Hey, you really can learn something about horses from books!

As I walked into the front pasture with our three horses a while ago I saw the hot wire (it's not hooked up) laying in the field and started pulling it up, hoping one of the horses hadn't gotten tied up. As I started rolling it I noticed it lead me right to Smoke - of all the three, thank goodness it was her. So there I stood, very little training and knowing she refuses to stand tied for me yet but urgency setting in that this must be dealt with a quickly. I headed for a bucket of grain and went back out. They all came running and patiently (believe it or not) awaited their turn with the bucket. Following what I've read about natural horsemanship, I've never "caught" them with grain. I allow them to come to me and enjoy it but I simply stroke and scratch them while they're eating. When they're finished and still hanging around I will calmly step away and they follow - at that point I'll attach a lead as they stretch their neck out to me. I even relished the breakthroug with Midnight - I was able to scratch his ears, neck, and withers while he was having his turn and then I make a point of touching the halter and jiggling it just a little next to the bucket -- but pointedly letting go. He never flinched.

But back to Smoke. After the bucket was empty she followed me to the gate and I tied her up. I walked away and stood quietly for several minutes while she expressed her distress. Then I went to get the wire cutters. After she'd calmed down I let her sniff them and tried to figure out how I was going to communicate that I needed to get this wire off but not tell her "she must" -- I wanted her to know I'd like to do something around her hoof and hoped she would cooperate. I was fully prepared for this to take some time and even ready to move her into a stall until Ed got home if I needed to.

The instant I touched the wire she reached back and nipped me. While it smarted quite a bit, I simply walked away and stood with my back to her for several minutes. I kept my irritation in check because frankly I'd be upset if someone was messing with my leg while it hurt too so I certainly understood her telling me to back off. But this had to be done. After some time I went back and made sure she saw the cutters then I rubbed them over her neck and body. This time when I bent down she didn't flinch. After cutting away the long pieces she was dragging and getting them out of the way, I let her rest a minute because I knew the next part would be tricky - it was tightly wrapped about eight times around her ankle and I wasn't sure if I would be better off cutting it or unwinding it. I waited a few steps away until she nudged me letting me know it was ok to start again. Turned out to be very loose so a couple of snips right at her bone and it was free - she never moved or even flinched as the wire was being cut off and untwisted from her leg. It wasn't on nearly as tight as I thought so there wasn't even an indention or any marks on her.

After it was finished I left her tied for just a while longer and then walked with her to a very nice green patch of grass outside the pasture to give her a few minutes of grazing - the grass is always greener ..... you know the rest. When I lead her back into the pasture she followed me for several minutes before I snuggled with her and then walked away.

Now, this may not seem like much to those who've been around horses but to me it was huge! I could have tied her and insisted she stand while I messed with a her leg and I could have expressed anger or even violence at her biting me. But I didn't. Instead I gained her trust and understood her situation - I didn't tell her "she must" at all and I allowed her to be irritated, only to calm down and let me help her.