Alli becomes a “helicopter mom”

So yesterday Billy made his uneventful trip to his new barn in Michigan.

This morning we started introducing him to the “herd” concept. I took him out to the “training lot” ahead of the other horses who would go out later, and showed him where the hay was and the automatic waterer (it’s neat–got a heater in it that keeps the water from freezing). After he figured out where everything was, he noticed he was the only one out there and pulled a major freakout–galloping all along the fenceline and trotting back up the path to the gate and calling out to whoever would listen in the barn. Then two ponies and another horse came out to the area, and he galloped over to meet them, and then they did the sniff and head toss and nip and maybe I’ll try to give you a little kick routine, then all headed out to the hay. They looked OK, so I left them alone for a couple hours while I chatted up some of the boarders and watched a couple of dressage lessons.

When I went out to check on him again, I felt like one of those helicopter moms. Billy was down at one end of the lot, and the other horses were all in the middle munching away. I could read his mind, “Mom, they just don’t like me!”–new kid on the block and all that. So I gave him a carrot and took him back over to the hay, but he wouldn’t touch it and walked away. I went over to him again and explained that nobody was going to hurt him (I’m such a mom!) and led him back to the hay one more time. He took two bites, then walked away again. Nobody gave him any guff, this was all just stuff in his own head. I hugged him and told him he would have to figure it out and I would see him tomorrow. To be continued…

Mr. Lonely-Hearts looks for love...