Wonderful Week 12

Sam did so well this week, particularly this weekend. We took Sam out to a new place with some of our other horses. He was in a stall most of the weekend and did SO well. At first he was kinda nervous when the other two of our horses that went with him left, but by day two, a lot hadchanged. Sam began to only be worried for a few minutes and then settled back down.

Sam also got to load into a new trailer for this trip. It was  a 3 horse slant load, so it was full with the other two. He walked right in, no problem (I think he secretly prefers it to the other trailer). Then the next time we loaded him in the other trailer, he did really well, he walked right in and let us tie him up, then ate his treats. Before this week he usually didn't eat his treatswhile standing in the trailer, he would wait until we were moving to do it.

Sam's confidence and sweetness has grown so much in the nearly three months we have had him. He is so hard not to love, I don't know how anybody could not love him. he cares aboutus so much and it is such an obviously genuine care. He loves puzzles and using his brain to accomplish a task. I think with the right challenges and the right person to challenge him in this way, Sam's greatness could be infite, along with his trust in that person.

This is the most inspiring part of Sam, at least to me it is.

I think Sam is mostly ready for the expo on the 20th. He will be the one in the baseball outfit, and we will have plenty of decorations and posters on his stall. We even have some help from the community making some of the posters. If you have the chance, make sure you atttend the expo, there will be lots of great information and horses presented. Sam will be there showing off all the great skills he learned/hones in the last three months.



Just got on him, he wasn't so sure it was going to be a fun day



He turned around so we could scratch his butt before we got on



Sam looking disinterseted, sorry it's sideways

just being curious

Working on the line

 

Hope to see you there! Sam, you better get ready for your big day, 10 days to go.

Week 11

It is so hard to believe it is already week 11. The expo is this month. It is on October 20th. Sam is going to get to show aff all his new moves.

I can feel the energy from Sam, it is so much more relaxed and confident than when we first got him. Sam is so different now. Sam allows his sweetness to shine through. I know he cares about us and that he knows we care about him.

Sam has not learned many new things in the last few weeks, however, he has fine tuned many skills. Some of these skills are turning, moving forward, and relaxing when in a new situation. We took him out to go riding at aplace he has never been to. He did amazing. The only time his focus wasn't on us was when some other horse got loose and kept running around him.

I think Sam has come to a good place with himself, he seems happy.

Sam, thanks for trying so hard and get ready for the expo!

Week 10

Sam is trying so so hard for us. He is trying to put his fears behind him, and it is SO obvious he wants to please us. I am very proud of him.

We can see, especially when he gets scared, that he trys to compose himself, just to make us happy. Its working. He is becoming a refined gentleman with appropriate manners. I can just imagine him in a top hat. He is so sweet and loving.

Sam has some steering capabilities now. AND he can back up on cue.

I will post more when I can look at his accomplishments for the week.

Sam, you are doing so well, we are so happy you have decided to try so hard for us.

Week 9

Sam has done wonderfully this last week. He has nearly mastered the art of ground driving, at least for our purposes. He now walks in a circle when driving and has a better general grasp on the idea of a circle.

Sam received a special gift from us, even though he doesn't think so. We got him a CD with scary noises on it to listen to while he eats. At first it really disturbed him, now only certain sounds scare him. This week Sam was working on circles when he heard an owl that he couldn't see. The owl put him on high alert, he began to notice EVERYTHING, even normal things were suspicious. Then, the Sam spotted the neighbors' black cat. This made Sam pretty worried. Black animals tend to scare horses more than other colors, I think it might be because they kinda look like shadows. Sam did really well despite being scared, he tried his best to keep his focus on us and it was amazing to see Sam trust us like that.

The only other really new thing that happened this week with Sam was him playing with the noodles on one of his obstacles. Sam repeatedly took the noodles down, even after I put them back up. Then one day I get home to find that Sam has almost cut one in half with his teeth, there are holes in the pool noodle. But, I think Sam must have had fun doing it, because he seemed content.

Sorry I don't have any pictures yet, but if I can get one of the noodle, I will.

Sam, thanks for adding some variety to our lives and giving us a reason to laugh. We love you.

Hakuna Matata: The Week 8 Moto

Hakuna Matata was definitely Sam's attitude toward this week.

Sam had no worries. He has really gotten his confidence up this last week. Doing all of his puzzles and obstacles has helped him so much.  Sam is trailering much better, not being so worried about the door closing. He even walks through the barn alleyway now. Sam also walks through 6 out of 8 noodles on one of his most naturally challenging . Our other horses didn't even think about going through such an obstacle. All of the pictures are from week Seven, Sam's week 8 pictures will be posted at a later time. (Sam's color is darkening, it is not just this pictures- he is becoming even more handsome.)

Sam also learned a brand new skill this week! He learned how to ground drive, and I think he kinda likes it. At first he was hesitant about somebody wlaking be hind him, but he got used to it after a while. I have a picture:

Now on a more spiritual level:

Every time I look at Sam, I see a different horse, one more comfortable with himself-one who is releasing the pain of his past, allowing himself to accept the love waiting for him in the present.
Sam has grown every person who has had contact with him in some way. I am not sure how he does it, but there is something about him that just touches people. I am more connected with the things going on around me. I notice even more than I used to, I can sense more, my feelings are stronger, and I have a much stronger sense of leadership. I believe, all of this was Sam's doing. Before he arrived, I almost never had such strong feelings, they were sent to the back burner so I could focus on what I was supposed to be doing. Writing this for Sam and being able to see all of his advancements has blessed me in a way I will not soon forget.

Anyone who gets the pleasure to cross Sam's path will forever be changed. He is powerful. His will is awe-inspiring. His desire to please is astounding. Note: although Sam does all of these amazing things now, he was part of a cruelty case, which makes him SO much more special. He has not allowed his past to negatively affect his character, if it did affect him, it only made Sam that much better.

Sam trots through these

A puzzle for Sam, he has to find different ways to get through it

Sam's curtain, and 4/8 noodles on an obstacle

Just Sam hanging out with a hula-hoop on his neck, no big deal

Sam showing off his changing color

Sam thank you for changing my life so much. We love you.

Week 7 (Halfway point)

Sorry this post is so late.

Sam has done really well this week, although I regret to admit not much forward progress has been made. Despite this fact, Sam has broadened his horizons immensely.

The main event of this week was a new obstacle and a new game. The obstacle consists of pool noodles horizontally perched on a pole, making a semi-scary looking gate the horse must pass through. The game Sam got this week is one that stretches his brain, he has to think about how to get through the path without touching the poles. He really likes this game. We will have to try to make even more games for him, because we can see and feel his happiness upon completing the puzzle.

I will post Sam's week 7 pictures and pictures of the obstacles when I can.

Sam I am so happy you enjoy learning as much as you do.

Week Six

Sam has had a few big break-throughs this week. He became a ballerina of sorts, escaped into the other horses' pasture, accepted a bit, and let us spray him with fly spray.

We were working Sam on moving his hind quarters, and he was doing well, but when he got up to speed, something strange happened. Sam decided he should just pick up one of his front legs, keeping the other one planted. Essentially, Sam was spinning. The front hoof on the ground was revolving as Sam moved his hind quarters, giving him the appearance of a horse ballerina. I wish I had gotten a picture, because this is a little difficult to believe. Sam is a little too smart for his own good.

We had let the horses out to graze into another big pasture, but did not let Sam out with them. However, Sam did not take this with the grace of a ballerina. Sam paced up and down the fence line for a while, then he stopped, so we assumed he would be just fine. No. We looked back out the window literally five minutes or so later and he was out with the others. After a timely inspection of the fence, we found that Sam had abandoned his ballerina ways when he jumped the fence, breaking the top hot wire, stretching the wire below it, and even heavily bending a T-post. That was evidence of a ballerina jumping a fence, it was something totally different. Sam, despite the damage done, was not hurt AT ALL. We were astounded by this unbelievable feat.

Sam's next feat was letting us SPRAY him with fly spray. He used to not let us do this at all, he was terrified. The truly amazing thing is that we have not worked with him on being sprayed. The first time we tried it, we saw it terrified him and have had yet to revisit it until today. And he just let us spray, no big deal, except that it shocked us.

Another bit of shocking information we learned this week was that Sam does not really mind having a bit in his mouth. After only a little hesitation, he took it in his mouth, mouthed it a little and stopped. Sam only really kept mouthing the bit when he got nervous about something.

Another thing Sam did this week was pass under a curtain that was slit in multiple places, even letting it touch him. I had cut up the shower curtain and then hung it up on one of the round pen entrances. I chose the gate that we let Sam in. Sam gets to go in the round pen during the day, so that he has more room and we keep this gate open.The idea was that if he wanted to go into the round pen, he would have to walk through it. The first day he did not want to go through it, I watched him wait for the wind to blow the curtain to the side so that he could pass without it touching him. After he was in the round pen, and he wanted to leave, I watched Sam wait for nearly three hours so the wind would blow the curtain enough so it would not touch him and he could leave. But now, after the curtain being there for a few days, Sam walks under it just fine, even when it hits him.


Sam has become quite the camera lover, as I was taking his pictures, he kept following me around and trying to taste the camera, so some pictures are a little strange, but they are all him.

Sam and Lincoln chillin' in the shade

Watching the action



Sam's scars

He kept following me



On his way to me

Sam smelling the camera

Sam getting an ice cube

Sam's reaction to the ice cube

Sam following me through the curtain on the way out

 

Sam you have come SO far and it is really amazing. We love you.