Rhoen wasn’t interested. A few days earlier, she had been wonderful when I rode her. But that Sunday, when I offered her a saddle, halter, and lead rope, she showed no interest. I groomed her a little and turned her out. Same horse. Different day. I had to respect that.

After our volunteer Sally left, I went looking for someone else who might want to spend time with me. Natalia was far away in the back corral. She lifted her head when I peeked over. I called, and she came briskly through one corral, then another, straight to me. What an incredible feeling! This young Mustang had made the effort to come all that way.

In the round pen, she was wonderful for grooming and saddling. We practiced circles, then tried something new: a timer alternating forty seconds of movement with twenty seconds of rest. I wanted to give our work a predictable rhythm.

Natalia didn’t always understand why one or two circles weren’t the end of an interval. After several rounds, she was breathing harder and becoming anxious. I helped her settle. We stopped after about twelve to fifteen minutes instead of the twenty I had planned, following a couple of calmer rounds.

That part of the lesson needed adjusting. I would have to introduce duration and effort more gradually.

Later, with her equipment removed, we tried a few minutes of riding. I had bought peppermint-flavored treats especially for this. My hope was that having me on her back would become associated with something she really enjoyed.

I climbed aboard and offered her a few. We walked one big circle while I concentrated on staying balanced and quiet. I said, “Whoa,” settled into my seat, and she stopped. I slid off. That was enough.

She finished settled, with no visible signs of stress. After the worry earlier in our session, that small, calm success meant a great deal. I was extremely pleased with her, and grateful that she had come when I called.

Her progress lately has gone well beyond that afternoon. Natalia is coming along beautifully under saddle. With our targeting work, she has learned to go to a particular target, and now I can send her to more than one distant obstacle. That is a pretty advanced move, and I am proud of her!

Watching her learn also keeps me honest about my own teaching. A horse can understand one request and still need help with the next. My plan has to leave room for that.

You can use the same idea with your pets. Choose a small, achievable step, reward it, and resist making the next request too big, too soon. If your dog is learning to go to a mat, begin nearby. Add distance gradually. Watch how your animal responds, and allow time for rest.

That afternoon gave me a willing arrival, an exercise to rethink, and one lovely little ride. Plenty to learn from, and plenty to be grateful for.

Thank you to Sally Douglass, a recent Horse Relationship Building Masterclass graduate and valued ResqRanch volunteer, for cleaning our tack room that day. She’ll also lead our horseshaped wreath class Saturday, November 21, 1:30 – 3 pm, at Aspen Park Vet Hospital. The $25 class has ten spots; make two wreaths, one to keep and one for our horse-rescue fundraiser. Call 303-838-3771 for details.

Pet-friendly Santa photos are December 5 at the hospital and December 13 at the ResqRanch.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you and the animals, DrQ and the crew of Aspen Park Vet Hospital and the ResqRanch.