Meghan N has been working with Mirana for some time now, and has been helping her gain confidence and transform into the sweet mare who was hiding beneath her nervous exterior. Here is what Meghan says about their time spent together:
“It has been such a privilege to watch this mare’s journey since coming to SAFE! Upon arrival Mirana was rather untrusting of people, she needed to be with her herd and would panic, almost running you over; choosing to react instead of responding in many situations. But did we tell you how smart, soft and sweet this mare really is!?!
Let’s fast forward to Mirana today; as I walk in her paddock, she comes off her hay to greet me and get some good scratches! I halter her up, and we calmly walk away from her padlock and her herd, as we head to the arena for some work and a nice grooming session. What a brave and confident mare Mirana has become!
March marked a significant milestone in Mirana’s journey, particularly during the Joel Conner Clinic. Leading up to the clinic, Mirana still needed to learn that she could trust people and definitely did not trust a flag! It took some work to help her understand that the flag didn’t always mean something, that she didn’t have to scramble to get away anytime she saw it. Once Mirana realized she could move her feet and took the time to think about what was being asked of her, it was as if a lightbulb went off! Mirana started to respond to the flag; sometimes it gave her a pet, other times it asked her to move her hind a little more, and sometimes it was just there not meaning anything. Such a HUGE change from this sweet gal! While we still have some work to do to help Mirana build her confidence in changing eyes, she is on her way!
Another big learning opportunity for Mirana has been the practice of gently lifting her feet for hoof care. We continue to work on lifting her feet using a soft rope to help Mirana understand pressure and release. She is becoming softer when asked for her leg, and we are slowly but surely working on Mirana giving her leg a little higher and longer, which will be helpful in maintaining the health of her feet. It can be hard for an older gal, but Mirana is so smart and really working hard to understand and break old habits.
At the end of the day Mirana wants to connect, she wants to know she can trust you and she wants to know she will always be cared for and respected! This beautiful mare has so much love to give, and someone is going to be very lucky one day to share that love and trust with her!”
