The Katie Journey - Day Six

13-02-13

Some people say that the number '13' is an unlucky number. I think I may have proven them wrong at least in regards to today. Today was our best day with the horses yet! Totally Epic!

We started by getting them in - obviously. The brumbies were out in the opposite corner of the paddock to where we wanted them so Ella and I took half a biscuit of hay and went out after them. "Come-on. Come-on." We called until we were almost hoarse. Then we spotted them. Then they spotted us. Heads went up and they started trotting up the hill. They trotted past us and I said to Ella, "Wouldn't it be cool if they just went right up to the gate?" Well guess what? They did! We were pretty happy about that!

So they got their hay, and we got our horses. Once we had them in the yards, Josh caught Thunderbolt in the small yard while Jennie helped me catch Katie by standing behind her to make sure she wouldn't run off every time I got her in the corner. Having other horses in the yard with you makes it a bit harder so that is why I needed a bit of help.

I took Katie out into one of the yards that Josh usually works in and Katie and I worked on one side while Josh and Thunderbolt worked on the other. Today we concentrated on lead-work. I was very proud of my girl. She leads really well and had even started to come up right behind me and stand with her muzzle only an inch or so away from my elbow when I stop. 

After a while she got bored and I got bored and tired of just walking around a little yard, so I brushed her down and brushed her mane out. 

The major break-through for today was that she let me stroke her all over her face, her fore-lock and even play with her ears - something she hasn't allowed me to do before. 

She has always been shy of her ears because when she was caught from the National Park, they gave her an ear-twitch while they branded her, meaning they grabbed her ear, twisted it, and yanked down on it as hard as they could so that every time she moved it hurt her. Now she trusts me enough to know that I'm not going to hurt her and she's let me play with her ears.

Tomorrow I'm going to keep working on the lead-work and soon we'll start getting her ready to accept a bridle and a saddle!

On the way back up from the horses, I was talking to Hannah and Ella about Katie and about her foal that she will hopefully have and I had an amazing thought that just thrilled me in realising again how awesome God is.

When I was a little girl, I always longed to own a bay mare with a black mane and tail and four black socks. When I grew up a bit, my dream horse was a brown and white paint. Now, I own a horse and she is in foal. Katie is a bay, with a black mane and tail and four black socks and her foal will most probably be brown and white and my dream horse! How AWESOME is God!

Our 'wild' ones. Katie in the front, then Thunderbolt and Karan with Star and Aurora in the background.