Measureable Progress

I've been waiting to turn that first corner with Capri; the one where she lets her guard down and opens up to me more.  I think tonight we got at least half-way around that corner, and the view from here is looking pretty good.  She round-penned really well tonight, both at liberty and with the rope.  She stepped out nicely, changed directions smoothly, and faced up to me readily.  She took steps towards me and touched my out-stretched hand with her nose.  The best part was that she seemed to be smiling the whole time.  Her mouth was relaxed, her eyes were soft and bright, and her body was fluid.  I like that so much better than the defensive, defeated, and depressed posture that an unhappy horse has.  She let me scratch all the way down her neck, too, while eating hay from my other hand.  For now, the hay is a reward for letting me pet her, but soon she'll decide that the petting and scratching is reward enough in itself.  That's when I'll know that I've really turned the corner.