Phase 3 - success

Dear mom and dad,

I'm writing you to tell you about that horse I got a few weeks ago, Smaug. When he first arrived, he was terrified of all kinds of animals, which wasn't actually all that bad, since i have the perfect litte helpers here to desensitize him with me.  I started the training with old Bear, whose chill nature was really helpful for getting him more comfortable around animals. It did take a while, but you could almost call Smaug and Bear friends now.  They like to relax in each other's presence; not really interacting, just chilling. I often catch Bear lying in front of Smaug's stall these days.

In the last few weeks, I've  started slowly introducing him to the other animals. First the cats since they tend to be more quiet and laid back,  so they didn't startle him too bad.  Next the chickens, who were a bit of a challenge, since they are a bit noisy and erratic. Luckily they're small and pretty non-threatening though, so he got used to them fairly quickly. After that I started showing him the sheep, goats and cows; which did give us a bit of trouble. One time the goats got into a fight and spooked Smaug so bad, he got away from me and ran off, which was the first time he did that, as he is usually very careful and respectful around me. Guess is was just too much all at once, but he didn't hurt me, so I forgive him. I was scared that he'd be hard to find after a fright like that, but luckily i found him just a few minutes later, grazing peacefully with his new friends, Boots and King. That's right! They're a tight-knit herd already. I couldn't be happier with how quickly they all got along. It really helped with Smaug's anxiety as well.  

It's now been a few weeks of training, and  I think we've gotten quite far in his desensitization. He doesn't get startled by animals anymore, unless one jumps out at him unexpectedly, which to be honest, would absolutely spook me too.  Smaug is, as it turns out, quite an avid hiker. He really seems to enjoy walks and trail rides. He's also very sure footed, has smooth gaits and takes very good care of his handler or rider, even in stressful situations. Once we can be sure he's absolutely desensitized to all kinds of animals that we could encounter out there, I think he could be a great trail horse, even for a beginner rider. 

Today I got him into the arena with the sheep, and walked after them with him. He initially stayed behind me, unsure of the situation. But once he saw the sheep walking away he started gaining some confidence, and by the end of the session he boldly trotted after them with me barely being able to keep up. I couldn't be more proud of the progress he made, and I'm sure he'll be the most confident horse ever in no time.

Hoping to see you again soon,

your Amie