An Update on Allure

Dear Friends,

I’ve been telling you a lot about Remmer lately, but I bet some of you are wondering what’s going on with Allure. Unfortunately, Allure's thyroid started acting up again this summer because I wasn't giving him enough iodine. I had dropped it down because he was looking fabulous, but it turns out that was one of the reasons he was looking so great! It's taken a good six weeks to get him up to snuff again: he'd lost weight, was feeling sluggish (not like him at all!) and his coat lost depth of color.  I just started playing with him again a few weeks ago, at Liberty. It was great!

Allure is such an interesting horse, so dominant and playful…I really have to mentally prepare myself for our sessions to make sure I’m provocative enough. Playing at Liberty has always been more challenging because he has trouble as a learner. Learning is the area he has confidence issues in and it's so easy for him to do something other than what I ask because his first thought is 'leave.' Since discovering the value of encouraging him, even when he does something different from what I asked, things are so much better. He's calmer, leaves less and communicates more. With a Left-Brain Extrovert, the goal is to get obedience, or to say it better, willingness. But the worst way to get it is through discipline! I wrote about my discoveries around encouraging Allure in the May 2009 issue of the Savvy Times and for sure it made a breakthrough in our relationship.

Yours Naturally,
Linda