Roped In

Aspen

          Jane lead me over to a smaller pen with a filly in it. "This is Aspen. She just got weaned off her mom and is ready to start some training. We can't do as much with her as we do with older horses, but we still have to get her ready for that point. We like to desensitize our horses to anything and everything. Our horses will rarely spook at anything." I listened as the small champagne dun colored filly came over to me and lightly nudged my arm. I smiled and reached out to pet her. She turned her butt to me wanting her butt scratched.

          "Oh yes, just like her momma. Loves her booty scratches" Jane chuckled then grabbed a halter and went in to halter the foal. I climbed up and sat on the fence to watch as Jane worked her magic on this horse. She was teaching Aspen to give to pressure and she would be rewarded for every good step forward. Aspen spooked at a bird flying away from the fence and reared up then pulled back on the lead. She quickly felt that pressure on her face from the halter and gave to it which ended with getting a treat, 

          Jane grabbed a whip and swung it all around Aspen and ran it along her back, let it get tangled around her legs. Aspen didn't even care. "She's gonna be an easy one" Jane smiled and pet the foal "want to give it a try?" she asked. I nodded and jumped off the fence and took the whip and repeated what I had previously watched Jane do. Aspen still didn't care, instead she kept trying to follow me around. Jane chuckled "you've got a new friend" she handed me the lead rope. I smiled and scratched Aspen's neck then led her around the pen picked up the pace a bit to get her to trot next to me.

          "She is a dream horse" I mumbled to myself. I loved her color and how sweet she was. Jane watched as I kept leading Aspen around and swung the whipe around. "That should be good for today. You two did great! We'll do more tomorrow. Let's get the boys some lunch, their probably starving" she chuckled. She took the halter off Aspen and as we were going to leave, I felt a nudge to the back. It was the small foal still right on my heels. I smiled and pet her "I'll come back later and give you some more pets" I reassured her before I left the pen and followed Jane back to the house.