AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Grooming is a little different for horses than humans. We’ll start by using the grooming mitt. Since Lady doesn’t know you, you’re going to keep your hand on her at all times so that you can try to feel if she’s going to kick at you or move.”
“Okay…” Michelle looked nervous.
“Let go of the fear because she can sense it. Focus on the task. You’re going to take the mitt and rub her in a circular motion. You’ll rub her harder than you’d rub a person, but not so hard that you hurt her. And pay attention to sensitive areas that could cause a reaction.”
“Stomach and legs?” Michelle guessed.
“Yup. Face, too. You’re trying to make her trust you and bond so that she can relax into what you’re doing to her.”
Michelle put the mitt on and jumped right in.
“That’s a good girl,” I praised them both.
Michelle’s hair kept getting in the way, so I braided her ponytail and wrapped it into a bun.
“Thanks. Where’d you learn that?”
“Mom. Her long hair always gets in the way, and she knocks it loose. So, I had to braid it when her hands were dirty.”
Michelle smiled and went back to grooming. Lady’s eyes closed in contentment when Michelle brushed her neck.
“She likes that,” I told her.
“Her neck rubbed? Well, let’s do it again.” Michelle lingered at her neck a bit, making sure to give her time to enjoy it. “How’s that, girlie?”
Lady stomped her hoof lightly, letting Michelle know just how good it felt.
“Well, let’s get the other side, too.”
After using the mitt, Michelle brushed her down, knocking off the deeply embedded dirt. “Whoo, looks like somebody needed this.”
At first, she struggled with the technique of the brush, but seeing what the goal was, she could manage it. Her favorite part was combing the hair.
“Let’s get you beautiful, Lady. Get this wild hair under control.”
And she did. I showed her what to look for on the mane, tail, and forelocks, and she set to it.
“Ready to see her shine?” I asked Michelle while holding out the towel.
“Yes!”
“I wet the towel a little because she still had a bit of dust on her. You’re just going to follow the natural flow of her hair and wipe her down.”
“That’s it?” Michelle asked, not believing it.
“Yes. Trust me.”
She took the towel and began wiping. “Oh… it is nice and shiny and pretty, huh, girl?”
When Michelle finished, she asked me to take a picture of the two of them so she could save the memories. She cuddled the side of her neck, and Lady leaned into her as well. I took a few pictures just because of how comfortable they looked with one another.
Afterward, we moved on to Bully. He wasn’t as friendly as Lady, so he protested a lot. I had to step in a few times since he was fussy.
“You are not being very nice, Bully. I see how you got your name,” Michelle chastised with her hands on her hips.
I finished the rest of my chores before having lunch with Michelle. She’d had the food basket in the car while we’d groomed the horses. We walked out to a very opened area away from the main house to have a picnic out in the grass. I had her carry the thick blanket I’d grabbed, and Michelle brought a basket full of food that I carried.
We enjoyed one another as we sat down, feeding each other. We didn’t talk about any of the nine hundred things that could bother us. Instead, we focused on being in the moment. There was nothing but nature surrounding us. We’d walked so far away that we couldn’t be seen from the house.
