I'm Trying

I just don't feel right playing with my horse if he is either unconfident or so completely uninterested in me that he doesn't come over.  (I never know which it is, but it's probably the former.)

So I spent an hour in the wicked wind and sheets of rain and sleet trying to see if Cal could be confident enough to come over to see me.  I tried various tactics.  Playing with my 45' line (at least nasty weather is good for softening that thing up).  Seeing if I could get the other horses to approach.  I'm probably being overly sensitive as usual, but it took a bit before any of the horses came to see me...and when they did, it was Thunder, Furi, and Bunny.  Not the horses I've played with the most.

Anyway, I tried to enjoy their friendliness and energy, and eventually Thunder and Bunny followed me up to the arena from the house pasture, and thus got everyone else to follow.  Thunder and Bunny went crazy in the arena, but my horses all went to the shed.  I spent another hour approaching and retreating with them there.  Finally Lyssi came over, and the horses got interested enough to follow me up to the arena, where they promptly went crazy rolling and bucking and rearing.  =)

Eventually Cal approached.  Then he left.  He approached several other times, and seemed to be getting more comfortable (rubbing against me).  In the end, though, he froze up and I tried to bring him out of it and he wanted nothing to do with me.

I don't have class until January 25.  My goal until then is to play every day...no, not play.  To go out every day.  Only play if Cal approached me without me putting any pressure on him to do so.  Maybe it's a stupid goal, but if trusts the problem I need to really make myself wait for Cal.  We'll see what the days bring.