Day 78 ~ COWS

Fun night with the cows! Ed Lewis Sr and Ed Lewis Jr are two of the kindest folks you'll ever meet. They had some folks out for to rope at their "Roping Hole" pen in Currie, NC. We brought Lindsay over and what a fabulous experience it was. She was excited at first...I think more from a horse running laps close-by in her pen than the cows, but she settled quickly. We spent some time just pushing some cows around. They had a good 30 head or so and these were very much awake so it was a bit more of a challenge, but Lindsay was a star. She doesn't really get that it is about following the cow on her own, but she is very willing to put herself where-ever I ask her to be and she's not scared of them at all..so as long as I do my part, she'll do hers...that's the way it always seems to be.

After they started roping we stood at the shoot at the other end of the pen and opened and closed the gate and pushed the cows through that had just been roped. I really still have not made a big deal about shaking metal panels or picking things up that make lots of noise when I'm on her back because it just seemed to be setting her back if I made to big a deal out of that stuff. My backing off seems to have helped her realize that there really is nothing to worry about after all. She let me open and shut the metal gate while I was on her back! We did it numerous times to let cows in and out and she really got the hang of it. We even got to push the whole herd up the long side of the fence b/t the panels to move them back down to be roped again...one was laying down and we just about had to step on him to get him up...when he finally sprung up Lindsay tossed her head up a bit in surprise, but that was it. She is so incredibly confident I just love it.

We loped some circles as well and I was so pleased that she was not bothered by the rope horses and the riders swinging their ropes. She honestly seems to enjoy going places, she loves to watch what's going on. It's as if she is taking it all in and processing every little move that everyone makes....probably wondering if I'm going to ask her to do that next!

A big step was made for us when we first arrived. Mr. Ed Lewis Jr. walked up to us while I was sitting on Lindsay and went to shake my hand. She started to shy away from him, but held her own! I shook his hand then he rubbed her neck and she was totally fine! That may seem like a minor thing, but it has been one of the biggest hurdles to get over, she is just not sure about someone she doesn't know approaching her. It was so awesome to see how she has begun to broaden her comfort zone. Before it was barely big enough for me to fit in and no room whatsoever for anyone else...or any plastic bottle friends for that matter...but for her to open up the comfort zone to include so much more of her surrounding..including a strange tall man, that was just huge for us! It was such a productive night, that she really seemed to enjoy.

I don't know if they'll see this, but a HUGE Thank you to the Lewis' for letting us out. They have such an awesome facility and are truly wonderful people!