Part 16

I had become at ease with Mary's hands on my face. As long as she was in my right vision her presence felt safe and inviting. The other day she had brought a snake in the pen with her. I was petrified at first, just certain it would strike out at any moment. It never did though. She had dropped it on the ground over and over again. She had even tossed it around me in different directions. It never struck at me, it never hurt me. I was ok with her holding the snake, Mary seemed to have it well tamed. I was also ok with her touching me, my face and neck. However, I was not ok with both at the same time. She attempted to bring the snake with her as she approached me to stroke my face. I was having no part of that. If she wanted to put herself in danger by holding that snake that was her decision. I had accepted her tossing it around, but to bring it all the way to my side? No, I was having none of that.


Thankfully she put the snake away the next time she entered my pen. She approached me and began rubbing my face and neck as before. She even put a hand on either side of my neck simultaniously. It felt odd at first, when I felt her hands on both sides of me, but I didn't flee. I relaxed the longer she held them there. She ever so slowly worked her hand around my throat latch and behind my ears. She then brought them around my muzzle. I felt something brush over my nose, if felt different than her hands did, but I did not flee. I was aware of something happening, something different, but I held my ground. I let Mary continue to stand close to me and touch my face. She then spend a long time at my throat latch. I felt something tug slightly over my nose, but I continued to stand. She then stepped away and asked me to step off to the rail and begin to move around the pen. As I did I felt something odd. I had never felt it before. I tossed my head and it bounced lightly over the bridge of my nose. It did feel different, something was there, on my face that had not been before. It did not hurt though. Just felt a bit odd. She snapped her fingers and I wheeled in to turn and face her as I licked and chewed.


She approached me again. She had one hand behind her back as she walked up to me. I thought it seemed a bit odd, but it did not bother me enough to flee. I let her approach me. She rubbed her hands down my neck and shoulder and then my face and lastly down by my chin. I heard a quiet click and she softly stepped away.


As Mary stepped backwards towards the center of the pen I noticed something strange. The snake was now attached to me. It stretched out in a long line from my face directly to Mary's hand. I bowed my neck as I looked over at it with my right eye. Mary pushed her energy towards my hip and sent my feet moving forward. The snake remained attached to me as I moved around the pen. I could see it out of my right eye and it did frighten me. However, I knew what was happening, the way Mary was pushing me with her energy around the pen. We had done this before, this made sense and I liked it when things made sense. Even though the snake was attached to my face I took comfort in the fact that Mary was sending me around the pen like before. She would melt her body, looking to the ground and I would melt mine and slow my gaits. She would then step towards my hip, looking at it intently and I would lengthen my stride adding impulsion with each step. I focused on Mary, her body language. I focused on what I knew and what made sense and I ignored the snake that hung limp from my face.


As I began to fall into the rhythm of our movements. Shortening and lengthening my strides as I watched Mary's body and eyes guide me. It was relaxing, this was familiar. Familiar is good.


Then I felt something odd. I felt pressure. It was all over my face. Behind my ears and over my nose. Not low enough to cut my wind off, just pressure all over my head. I panicked and I ran. I ran away from the pressure. It is the natural thing for a horse to do, run away from pressure. So I ran. My legs gained speed and my stride quickened as I attempted to escape the pressure on my face. For a bit all I could think about was running away. I knew I had to flee. I had to get away.

Then I heard a soft sound in the distance. It seems so far away at first, as all my focus was on running and not the least on paying attention to my surroundings. But I gradually began to decipher it more clearly. It was that rhythmical tone, that sound that Mary would make when I was relaxed, when I licked and chewed in content. I turned my ear towards the noise to take it in. In the same moment I noticed Mary in the center of the pen. I guess she had been there all along, I don't know. I was much to busy focusing on getting the heck out of here to pay any attention to her. But she was still there. She was gazing down at the ground, melting her body as dropping her head low. I watched her and I continued to listen to the soft tones. Their rhythm was slowing. The tones were becoming lower and more drug out with each stride I took. I felt my feet begin to slow to match the cadence of the tone. I felt my body begin to melt to mirror Mary's and I felt myself begin to relax as I slowed my speed. The pressure on my face remained the same throughout. It did not increase when I speed up, but did not lesson either. It remained constant.


Then an amazing thing happened. Once I slowed my feet and my speed, the pressure stopped. All at once it was gone. I dropped my head low and licked and chewed in sweet relief. After I had settled a bit. Mary urged me forward again. Once I had picked up the speed, again I felt the pressure on my face. This time I was not as frightened as before. I still sped up and began to run away from the pressure at first, but I quickly noticed Mary sinking her body low and gazing down. I heard the soft tone, slowing it's rhythm. I slowed mine to match it and instantaneously the pressure released from my face! It was like magic. When I slowed my feet, instead of running faster the pressure stopped. It happened again and again. Each time I slowed my feet the pressure released.


Mary sent me off again, around the rail at a brisk trot. After circling the pen twice I felt the pressure on my face. This time I heard no soft tones and Mary did not melt her body as before. She just stood there, giving me no signal at all. All I felt was the pressure. I thought about before when I had slowed my feet in response to Mary's body language and gaze with her eyes and the soft tones of her voice. I thought about how when I had slowed in response to that, how the pressure on my face stopped. Instantly. As I circled around at my forward trot feeling the pressure squeeze my face, I slowed my feet. Much to my delight, the pressure stopped. Instantly it stopped. I relaxed and dropped my head as Mary began to babble those kind words in a soft, relaxed tone. I licked and chewed and relished in how I had made the pressure stop. On my own, I had made it stop.