Pamela – Massachusetts

CB, you said something this morning on the phone that has me thinking. I told you that I had such a good ride and was feeling so confident that I was planning on riding her early this afternoon with no need for “liquid courage.” You responded by saying something to the effect of “Well it looks like we’ve helped some at least.” I took that to mean that you’re disappointed with the results that my FT has had with Emmy because I’m still afraid to just hop on her and go.

Please, please don’t feel that way. Everything that is not perfect with her (and most is) is all me, not her and NONE of it is a reflection on Friendship Training. I (we) have taken her from a frightened, hostile (not mean, just defensive and frightened to death) neglected, skinny, burr laden, never been mounted before mare into a kind, gentle, TRUSTING, healthy, well behaved on the ground and in the saddle mare.

All because of me, you and FT! Before I got Emmy, much of my horse anxiety was on the ground. Two of the three times my Appy show horse (Joker Spotted Bar) put me in the hospital was while I was on the ground. He was famous for plowing people (including me) over. I remember vividly, giving him a bath before a show and he spooked and spun sideways, knocking me down. As he ran over me he stepped on my knee and on my hair. I am no longer nervous with her on the ground. She is calm and trusting.

You see CB, we (you and me) had quite a project ahead of us when we embarked on our journey. Look how far we’ve come! If it wasn’t for your constant loving way of pushing me and insisting I do things, coupled with the concrete undeniable results of FT, I would have given her back a long time ago.

Although I haven’t always moved forward as fast as I’ve wanted to with her (my fault, not hers) because of the nature of FT, we’ve never taken one step backwards. Not one! When you want to find the reason we’ve come as far as we have, doing no harm along the way, go look in your mirror.

Pamela – Massachusetts