Stella got an adoption card! (how many horses get an adoption card? So neat!)
I admit, I did not take the card with me to show to Stella when I went to the stable. Odds are, she would try to eat it.
Stella and I went for a walk-about this morning, checking out areas she does not always visit. I am trying to go to different places in a different order every day, so she does not get into the habit of going anywhere in particular, and instead just walks nicely with me wherever we go. Stella is getting the idea that she does not get to dictate where we go or when we stop. I can tell that this still frustrates her sometimes, and she flipped her ears back and planted her feet for a few seconds a couple of times today when I wouldn't let her stop to eat a weed as we passed. But she always gave up and walked on with only a slight resistance, and I'm hoping that soon she will walk with me without trying to stop at all. Most of the time anymore she leads right at my shoulder, and is fairly responsive to when I change directions without my having to pull on the lead rope.
The stable was getting in a large load of hay during our evening session, and Stella was rather distracted by all the noise and moving of trucks and such. We wandered down into the indoor arena for a little and she checked out her reflection again. She has checked it out both times we have gone in, it is rather cute. She watches herself approach and walks right up to nose the glass. After a few seconds she seems to figure out that the horse she is seeing is herself (or at least that she can't actually touch it) and loses interest, ready to continue walking around the arena.
We cut our evening excursion short since there was so much distracting activity around and it was making her a bit antsy. I did try to turn her out to bounce around the outdoor arena, but once again she only wanted pet, or else to go back to her stall. I think perhaps she came to me as a safe person to be with during all the noise and activity of the trucks. Once in her stall she was fairly relaxed, and let me pick up all four feet without any issues on the front legs and only a little jerking on the back legs. (Back legs are harder for a horse to pick up, so it takes a horse a bit longer to figure out how to stand and not fall over when you have ahold of their back foot. Thus, when they are first learning, the back feet are always a bit harder.)
On the way home from the morning session, Raven, Mom, and I went by the feed store to get them both sets of gloves (I bought a set before I even won the bit on 4590). Both sessions (and yesterday too!) Raven came into Stella's paddock with me to groom and pet on her. He is getting more and more comfortable with her, and she seems to quite like him. I am so glad that they get along, and that his first horse to learn to handle is such an exceptional and friendly little filly.
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