Making Friends with Sammi

I had mixed feelings about bringing Cassie to meet Sammi. Some of them were fear- I did not want either horse to get hurt. Some of them were selfish-by introducing Cassie to another horse, I was certain our relationship would fly out the window.

I really had nothing to worry about, and I really should give myself more credit for the relationship I've already established in the 2 short weeks I've known Cassie.
As you may have already guessed- the initial meeting went down pretty uneventful. A little bit a sniffing, 1 or 2 squeals, and then nothing.
Cassie seemed really excited to be in the arena, but kept her distance from Sammi, and Sammi did the same. I was able to capture some of it on film.
Now, about my selfish worries....forget about them. Cassie made sure she knew where I was at all times, and spent about 70% of the time by my side, or very near by. Maybe this was because she was scared of her new friend, or her surroundings. She's met Sammi before, and she's been in the arena before. But my heart warmed as she sought comfort by my side. It'll be interesting to see how close we still are after a few days of Cassie living with Sammi.
Sammi was very patient with us both. She was in an interesting situation. Both Cassie and myself are relatively strangers to her. I've never spent any remarkable amount of time with Sammi- and Cassie has sniffed Sammi over a fence a couple of times. So here we were, the white horse and I, barging into Sammi's living space. Her herd freshly removed from the scene- she's spent a few days alone, and seemed to be ready for some company. All the same, she kept her distance from the both of us.
Once Cassie's playtime was over, i went into the arena and sat on a barrel. It wasn't long before I had both horses exploring my person, my camera. Once Sammi saw that Cassie and I were friends, she too wanted in on it.
If you've never spent undemanding time with your horses, you are really missing out. Words nor pictures can describe the feelings that were being passed back and forth from all beings involved in this encounter.

For me, this was a HUGE learning session.

Ally learned:

-Cassie sees me as safety when she is unsure.

-Cassie wants to be with me.-2 weeks is not a lot of time, but I've made a positive impression on Cassie.

Cassie Learned:

-I can count on Ally for protection, and for bum scratches.

-Ally loves to be with me, and Sammi too.

-I feel safe enough to roll, play, and be a curious 5 yr old.

Pat is right when he says, "horses don't care what you know until they know you care."

Happy Thursday, everyone!

-Ally