at what he already wants to do.<br /><br />Horses on the other hand sleep a very little amount of the normal 24 hour<br />day. And, when they do sleep it is for much shorter periods of time. For a<br />dog, the normal cycle might be sleep, eat, sleep some more. For a horse it's<br />more like<br />eat, sleep a little, eat some more. It's no wonder we find little horses so<br />hard to keep from getting fat.<br /><br />That's been one of the challenges for Cali as well. Finding the right amount<br />of food to keep her happy and keep her weight down. Toys are a good<br />distraction. Cali has a Jolly ball, a regular ball, a tire tug toy and a<br />rope to play with.<br />When she's not in her stall eating, you can find her in her stall playpen.<br /><br />With the purchase of a ramp Cali has now shown us her mountain goat<br />imitations. She'll take the ramp, even very steeply up into the SUV. It's<br />the foldable kind and somewhat narrow. By starting slowly she will now use<br />it to climb up into any car that the ramp will fit in. We haven't tried<br />small cars yet. We got our ramp from www.handiramp.com<br />We got the MMC by Pet Step - Gray. I guess they are discontinuing Gray<br />because it was a lot cheaper than the Beige one. Who knows.<br /><br />Now, once in the car we have the "do nothing" issue. I've said before that<br />if Cali is with me in the bus, car or elsewhere she is happy. That's because<br />she knows that I'll reward her for something soon. We've lighted the fire of<br />learning in Cali and she wants to learn more and more.<br /><br />The challenge is to turn the learning into waiting. Still it's learning.<br />And, it's something she did as a show horse. When she went to a horse show,<br />she'd stand tied to a trailer and wait for her classes. We need to re-tap<br />into that skill.<br /><br />The skill she is learning again is called in training terms "duration". We<br />can use the idea of standing on a mat which if you think about it is a<br />measurable task. Cali has her ramp which folds in half and makes a nice<br />platform to stand on. We hope this will solve the instability and possible<br />damage issues surrounded around standing on a back seat.<br /><br />She also has a small rug to stand on. These are positive cues and clues for<br />her. When we stop at a corner, Cali understands wait. Soon, we will shape<br />her to find her rug and her folded ramp. At this time standing quietly gets<br />rapid fire reinforcement. It's like saying yes, yes, yes and yes over and<br />over again. It will be up to her to discover what the yes is for.<br /><br />Conversely, if she paws or fidgets, she is asking for either me to leave.<br />Not fun. No chance of reward or further fun. In horse training circles when<br />you want the horse to continue doing what it's doing without feed back you<br />might say something like "don't make me ask again" Usually the "ask" in this<br />scenario is some form of pressure.<br /><br />Step by step we will shape standing still.<br /><br />Another interesting sideline to this training is that a horse cannot eat and<br />potty at the same time. Who would have guessed this. They actually stop<br />eating to go. This is one little detail that I had not really recognized<br />until the beginning of this "do nothing" training.<br /><br />Again, in horse training circles people talk about rhythmic pressure. The<br />flip side is that rhythmic feeding will prevent the unexpected. Of course<br />this must be within the limits of the digestive tract. Using all of these<br />tools we were able to go a whole day with out Cali "going" in her stall<br />area.<br /><br />Another interesting learning is that "girls" like privacy. We might need a<br />little screen for her. All of the "going" does seem to be predicated by a<br />schedule. Cali anticipates when we are going to go to work. She never has to<br />go on request at the beginning of a work session. I'm not sure how she knows<br />but she does. I never see her do it but by the time I'm there with her<br />halter and harness, she's gone. If I put her into her potty place she just<br />doesn't have to go.<br /><br />The other thing is that a horse will "go" when stressed even a little. One<br />can determine stress from this fact. My big horses and most of my student<br />horses never "go" in the arena while we work. This is true unless I've<br />pushed them into stress or confusion. This almost never happens.<br /><br />I doubt that many people think about this kind of thing with their big<br />horses. It's fun to discover. At a recent dressage show, I noticed that no<br />horse "went" during it's test. Funny what you notice when you are looking<br />just a little out-of-the-box.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-71009683013502274932008-10-15T19:49:00.001-07:002008-10-15T19:51:18.280-07:00Intelligent DisobedienceWe've been focusing on Cali pointing out interesting things - to her. She <br />cannot be wrong. I wanted to discover what she could find. I wanted to know <br />what was important to her. And, at the same time point out to her things <br />that I thought would be important to Mona.<br /><br />Whenever you train a new thing it's important to relax your standards on<br />previously learned work. the beginning of the week had Cali pointing out<br />tree branches on the ground, light and dark spots on the road, telephone<br />poles along with the more preferred mailboxes, driveways, obstacles to<br />travel like overhead obstructions and cross-walks. For awhile, her dead on<br />shore lining suffered while she left the track to point out something of<br />interest which might be a bush.<br /><br />That was OK because the more she pointed out the more I could refine. It<br />would be a lot harder to add things that she didn't notice that to exclude<br />those that she did.<br /><br />The first fix was not to leave the track. Within a day or so you could<br />clearly see that while she thought about a post that was off the track she<br />understood not to deviate. All on her own she discovered the lines in the<br />road.<br /><br />Our own driveway has been a little bit of a problem because we were walking<br />at that point with the traffic she did not see the driveway as an option.<br />And, if the truth be told I don't think she wanted to find the driveway<br />because it led home and to the end of work. Cali loves working and would<br />much prefer to go down or up the road again instead of going home.<br /><br />Now with the discovery of white lines that mark the shoulder of the road, we<br />also have the end of the white line that marks the break where our road<br />comes in. voila! discovery! Nose to the ground and a little hoof paw tells<br />you where the white line ends. Very cool.<br /><br />So, travel with Cali is really fun.<br /><br />An important aspect of the guides job is to notify the handler of things<br />that are unsafe. My husband walked one day with us as we discussed how we<br />would safely attack the idea of cars coming from no where. Cali was<br />unconcerned by the conversation and led us along with aplomb. As we walked<br />up the road, suddenly Cali stopped dead in her tracks.<br />With eyes wide open we discussed what had made her stop. We looked far ahead<br />and only a little ahead. I can see and I didn't see anything. But, still I<br />was hesitant to tell Cali she was wrong.<br /><br />Cali refused to budge as I gently asked for forward. I asked with a question<br />mark not wanting to make her feel wrong for stopping. Good thing because<br />just at that moment a deer stuck it's head out of the woods. Had I not been<br />looking so carefully I'd have missed it. But, Cali didn't miss it. She knew<br />the deer was about to cross our path and it would be best to wait. Now, Mona<br />is not likely to encounter too many deer, that deer could have been a child<br />on a bike or a car coming to cross our path. Good girl.<br /><br />Lest anyone think that deer are a problem for Cali, we've easily passed deer<br />in yards, pastures and other places without a problem. Barking dogs, cats<br />and other distractions have caused no concern at all.<br /><br />Then very next day we parked a car across the road. It got there while we<br />were out walking so Cali would not have seen it on the way out. As we<br />approached the stopped car Cali stopped about 10 feet before the car. That's<br />her way of telling me that something new is out there. A "forward" took her<br />right up to the car. Cali targeted it. When directed right she turned and<br />targeted the front bumper of the car. Turn left and she targeted the end of<br />the car. Over left took us back to the path.<br /><br />Over the weekend we had the opportunity to speak to Ann Edie. Ann is the<br />owner of Panda. Panda is Ann's mini horse guide. I am very fortunate to have<br />Ann live not far away and it is invaluable to get her input on guiding.<br /><br />Mona's life is quite different from Ann's and so many of the things that are<br />important to Ann, may not be as important to Mona. The input is most<br />valuable and I am grateful to have it.<br /><br />Where and when to potty became an interesting discussion. I'm using what is<br />called an environmental cue. One can think of the restroom as an <br />environmental cue. Most of us wait until we are in a restroom to perform the <br />desired action. Dogs too are trained with environmental cues which can be <br />general or very specific.<br /><br />Small show dogs are often taught to go only on wee-wee pads. Their little<br />feet never hit the ground. Animals are quite amazing in their ability to<br />figure out what's ok and what's not.<br /><br />That said, it's important to vary everything except the one constant that<br />you want to become the environmental cue. Many people that are not well <br />travelled have difficulty in public restrooms or even at the homes of <br />friends. This can even be unhealthy if a person suddenly has to travel for <br />many days. So, we want to be as flexible as possible and at the same time <br />limit the action to only appropriate times just as we might potty train a <br />child. We have to be careful of not making it so re-enforcing that it <br />becomes a behavior that can be used to "beg" us to participate in. This is <br />like a dog who has learned to bark to go out. He might bark to go out just <br />because he wants to go out and play rather than to do his business.<br /><br />This is a tricky business.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-69836107923171975312008-10-07T08:27:00.000-07:002008-10-07T08:29:50.361-07:00A Busy WeekIt's been a busy week here in New York. I haven't had much time to write.<br />But, that doesn't mean we haven't done lots.<br /><br />We had a second visit to the little town of Broadalbin. On the first visit<br />we walked through the town while I showed Cali all the interesting sites.<br />She did a great job of guiding straight on the sidewalks, across the<br />cross-walks. She had just started to show interest in pointing things out.<br /><br />We have now focused more on pointing out interesting things. We've also<br />worked more on the pointing out of terrain changes. To do that we worked in<br />our arena with various objects. At first I took her to objects and showed<br />her how to target them with her nose. I also showed her how to paw at a<br />terrain change. A terrain change in the arena was defined as dirt to a<br />board, dirt to a tarp, up onto a platform.<br /><br />Later, I sat in a chair and asked her to find interesting things. But, she<br />could only find the same object once. We are still at the point on our walks<br />where she would like to point out every post in the guard rail. Very cute<br />but not very useful. This is an interesting concept to get across to her.<br />Point it out once. What to her is only once?<br /><br />The arena exercise went well. No clicks for objects pointed out a second<br />time. And, she had to come back to me in the chair to get her treat. Then,<br />she could start out again to look for another interesting object. She found<br />the tarp, the mounting block, a rope on the ground, the barrels with a bar<br />across which she could fit under but I could not, a fence placed across the<br />arena, jumps, a cart and the platform. She had a lot of fun with this. The<br />one thing that I thought very interesting was that even though she could<br />have gone under the barrel obstacle on her search of things to touch, she<br />did not. The importance of this will become apparent.<br /><br />In another training session, we walked the arena with her guiding. I set her<br />up to walk along one wall. Then, I let her choose a route. She chose a route<br />that took us around all the obstacles and went in a square. An interesting<br />object was the rope on the ground. She had no trouble pointing it out with<br />her nose. But, then the question of should she walk over it or around it? A<br />good question. She has a clear idea of what should be gone around and what<br />can be gone over. I don't. So, for now, I'll trust her. A pole on the ground<br />should be gone around. The coiled rope can be walked over. We'll continue to<br />do information gathering on this.<br /><br />The second walk in town took us up and down the bank steps. The bankers<br />welcomed her and were excited that we were using their place for training.<br />We traveled to the post office, we found grates, intersections and cross<br />walks. She was even able to find the yellow painted curb that indicates a<br />cross walk. Good girl.<br /><br />We've also walked in the dark at night several times. There was no moon so I<br />could barely see a thing. Her route modified only slightly. She stuck less<br />close to the side of the dirt road. Many leaves had fallen. It was clear<br />that she was tracking the light part of the road and avoiding the leaves.<br />She is having a lot of fun finding things. I had to smile and I did reward<br />the finding of a stump. It could have been a mail box. We can refine as we<br />go along.<br /><br />Yesterday we had our longest walk. She did not get tired physically nor<br />mentally at all. She had enough energy left to get into the car when we got<br />home. Last week she told me that was very hard. She can only get in without<br />her harness and from the drivers side. Hmmmm..... More work to be done<br />there. We went for a little ride and she worked to find a good place to be.<br />The choice is on the floor or on the seat. Both seemed to do although going<br />down the bumpy dirt road was a little unbalancing for her. I think she got a<br />little nervous.<br /><br />She is happier when I sit with her than when I drive. When she thinks she is<br />taking care of me, she is all business. When I let her be her, she is full<br />of fun. I've made it clear that if I lead her from her left, she can be a<br />horse. She'll trot and play and generally be full of life. When I am on her<br />right, she is the guide and becomes very serious about everything. Loose she<br />will often choose my left (her right). I can put my hand on her hindquarters<br />and even though there is no harness nor halter, she will take me places.<br />She'll find things and she will guide using the hand signals with forward<br />and over left. These two she knows well. The other turns not so well but<br />they are coming. I think she knows go right. But, it's not smooth.<br /><br />I like that she will find things. That's because Mona says she sometimes<br />loses things never to be found again. So, if Cali will simply find things,<br />they can play together to discover what Cali can find. Later, I'll put<br />smaller objects out for her to find. If we use the "find only once" skill,<br />Mona can let Cali find and decide if that's what she wants or not. That way,<br />if Cali doesn't quite understand the "keys" or "gloves" or if Mona loses<br />something that Cali doesn't know the name of, Cali can still help her find<br />it.<br /><br />Next on the agenda is "do nothing". This is an interesting topic. When is<br />Cali on her own and when is she supposed to simply wait. Suppose I need her<br />to wait for me. How long can she "wait" disengaged from my active<br />activities. This is important while Mona works. We started this task. Habit<br />or patterns will help. Cali understands patterns very well.<br /><br />I've disrupted her patterns a little the last few days. Horses do like a<br />pattern like the same feeding time each day. Research has shown that they<br />can get stressed when their patterns are disrupted. A horse can get ulcers.<br />If they are fed at 4:00 each day they are already preparing to digest and<br />the stomach acid starts to fire up. If they don't get fed one day at 4:00<br />the acid can create an ulcer. That's only one example of a pattern. And, we<br />can use patterns to train.<br /><br />But, if we don't vary the pattern enough, the horse doesn't get flexible<br />enough to cope with changes. Stress occurs. A horse with more experience in<br />varying situations will become more responsive to now, and not to the<br />pattern and better able to handle a new situation.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-604286114727914401.post-82907101327521826422008-10-01T08:48:00.000-07:002008-10-01T12:46:51.009-07:00A trip to town<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3sMPuGl1rNxe6L53Jnd8AilaFLkwuXrG8kbOpYiywfAGlPYcDypt3wLsGN2_hh0tsRt0hCZKqW6OzJYCOjiwimI2MBereoYo04DOl0hiebxxVtZ32HbekcY6JKSivVviLzLFzgl7JyI/s1600-h/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_9.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3sMPuGl1rNxe6L53Jnd8AilaFLkwuXrG8kbOpYiywfAGlPYcDypt3wLsGN2_hh0tsRt0hCZKqW6OzJYCOjiwimI2MBereoYo04DOl0hiebxxVtZ32HbekcY6JKSivVviLzLFzgl7JyI/s320/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_9.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252274186530859266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf_JRcpcsz7DVT-M5u6dxiiOrp9LEywrjOwVGXkMfF4J0AqxZMn10XcIhxME4H8U0HATTilvugwH0OibbVUCPCsBIxDrEBC0p_Q-0Vk1eeMNTLSv6uaX8kMiEYNDvrxZxeCHOvpOkslk/s1600-h/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252215720284270978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCf_JRcpcsz7DVT-M5u6dxiiOrp9LEywrjOwVGXkMfF4J0AqxZMn10XcIhxME4H8U0HATTilvugwH0OibbVUCPCsBIxDrEBC0p_Q-0Vk1eeMNTLSv6uaX8kMiEYNDvrxZxeCHOvpOkslk/s320/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera rolling as Cali carefully walked up the steps in the bus with me in tow. The plan was to go to the little town of Broadalbin to test drive some of the obstacle and terrain training we've done in the arena. In the arena, Iset up roadblocks in the form of gates in our path, barrels for noticing,ladders etc. All these things were in our path. I wanted<br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKV-4HLMcroIoP0f9p6PZBwmrCwsIyizhi23UX867Syot3mjENZ43N25-XDAsElLbUlCXNYbv7pFSEduodEBLI51Faly0maD6RmzSH0RUC45Y-zJhBcVStYi21sXy5wkzfOpN_knKFxc/s1600-h/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252215720630326434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKV-4HLMcroIoP0f9p6PZBwmrCwsIyizhi23UX867Syot3mjENZ43N25-XDAsElLbUlCXNYbv7pFSEduodEBLI51Faly0maD6RmzSH0RUC45Y-zJhBcVStYi21sXy5wkzfOpN_knKFxc/s320/Sep+29+2008+-+VID00002_8.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Cali to point them out by targeting them. We also targeted a chair. Then, we targeted her feet by asking her to touch a plywood mat, a tarp and the change from sand to grass with her feet.<br /><br />So, Cali traveled in her bus. I don't think she was too comfortable with the bus and neither was I. There is an odd feeling that you must have to get used to to drive a vehicle with steps and glass down to the roadway as it whizzes past.<br /><br /><br />We parked in the parking lot of a market. The boys at the school yard were most amazed at a little horse getting out of a bus.<br /><br />Cali when down the first step easily but jumped after the second one. Note<br />to self: raise the priority of carefully going down stairs. Up to now, I've been happy she would even go down stairs like these. And, we were off.<br /><br />Cali tracked the street as if she'd been doing it all her life. There was traffic in the store parking lot but she just tracked straight. The sidewalk starts at the first corner. I stopped her at the curb and we turned right to track down the sidewalk. There was a post today on one of the lists<br />discussing whether the guide should stop at every driveway or only where there is traffic. I stopped her at the driveways. She found and targeted fire hydrants, and sign posts if they were on our path. Too far off our path, she didn't target them. She looked though. On the way out, I stopped at terrain changes. Soon though, I just let her guide.<br /><br />She doesn't yet know to stop at curbs. We had an interesting trip through the town with very large trucks including tractor trailers and motorcycles going by beside us on the street. Cali was not phased at all by all that noise. The road curves around past a bank, past a post office. Soon, we'll visit the bank and post office and maybe the pizza place or sandwich shop. But, for now, we stopped at the crossroad.<br /><br />It's nerve wracking focusing in on all the things she needs to be aware of and at the same time letting her do what she can with as little help as possible.<br /><br />We crossed the street and there was a cross-walk to "find". I pointed it out to her. The curb by the cross walk is painted yellow. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of vehicles. As the traffic goes slowly thru this part of town, the sound of cars is low and not that easily discernable. And, we had a small motor bike go by that was very quiet.<br /><br />Cali waited with me. Soon, the sound was quiet and we crossed. She stayed straight and followed the cross-walk. She did stop at the curb on the other side. Good girl.<br /><br />At this side walk we turned left to pass a few more shops. There was a sharp dip in the sidewalk for deliveries to a store. We stopped there a long time as I decided where next to cross the street. I decided to go down the hill across a bridge over a rather large stream. On the way I noticed a smiling young high school student coming our way. I closed my eyes. I trusted her.<br />She glided on by without a look. I didn't even know we'd passed until I opened my eyes again. I thanked the young man and we smiled.<br /><br />On the bridge Cali slowed noticeably. Caution that tells me. She carefully crossed the bridge and picked up the pace on the other side. There was a good place to cross the road. We turned left and stopped and waited as I listened. Just then a cement truck came around the corner it was very loud.<br /><br />A motor bike driver stopped to wave us on. Thanks but no thanks as Mona would not see nor should she trust that wave. He went on. When it was quiet again, we crossed.<br /><br />On the other side we again encountered the bridge. Again she slowed - caution.<br /><br />After the bridge we pass a firehouse. It's all road surface without a sidewalk for guidance. Cali took aim at where the sidewalk started again and took us straight to it. She targeted a electric pole where the route narrowed sharply. Still enough room for us but worth noting. In front of us,<br />I noticed a metal ground doorway. The old kind where people load and unload delivering directly into a basement. I knew it would sound hollow and decided to see what Cali would do. She stopped at the metal. Good girl.<br /><br />Forward took us onto the metal. I asked her to stop before going off the metal. Another person was coming the other way. Cali lifted her head to notice this woman go by. That woman I feel certain wanted to pet Cali but held herself back. Cali did acknowledge the admiration.<br /><br />What took me by more surprise was that Cali stopped at the next yellow painted curb. I knew it was a cross walk and so did she. I had not planned to cross there but because she noticed it I thought it would be a good reward to cross there.<br /><br />Again we waited for traffic to be quiet. Across she went. On the other side we turned right to follow our original outbound sidewalk. She thought about targeting the same hydrant that she had on the way out. But, that would have made her cross in front of me. I slid down her lead and told her forward. It was just a flicker of a thought and on she went.<br /><br />This time there was a truck parked partially on the sidewalk. She targeted it. Hmmmm an interesting concept still about targeting each object only once. Or is it OK to point out that this object is long. So far, I think only once will do. So, I just ask for forward when she targets that same object more than once. Down to the next curb and turn left to go to the bus.<br />She did not veer directly to the bus. She stayed straight until we were quite close. Then, she targeted the bus. Good girl. I dropped our makeshift guide handle and sent her up the stairs onto the bus for the ride home.<br /><br />Home I decided that she might as well begin to learn how to go slowly in a guide way down the stairs of the bus. We carefully took each step, waited and clicked. It takes a good deal of hindquarter balance to come down the steps of a bus one step at a time. But, with help she got it. She is very willing to let me help her.<br /><br />I picked up her harness again and sent her forward wondering what kind of route from the bus she'd take us on. She decided to go straight towards our road. That's her normal route. In the heading straight, though she came across a pole on the ground with a storage box in my way. She stopped - good girl. She targeted the pole, I turned her right and she targeted the box.<br />All unasked. She made these decisions. We went left around the box, she found our trash.<br /><br />Technically, that wasn't in our way. I accepted the try anyway. It would give a person some reference of where they were in a tricky situation. She had to pass the horse trailer. She targeted it. I sent her home. She now knows that home is her living space. At least for now.Doloreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00878345225987396231noreply@blogger.com0