Chiro recheck and update on Cookie.

[Yip]

Dr. Natasha was very pleased with Cookie's progress and how well she kept her adjustments. I mentioned Cookie reacted badly whenever I groomed her chest and right side of neck, so she manipulated the neck again on both sides and extended and "crossed" her front legs. She was just fine after that. I am so impressed with Dr. Natasha's skills!

So anyway, I was to ride Cookie the next day and if all went well, Cookie would be released for lessons! I took her into the outdoor and things began well. We went down the long side then right after making the first turn, Cookie balked and spun around. We reversed and halfway down the opposite long side, she balked and spun again. I can't remember her ever doing such a thing in the past. I surmised and later found out the area she avoided was where she fell and got hurt so badly. It had been almost 5 weeks and she still remembered the place it happened. A friend was in the arena with us so we, reluctantly at first, followed Trudy and Rio into and through that area from both directions. We walked over all the rails as we have forever, until she balked many times at one. I was patient and she finally stepped over several times. I have no idea what that was about but it was new! Same thing where there new was a little drainage gully from the many inches of rain we had right after the accident. Again, after a lot of tries and refusals, Cookie finally stepped over it several times. After all that was sorted out, we did some very nice trotting. I had been worried almost sick over Cookie's accident and pain, but was very happy with the outcome. I'll ride again at the end of the week and hope she's over the refusals for good.

[DorothyB]

sounds like she is very concerned about uneven terrain now - maybe she thinks (rightly or wrongly) that something about the terrain caused her bad fall.

I'm glad she is doing so well!!

[Yip]

Cookie was always concerned by the larger more permanent drainage gully. It's very close to one end, so unless we're riding in a lesson, I just make the turn before we get to it. I know I should repeat many times to desensatize her, but since I'm just getting my old confidence back, I need to be safe. The new little one I didn't even notice until Cookie refused, then I had to look to see what was going on. That's near the middle, and we just can't avoid it. It hurts me that she had such a bad experience that she's become scared and suspicious. That is so unlike her. I hate that it changed her personality. We're just going to have to keep working to get her confidence back. Luckily I'm doing well enough now to be the leader she'll need.

[Marci]

It takes time to get over something traumatic like that. Sounds like your doing the right things to move past it. One thing I find that helps is talking them past something scary, or even singing them past it. Hard for us to tense up or hold our breath if we are singing. I learned that from reading about Sheila Varians training of arabs. And we know how spooky they can be. LOL
I would hold off doing lessons until she is well beyond this, while she might do well with you as you gain trust, a new rider won't have the trust built up. She might revert back to it for a while. I know with my first Spooky as heck arab gelding I found using lots of leg away from scary thing and the rein closest keeping him straight and focused on me really helped. He really taught me to sit a spook though. LOL

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"Like"

I'll ride more before Cookie goes back into the lesson program, just to be sure she's over her suspicions. There are only 3 girls who ride her and they're really good riders.