[spring.]

as i walked out to the paddock the next morning, i found him trotting around the paddock, looking at his surroundings. "good morning!" i called as i approached. he halted and stared at me, nostrils flaring and eyes wondering what i was doing. in one arm i held hay, and i gently put it into the paddock, making sure he got my scent in the process. i watched him eat, looking at me every so often with concern. i walked into the paddock and he began trotting around again, moving away from any movement i made. i held my ground, taking out a granola bar. the wrapper got his attention. but he didn't see the halter i held in my other hand. as he made his way over, i slipped the halter over his head, quickly clasping it. he reared, he wasn't used to having someone touch his head at all. he started trotting around the paddock again, watching me carefully. the halter fit him well, luckily, and he didn't seem to mind it, it was just the touch on his head. hmm, yes, this would be difficult. i watched him, opening my granola bar and pulling out the oats and honey bar. spare pieces of it fell to my feet, and i watched him as he stopped to look at them. i backed away from them, and he stepped closer, looking at them and picking them up from the ground. he crunched on them, and looked at the bars in my hand.

he liked them. i held out another piece carefully, hand completely flat. he walked closer and sniffed it, carefully taking it from my hand like i might touch him again. oh, how i wanted to be able to pet him. his big brown eyes regarded me as i held out another piece of the bar to him. he took it, much more eagerly, and i reached up to pat him gently. he shied away, moving around to the edge of the paddock, but he looked at me.

would this become a game?

[spring.]

i walked out to the paddock at about nine in the morning, much more confident after yesterday's short, but important session. i held a lead rope in my hand, and some more granola bars in the other. morning hay had already been fed, and the gelding was standing, looking for... me? well, he had nothing else to do, but play, so when i walked over, he perked his ears. he caught the scent of the granola bar, and he nodded his head in anticipation. ah, but only if we behave. i walked in and he walked over to me, regarding me carefully, but rubbery lips were looking for those little bits of oats and honey.

"ah." i reprimanded as he got too nosy, and he moved his head quickly. a quick learner? i held out a piece of the granola, stuffing the rest into my pockets. as he reached out, i gently clipped the lead rope, letting him hear the sound. he flinched, but his taste for the granola was leading him... best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?

i clipped the lead rope to his halter, and he didn't really notice at first as he crunched his granola. but i tugged on it gently and he pulled back, surprised by the tension. i held firm, pulling back to my hips, demanding his attention and submission. he started to rear, and i pulled down, forcing his poll down so he couldn't finish the act. he started turning to run, and while he was strong, i had a long lead rope meant just for this. keeping a tension, i let him to go the fence and run around the edges. he was looking for escape... he wouldn't find it. not until he submitted. i kept the tension, waiting for his head to drop, for him to stop, or for him to turn to me and drop his head.

finally, he released his tension on the rope, dropping his poll and stopping. immediately, i offered him granola. then i pulled the rope towards me, backing up. he fought, but only for a moment before dropping his head and walking forward. another bit of granola. i increased in increments until he was comfortable walking toward me. then i turned, and walked forward. instantly, he moved to follow. i stopped, and i pulled back to indicate he should stop. he stopped, looking to me. granola. now that i had some form of ground control, i reached out to place my hand on his neck. he shied away, and i held the lead rope firmly. it wasn't that easy any more. he kept backing up, but i just walked towards him, keeping the same tension. eventually he stopped, putting his head down. i unclipped the lead rope, and he just looked to me.

"that's enough for today, yea?" i asked, walking toward the gate. he followed, looking for the last bit of granola. i fed it to him. yes, this gelding was smart... i promised myself i wouldn't get attached but it seemed he was growing on me.

[spring.]

so keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
just keep on reaching though the limb might break
we've come this far, don't you be scared now
'cause you can learn to fly on the way down

i walked out to the paddock again, though today i was determined to get my hands on him. i was armed to the nines with granola, and i held that hunter green lead rope i had used to tame him yesterday. i looked to him as he trotted up to me, knowing i had granola. i smiled as i clipped the lead rope to him, walking him around, stopping and turning. man, was he a great horse. i reached out to pat his neck again, holding his lead firmly. my hand made a gentle contact, and he was pulling back. i held him firm, my hand staying on his neck. eventually, with a lot of struggle, he calmed. i let my hand rest for a moment before offering him granola. i then put my hand in the same spot, and while he tensed, he was too focused on his granola to fight. i gently ran my hand down his neck, and he realized that this was a pleasurable experience, not a harmful one. i smiled to myself as i gently pet his neck, slowly moving up towards his face. my hand made it to his cheek and he raised his head. i pulled it back down, gently scratching his cheek and murmuring. finally he caved, and my hands could go anywhere on his face and neck. a huge breakthrough. i gave him some granola and he happily crunched it down while i worked on getting my hands all over his body. he got nervous, not seeing everything, but he soon became confident that i would never harm him. i realized then that he was just a big baby, scared of all the new around him. i ran my hands down his legs, asking him to lift them. he lifted them, only because he thought it was something else. but i held his feet, stretching his legs like a farrier would. he was very unsure, but some granola calmed him. i was moving more confidently around him, and he was following me like a puppy, looking for that granola. gosh, he was honestly adorable. i wondered what he thought of me. was i his best friend, his master, or just his food bearer? i went inside, and changed into granola- free clothes. he still knew it was me, and was still following me. this made my ego inflate. i clipped a lead rope to him. today i would start just basic in hand training. i walked him around, eventually asking him to trot next to me. he seemed wowed by this, as if this was never an option. finally we worked on stopping and getting him to 'square up'. eventually he was doing it right when i stopped and turned to face him. i saw then how much he adored me, and i him.