Liberty

Been playing more with liberty with Cici. Since the doors to the indoor don't close I leave her halter on and loop the 12' around her neck. Gives me a safety. Sort of. Well it allows me to think I have a safety LOL. Setting things up for success. And she has not walked out the door. Hopefully don't need to amend that with a yet.

Cici really likes this. She is much more engaged with me and her environment. I'm trying to see how things are different. How I am acting, where I am standing, distances, what I do. What I really notice is how softly and quietly I ask. The "How little will it take." And I allow her time to think.

Today of course off to the pedestal. Someone apparently decided it should not be in the ring and dragged it over to side. Why they did this is beyond me. So it is now stuck in the corner with the poles and jump standards and all sorts of debris. Cici can access it by two sides only. One is parallel to the wall and the other is facing the wall. It is way too heavy for me to move. And Cici seems still interested in it and paws the top with her foot.

When we leave the pedestal Cici notices the new Golden Ball I got her. One of the big yoga balls. She walks straight to it and first paws at it, then noses it and pushes it down the long side - following and pushing. I just following along. This is sooooo cool. She stops at a broom that is leaning against the wall. Noses it, tastes the handle, knocks it down and then plays with it with her nose. Back to the ball. All of this she is doing. I am just standing watching with my jaw hanging open.

Pushes the ball into a chair at the end of the ring. Now she moves over to check the chair out. Finds a left over dressage whip on the chair and picks it up, puts it down, picks it up, looks over at me and then drops it again.

I ask her to come to me from about 10 feet away. She thinks. and thinks. I move to the side to disengage her hindend and she walks to me. We walk around a bit and she is walking with me. Not that slow hesitant walk but her forward walk! Sideways along the wall. She will go about 12 -14' from me before she stops. Progress.

To the cones for figure 8 but she decides it put your foot on the cone time. I love that she is offering so much. I take what she offers for now. Decided to end the session and head to the end of the ring where her blanket is, its going to be in the single digits tonight, and she offers sideways TO the pedestal. One more pawing at the top. What a rock star!