Day 2

This morning I knew I would have to deal with dominance issues. Yes we are a herd, but I do need to be able to go to Casey and halter him without CiCi commenting. I was prepared and had to do some specific driving her away. Boy can she be one determined Alpha mare. She didn’t take to my exerting my Alpha over hers lightly LOL. Got head tossing, and a bit of prancing toward and away from me. But she did give us space and I was able to halter Casey and take him out of the paddock for some one-on-one time, which I hadn’t done yesterday.

I took her into the barn for a grooming session with other horses. She looks at everything and you can just about hear her thinking. She is noticed by all the geldings. Patrick was looking as was Georgie.

We then went for a walk out on the trails, hand walking, and she was not disturbed or bothered by anything. Through the underbrush, over rocks, over trees, between narrow spaces. We were following for a while and then Rebekah and Vivian said go up ahead and see how she is leading. Not a problem.

She does not have very good ground manners about being lead in the woods. Doesn’t share the narrow trails well with me or yield when walking by trees, but that is something I can easily work with. I am just so used to Jeeps, who followed behind me. But then again I had done a lot of ground work with her for her to be able to do that.

As CiCi is settling in I am seeing more of her personality emerging. She is a spirited soul. When I put her back in her paddock, she trots (floating trot) around to reestablish her domain.

I’ve also noticed in the day and a half that Casey is not running away when she goes after him, he just gets out of the way. Of course I want them eating their hay side by side. But I'll just have to practice patience.