Getting Groomed

Working Capri with my own 15 foot rope is so much more productive than using the 8 foot drag rope that she came with.  My rope is obviously much longer, which gives me and Capri more confidence.  We can get close to each other or farther away, and she is able to move freely on a longer rope.  My rope is soft in my hand, and it is clean because it hasn't been dragged through the pee and poo for a couple of weeks the way her drag rope was.

Because of the confidence inspired by the longer rope, and Capri's new love of carrots and peppermint treats, I was able to groom her yesterday.  I started by scratching her neck more vigorously than I had before, which she really enjoyed, then I picked up the extra-soft finishing brush and groomed her entire left side with it, including her face, belly, butt, and lower legs.  She is squeamish about me being on her right side, so I just brushed what I could reach of it while standing on her left.  Capri was trying hard to relax, but needed the reassurance of familiar petting and scratching every few minutes, then I could go back to brushing.  When her body was clean and shiny, I went to work on her mane using a large, round mane and tail brush.  She had one extra-large witch's knot half-way down her mane where her itchy spot is.  I've observed her scratching that spot with her rear hoof, which was the cause of the snarl.  Multiple ropes of hair combined to make this huge beast of a knot, and I couldn't quite work it out on my own, so I sprayed Laser Sheen all over, under, and through it.  She was fine with that, so I sprayed the rest of her mane, too.  By this time she was enjoying herself and really seemed grateful for all of the attention.  What pretty girl wouldn't?  With the Laser Sheen loosening up the snarls, I was able to work everything out with my fingers.  As I did, I noticed that the hairs on the very inside of the snarl were a strange gray color, which turned out to be dust, or possibly sand, from the wilds of Oregon.  When I undid the last of the tangles, the hair released this dust in a small puff.  At the same time, Capri released a heavy sigh, as if she was letting go of her old wild self and letting her new, domestic self take over.   I brushed her forelock, too, and removed a snarl there that had been driving me nuts.  Her tail is horribly tangled, really a solid mass, so I am saving that project for a day in the near future.

Horses who have been putting up with me for a while know that I insist on them letting me give them hugs and kisses.  My own gelding, Louie, raises his face to mine automatically every night after I give him his grain so that I can give him a smooch on the soft place between his muzzle and his cheek.  River is learning, too.  But Capri knew nothing of hugs and kisses until last night.  Once she was groomed, and we'd played with the rope a bit, learning to lead, back up and return, and yield the hindquarters in both directions, I was so pleased with her that I just couldn't help myself.  I had to give that precious horse a hug and a kiss.  And you know what?  She let me!  A gentle squeeze around her neck, then two little kisses on her closed eyelid, to seal our new partnership.  Such a sweetie-pie, and so incredibly beautiful, is Capri.