Shelter

Here's a picture of Molly's new shelter. This was a very generous Christmas gift last year from my sister, S. and her boyfriend, J. (I gave them each...a pair of gloves. *sigh*). Today it happens to be raining steadily, so I went up to the barn to see if Molly had decided yet to use the shelter. She hadn't. 

I put her halter on her and walked her into it, until she got the worried look. We stopped, praised, and petted for a couple of moments and then backed deliberately out.

I've tried this a couple of times in good weather, and she has made it all the way in and also managed to tolerate my tapping on the fabric sides. Then we backed out. As far as backing in goes, she eventually got one foot in and that was good for that day.

Other winters Molly has made do with only a winter weight blanket. We wondered what her previous winters in Pennsylvania were like. We wonder about the rest of her life, too. How she came by all her scars. Why she hates being in a stall. How her feet got to be so bad. Whether any of her 20 years were very good or very bad.

Though I love her and provide for her now, it would really be great if she had an owner who could get her a larger shelter and work her 3 or 4 times a week. Also who could get a full set of x-rays taken. Still, I'm always surprised that she does sometimes learn new things, even when she clearly doesn't want to at first. She's learned some groundwork tasks and has learned that even if she refuses my first request while mounted, she will eventually have to obey. 

I often wonder why she will learn one task and not another. One which I had anticipated would be nearly impossible turned out to be effortless. When I knew she would be moving, I was certain she would not load. At all. So I asked an acquaintance if we could practice with his empty trailer. A few times I just walked Molly up the ramp, paused, and backed her down. One day I asked him to stand by when I walked her all the way in. She walked right in and kept her composure as the trailer creaked and groaned. I literally could not believe it. He said she trusts me. I wonder about that a lot.