I had a nice "TRUST" moment with Q this morning...

[Heidi]

She was lying down, snoozing in her stall doorway (it is 10' wide) in the sunshine this morning when I walked up to feed her pellets. I spoke to her and she opened her eyes and looked at me and I continued to approach her. She stuck her front feet out as I walked up next to her, but then I began to massage her shoulders where her neck joins and she LOVED IT! Then I would run my hands over her withers, down alongside her spine and to her tail head and massage her upper rump quarters, then run back up her spine to her shoulders.
She stayed in that position, moving her neck out and sideways occasionally and making little grunting sounds, for about 3-4 minutes before she decided to stand up. She gave a long stretch and kept looking at me with her ears up like "Wow!" I don't think she knew my hands could make her feel so good.

I felt it was special "trust" moment with her allowing me to approach and handle her while she was down. Made me feel really good this morning.
Heidi 8-)

[paintedhorizon]

Ahhh, that's so cool!!!

[PASOFAN]

That is so neat! Sure did sound like a bonding moment.. I wish I could get there my guys too, someday... :D

[Minouri]

Those are the kinds of memories you carry with you in your heart :)

[Blameitonbrio]

That sounds like such a nice bonding experience. Now, if you could teach her to massage your back, that would be awesome! :bsmile

[lalecl]

Sounds wonderful!! Congratulations

[DebbieS]

That is really neat, Heidi. Mine always jump up when I catch them napping like that.

[stella]

Yes, She definitely trusts you completely..if a horse doesnt get up when you approach, it is one of two things.....they are ill enough not to be able to easily, or are distracted by the pain- such as a colic- OR, they trust you enough to be in a TOTALLY vulnerable position. It is a HUGE compliment that a horse pays you, to do that!
You'll likely have no trouble starting her under saddle yourself, when the time comes, because of such a firm foundation!

[Minouri]

Stella,

You left off one other possible reason why a horse continues to lie down when someone approaches.

Scooter is a smart boy. He doesn't like to be brought in during the day. We've boarded at barns in the past that switch out horses during the day to share the paddock. Scooter will lie down and close his eyes when they come to get him.


I was told the trick works great. The barn help doesn't want to fight with him so they just go get a different horse. At first they were concerned that he wasn't well, but he's done the trick for years now. We're on to him.

So it's either sick, trusting or a smartass...lol

[darcy]

I was cleaning Mia's pen on Saturday, alternating with grooming and at one point I could see her thinking about and starting to position herself to lay down, but I think the fact that I completely stopped working and stared at her kept her from doing it. Then I sat down in the middle of the pen and she came over and groomed my head for me (when I'm grooming her regularly she likes to nuzzle me) :) But then again I let her do stuff I would never let any other horse do to me, she's just not a dominant horse at all... I wish I'd had a video camera..

Those kind of experiences make shoveling all that poop worthwhile!

[Barbwire]

See, our horsies do love us, they DO! :D

[Pam M]

My husband - who's not a "horseperson" by the way - does the coolest thing with my horses. Most of them take a mid-morning nap and he's often been able to walk out there and lay down with his back up against either of my geldings and go to sleep! Not only do they not get up but when he does this the others, even some of the boarded horses, surround him and lay down also! It's freaky! And I'm soooooo jealous!!!!! I can usually scratch my own when they're down but there's no way they would let me do what he does. I know...I've tried. Even the spooky mare will lay at his feet. They stay laying down with him until he gets up. I think he's a true "horse whisperer" except for the fact that he's not really crazy about horses. Or cats but they all love him also!

[Brigitte]

I've always wanted to do that! My horse barely lay down

[CarolU]

Let me add another reason...they are just too sleepy (or lazy) to bother getting up. Santiago must be related to Sea Bisquit. He lays down a lot and we'll swear he is dead - call, whistle, slam doors...nada. Go out there and kick him, and he sits up and gives us a "Why'd you do THAT?" look, and lays back down. You have to halter him and make him get up if you want to do anything with him during his nap time. LOL

But Heidi, for OTHER horses it is a sign of trust. LOL

[SandyMM]

Ok, so neither of us are gussied up for Prime Time in this shot - but you just can't beat this for disposition in a 16 year old breeding stallion ! ;)

http://www.arrowheadpasofinos.com/Resources/EmiDisposition.jpg

[Minouri]

I have too vivid of an imagination. I just pictured what Pam's husband would do if Carol went out into the paddock and kicked HIM and told him to wake up....lol

Can we try it? Just once? come on.....

[Pam M]

He'd jump higher than the horses! But Carol has to come to Florida to do the kicking!