May 28
Cali and Penny—another eventful day
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
May 29
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.

Cali and Penny

May 27

Yesterday, my new yearling filly, Penny, arrived. I was so excited ! I
could hardly stand it. My plan is to try to train this little filly
and see if she can become someone's guide, or, God forbid, if
something happened to Cali, she might become my guide. I know, I know,
I haven't ever trained a guide, and Cali and I haven't been a team for
too long. Still, I think I'm up for the challenge. Even if Penny
doesn't become a guide, she could still do some other work, such as
helping someone in a wheelchair or something else equally important.
I'm pretty inexperienced in some ways, but I know enough about Cali
and therefore horses, to say that I'm sure I can do this. Of course,
I'll need some help along the way. Hence, the myriad questions I'll be
posing to lists I'm on, but questions are good. Learning is good.
First, let me give a little description of Penny and her lineage, as I
find it fascinating. Penny's full name is IPO's Pennystock. Her
father, IPO, is a three-time national AMHR champion and is in the Amhr
hall of fame, and her grandfather is also a national champion. Her
mother is a granddaughter of Buckarooo, a famous little stallion.
Penny is a liver chestnut, which I have learned means she is a
chocolate brown all over, including her mane and tail. Although Penny
is beautifully proportioned, she wouldn't win in halter shows because
her coloring isn't striking. Of course, I don't mind and think she's
adorable. She has an Arab face, I think, and is very fine-boned. The
breeder estimates that she'll be about Cali's size, and although Cali
is probably the largest guide horse, I don't think Penny's size will
be a problem.
When I first met Penny at a mini expo nearly two weeks ago, I wasn't
intending to buy a mini, I swear! My only interest was to look at tack
for minis and to see babies and moms. Penny's breeder, Max White, was
showing one of his mares and had brought along two mares and their
foals, two precious little ones that will be a little bigger than
Cali. We were about to leave when Max mentioned that he had a little
yearling filly if we were interested in seeing her. Now, who could
pass up the chance to see another little mini? I know Claudia, the
friend I live with, and I sure couldn't, so we went out to see her.
Max told me matter-of-factly that Penny was a little skittish and that
she probably wouldn't let us handle her but that he'd try to see if
she'd be cooperative. She didn't resist when he went to get her. This
sounds really weird, but as soon as I touched her, I just knew she was
mine. There was nothing else to be said. Max warned me that Penny
wouldn't let me walk her on a lead rope and that in fact, she was
always out on pasture and handled only for vet visits, but when I
asked if I could take her lead rope, he relented. This little horse
just walked with me as if we'd been doing it forever! It was amazing.
Bystanders commented on it, and I was thrilled. There was a connection
between us that I can't explain. It was like the connection I felt the
first time Dolores brought Cali over and she walked out of the trailer
and lined right up to me. I just knew this was meant to be.
Anyhow, I digress. Back to my story about Penny's arrival yesterday.
When Penny arrived, I took her halter and stood outside with her for a
while. Whenever a car went by, she would turn and look, her ears would
go back, then forward. She was also interested in her reflection in
the Explorer parked in the driveway. She nickered at the little horse
she saw, and I laughed at her.
I took Penny into the yard for a while and just stood with her while
she relaxed a bit and had some grass. I checked to see where she would
and wouldn't let me touch her. Her face, back, chest, and tummy are
all fine, but her legs are off limits, apparently. That was the only
time she tried to kick me. Because it was raining out, I took out
Cali's old raincoat, one that I'd bought and didn't fit her, and put
it on Penny. It fits her perfectly. What I don't like about it is that
you have to put it over the animal's head before you can fasten it, so
if an animal is at all nervous, you have a problem. Also, it's a tight
fit on a mini, even a little one like Penny. She did fantastically,
though, as I encouraged her the whole way and was careful to make it
as quick at possible. I inadvertently leaned against her a few times,
and she was fine with that. Now, this is a horse that hadn't even been
taught to lead, so I was astonished at just what she'd tolerate.
Then I made the mistake of introducing Penny to Cali. They had met at
the expo, but of course, that was on neutral territory, so all that
happened was a little squealing on Cali's part and a lot of ignoring
on Penny's. When I put Penny into Cali's pen, there was quite a
commotion. Cali kept chasing Penny round and round, and when Penny
tried to escape by running into the shed, miss Cali followed her.
Penny kept whinny and ran out again. I heard a lot of crashing around,
like Cali had kicked the wall of the shed. At this point, I decided to
intervene. I know horses have to work things out, but Cali was
protecting her turf, which meant that she wouldn't take kindly to
Penny's intrusion. So I went into the pen and took Cali out. Penny had
had a stressful day and hadn't pooped at all since she'd arrived, and
I wanted her to get a chance to poop, pee, and maybe eat and drink a
little. Cali came with me, and she got a bath, as she'd gotten muddy
from running around so much. Her area is a morass right now, due to
all the rain we've been having, and I wanted to take her into the
house and keep her occupied for a few hours so that Penny would have
some time to herself. Although Bruce, Claudia's husband, has built an
extension on the shed and partitioned it for the two girls, they
wouldn't be separated, as they'd have the ability to go into the shed
or out if they so chose. That's why I decided that Cali had to come
and stay in the house for a while.
Cali was patient while she got her bath, even though the hot water
wasn't on and it was pretty chilly out. Then I took her inside. At
first, she wouldn't listen to anyone. She pushed past everyone, turned
away when she was called, and generally made a nuissance of herself.
Then I walked over to her, took her halter, and said firmly, "That's
enough, Cali. You may be the boss in the shed, but here, you'll be a
good girl and do what I say." Right away, she calmed down.
I took her into my room and worked on some basic obedience like
coming, touching my hand, lining up, and finding a chair. Then I asked
her to wait, and for the next hour or so, she was wonderful. She just
stood patiently by while I worked. I will say this for the umteenth
time: Cal is an amazing, brilliant little horse!
By the time I went out with Cali, Bruce had partitioned the shed and
pen off so that each of the horses had a section of their own but
could touch aroses through the fence. Both had stalls, so they would
be out of the wind and rain, which made me happy. This is just a
temporary fix until Bruce can open up a larger section of the yard and
give the two horses more room. Hopefully, by that time, they'll get
along better. One can hope, right?
I fed both horses and noticed that Penny was shivering, but I thought
maybe it was due to nervousness. I jave her extra hay and let her be.
This morning, when I fed both horses, Penny was shivering. I think
it's because she was body clipped and the weather has been cooler than
normal. I took out a foal blanket that's heavier than a summer sheet
but not as heavy as a winter blanket, and after I put it on her, she
stopped shivering. I feel bad because I should have done this last
night. Sorry, Penny. I'll try to do better.

Penny didn't eat or drink much last night, which was really worrying,
so I decided to see if she'd try some of Cali's timothy hay pellets,
which I use as treats when we're out. Penny is on sweet feed and
alfalfa grass mix, which I don't think is good for minis, as they're
too high in sugar and protein. I'm going to wean Penny off of them and
get her on Cali's diet of Purina Horse Chow and timothy hay, but in
the meantime, she refused to eat her grain. I was really worried about
that because really, what horse will pass up sweet feed?
However, when I gave Penny some hay pellets, she had no problem eating
them. The funny thing is, she'll only take one at a time, chew it up,
and then touch my hand for more. I guess it won't be too hard to
ration her treats. I wonder if she'll be as motivated by food as Cali
is.
While I was out with Penny, I discovered that she really likes to be
scratched. I'm not sure how I'll introduce her to clicker training, if
maybe I'll use scratches instead of food at first or if that's unwise.
I don't know that food is really motivating to Penny, except for
grass, I think, so I'm going to have a little challenge on my hands.
This afternoon, a friend and I went walking. I took Penny along just
to get her used to being led and also to see new things in a
controlled, safe way. She was really interested in everything and
sometimes pinned her ears at new things, like barking dogs, but after
a moment, her ears would go forward and she'd just walk on. She really
isn't skittish at all, especially when I let her know that everything
is fine. I pretend that all these new things are just routine, and she
seems to pick up on my confidence. We didn't walk down busy streets,
so when a car was passing us by just before we were going to cross a
street, I had Penny stand, wait, and watch. She was concerned about
the car and her ears went back for a moment, but she didn't startle at
all. Instead, she just watched the car go by. I'm glad she's wary of
cars because that's going to be important WHEN she becomes a guide.
I also noticed that as we were walking, she was content to walk on my
left side and just a little behind me, but when I asked her to walk
beside me, she wanted to cut in front of my friend and lead. I had to
get her to walk beside me again, which didn't take me very long. It
pleased me that she wanted to be in the lead because I think this
bodes well for her future. You want a guide that is willing to make
some decisions, a guide that wants to lead the way, one that is
willing to accept directions but will also take the lead if need be.
This is how Cali is, and I think that's a major part of what makes her
such an awesome guide.
We only walked for a few blocks, but in that short time, Penny saw a
mom with her two little kids, one in a stroller, quite a few barking
dogs, tempting bushes and grass, and cars in driveways. We heard kids
playing, people running power tools, and a few cars coming from behind
us. While Penny was concerned at all this, she didn't startle even
once, which made me proud, as if I'd accomplished something.
Then we went to my friend's yard, which had a few interesting things
in it, including logs set in a circle with an opening at one end so
that it looks like a fort. I wanted to see what Penny would do if I
asked her to walk through that "doorway," and although she hesitated
and pinned her ears for a moment, she walked right through. Then we
went home, and she was allowed to relax. Granted, we were only out for
about half an hour, but I think she did an amazing job. Unless I'm
completely wrong (which is always possible and maybe even probable),
Penny seems very curious and definitely smart. Of fwhrse, for whatever
reason, she might not make it as a guide, but either way, she's a
marvelous little horse, and I've fallen in love with her.
When we returned, Cali was very upset. She kept marching around her
area, splattering herself with even more mud. Treats cured her of her
jealwhsy, though, and I hope the hugs and kisses contributed as well.
Penny is an awesome horse, but Cali is my baby. I want to do them both
justice. It'll take a whole lot of work, time, and love, but I'm
willing to invest all that into both of them. One day, I hope to start
a foundation for people with disabilities who want an alternative to
service and guide dogs. Horses aren't for everyone, or even most
people, but people should have the opportunity and ability to choose.
I don't want others to have to save up for years for a horse as I did,
even though it makes me cherish Cali even more. Instead, I want horses
to someday become available to people just as guide dogs are. They're
much more work than a dog, but there are advantages to having a horse,
including their life span and the fact that horses, unlike many dogs,
aren't clingy. They're content to go out and graze when they're done
working. I like dogs and would get a German shepherd if I ever needed
a dog for some reason; however, a horse suits me better. So one day,
I hope to help others have the same choice I did. Again, a great deal
of time, effort, and money will have to be put into this, but I'm up
for the challenge. Life is about challenges, after all, and world,
bring them on!

A Little Horse with a Big Story

Today, Cali and I attended the annual Michigan National Association of
Social Workers http://www.naswdc.org/ conference as presenters.

Well, I presented and Cali did what she does best—work and look completely adorable.

Claudia, my friend, was pretty nervous about the whole thing, while I wasn't at
all. In a novel, that would have boded ill for me and I would have
made a complete mess of things. Luckily, this is real life, and my
lack of nervousness just meant I was completely relaxed about the
whole thing.

As usual, Cali was a huge success. People told me I did a wonderful
job, and when I thanked them, I had to add that Cali makes the whole
thing even better! She was the most perfect of the perfect, the
sweetest of the sweet. Everyone fell in love with her, despite the
fact that she wasn't as cute as she might have been.

So, the story goes like this: Due to unforseen circustances, I didn't
give my girl a bath yesterday and so rushed to do it this morning. She
was an angel while getting a bath (I think it helped that the water
was hot!), and I didn't have any trouble at all with her. The only
funny thing was that she decided by drink the hot water from the hose.
I pulled it away pretty quickly because I didn't know if it would make
her sick. Call me overpretective because well, I am. That's probably
the reason I won't have kids. God only knows what I'd do to them, for
them!

Anyhow, I dried Cali off as best I could, but we were running late,
which meant I didn't have much time. I figured she'd aear dry pretty
quickly, especially since we were in the car and the heat was on, but
as all too frequently happens, I was WRONG.

When we got to the NASW conference, Miss Cali was still a little damp
and her hair was going everywhere! She was spikey and so NOT cute! So
I took her into the bathroom and brushed her. Okay, so I carry a brush
and shampoo in my backpack. It isn't a crime, right? Anyway, amidst
numerous questions from women who came in to the ladies' room, I
brushed her as well as I could, meaning that I made her look only
marginally better. Despite that, during the conference, many people
commented on how beautiful she is. My only rejoinder was, "That's
because she's so awesome!"

After the conference was over, Cali took me straight to the bank of
elevators and did not hesitate when one of the doors opened. She
walked right in even before I realized that a door had opened. Of
course, I was impressed and gave her lots of praise.

After the conference, we went to my parents' house for dinner. As soon
as we got out of the car, Cali made a beeline for the fence of her
enclosure, showed me the fence, then put her head down to graze. This
is something she did last summer. It's something I taught her because I
wanted her to show me the fence in order to get my bearings before I
allowed her to stop and graze. And again, she impressed me. Obviously,
she remembered the rule.

When Cali was put into her pen, she decided it was time to roll, and
roll she did. There was straw and hay on the ground to keep down the
mud, Cali decided it was just fine to roll and get dusty. I would
have cried. After all, I'd only just given her a bath in the morning,
but I decided that a horse is a horse, and mine is just Cali.

I am normally meticulous about brushing Cali before I go anywhere, but
after dinner, when we were ready to leave, I found that Cali had once
again rolled. There was straw in her mane, tail, and forelock, and she
was happy. I brushed out some of the straw with my hands and said,
"Fogret it." Then we went home.

Every day, Cali amazes me, teaches me something new about people and
love and horses. she taught me today that I underestimate her and even
myself, that I'm capable of doing more than I think, and that she is
simply magnificent, best of the best, cutest of the cutest, and
sweetest of the sweet. May she have many more happy, healthy,
love-filled years! And may I be deserving of her love and trust and
loyalty. Often, I tell her how much I love her, and I hope she really
understands.

--
Mona

Cali can, Cali does

I am completely exhausted after a long, grueling day at school. The
last week has been hard because I've had a horrible migraine that just
would not let up, and now I've got so much catching up to do.
I thought that since I haven't been working Cali for a few days, she
would test me today. I thought I was in for a little bit of a
challenge. How wrong one can be!

When we got to school after an hour and a half of a car ride, Cali was
the perfect girl. She found the button for the elevator, and when we
heard the ping and she saw an elevator door opening, she knew that was
where we were supposed to go. Smart girl!

We got to class, and I found a good spot for her. The classroom is
actually a computer lab, and it's carpeted, which meant I had to find
a place where Cali would have enough room to lie down if she so
chose. That, she often does, to the delight of my classmates.
I sat down and settled myself, intending to tie Cali to my chair, but I
inadvertently let go of her leash. Cali walked sedately off, but
not where I thought she would go. My assuption was that she would head
for the door (and please, God, don't let it be open, I thought as I
stood up to go after her), but it turned out that Cali had no
intention of going to the door. Instead, she walked up to my professor
and lined up beside her, calm as can be. Mortified, I grabbed her
leash, and we went back to where we were supposed to be. Not exactly
inconspicuous, but how can you be with a miniature horse at your side?
Then, during our measley ten-minute break, I took Cali outside to
potty. She had never peed here before, so I wasn't sure she would,
especially since she had to stand in about four inches of snow. But no
sooner had I given her the command than she did what she was supposed
to. Talk about a wonderful horse!

When I walked back into the classroom, the professor was just handing
out more computer printouts (sigh) and asked what I had been up to. I
told her, and she congratulated Cali. A job well done.

On the way home, we stopped at a tractor supply store and bought a few
things I needed for Cali. Okay, so she insisted on stopping at the bag
of green apple treats, and okay, so I bought them for her. Every once
in a while, I can do that, right?

Cali did a beautiful job guiding in the store, as there were many
obstacles. You can imagine how a tractor supply store would be full of
horsey delights, but my girl just walked on by. There was only one
slight mishap. Someone had left a bag of feed at the edge of an aisle,
and my foot caught on it. I stopped Cali and made her backtrack. She
pointed out the bag, then carefully took me around it. Precious,
beautiful, special little girl.

Then we went back out to get into the pickup truck. Cali has learned a
new technique of getting in, as she has slipped several times, mostly
on ice. Now, what she does is gather her back legs under her, pushing
them forward beneath her, and she leaps up more than forward.
Apparently, it makes it less likely for her to slip. I'm so happy she
figured this out on her own instead of just giving up. In the morning,
when we'd left for school, she slipped twice and had to be helped up
by partially being lifted. Cali is probably the biggest of the
miniature horse guides, so giving her a lift is a challenge, and a
workout! But she wasn't afraid at all, and simply seems to have
learned what to do.

I know to many people, this doesn't seem like such an awesome Cali
day. But to me, it is a day when I reaffirmed that Cali does her job
as well as any other guide. It is a day when I woke up and felt
healthy enough to get what I needed done, and it is a day when
everything I saw made me remember why I'm grateful to be where I'm at.
Life is hard sometimes—complicated and full of challenges that we
think we might not be able to handle. But we can. Cali has shown me
that Cali CAN, and she DOES. Therefore, what more can I do but follow
her grace? If Cali can try, if Cali can persevere, it is my duty, my
privilege, to keep on keeping on as well, because I can't let my sweet
girl down.
.

School Days

I 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:

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.

If she writes more I'll update this page. I know Cali loves Mona as much as Mona loves Cali. Life is good.

The Wonder of a Mini Horse Guide

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

"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."

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.

A Close Call?

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

I just wanted to give you these little updates because they were interesting and well, educational, for me, at least.

Now I'll go, as Cali is probably starving. I'm a few minutes late with nighttime hay and potty and grooming.

Love always and forever,

Mona

Long Cali Update

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Work, Work, and well, more WORK!

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.

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!

To Pee, or Not to Pee

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.

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.

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.

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 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?

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?

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Let Her Guide!

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 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.

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.

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.

;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.

Cali did have a bit of a problem walking on the slippery tiles, but I helped her by walking slowly and encouraging her.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I Think I Can

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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.