Coming home now. A Gower filly returns to her mother's group after an excursion with her herd brothers to explore the wider world. A really natural part of growing up in free-living horses all around the world. Helping grow resilience, from a secure base.
I'm working with a client and her homebred filly who is now rising three to provide the same in a far more domesticated situation. The future looks bright for a happy, safe riding horse because we have not only been working on training obedient responses but because we have been working hard on building a secure attachment bond between horse and owner. Just like a youngster with her extended family in nature. Absolute key to staying safe and secure, and having a positive experience.
This has been achieved through walking out together once or twice a week. Rewarding calm, rythmic forwards movement with head and neck telescoping forwards. Allowing pauses to take in and evaluate new sights, sounds, touch and smells - and also tastes! Using target muzzle to hand to check in before moving on and going home. Lovely co-regulation where the owner focuses on being able to stay grounded and to come back to grounded so her baby horse can too.
Another aspect of this filly's life is her mother. She hasn't been permanently separated from her, just the increasing excursions from the field. And mum has been taken out to ride too while aunt and uncle horse do a sterling baby sit. Originally the first thing that would happen on reunion is that baby and mum would engage in suckling. But now something has changed. The temporary absences no longer provoke anxiety, and now there is far less need to nurse. Today I watched the filly approach as though to nurse, but then changed her mind and walked on. Her mum neither threatened her or moved off. In fact she would have suckled her if she wanted.
Growing up happens when horses feel safe and secure. With parent horses, with the extended hers, and with the people who care for and interact with them. This way weaning happens, and there is no drama 🦙🦄🐴
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