Inula is the type of horse you want to take home to mom, especially if mom is slightly afraid of horses. She has a sweetness about her that’s unmatched by most, a real gentleness that radiates out from her in a little horsey aura. Not to say that there isn’t always the possibility of getting hurt around a 1,000 pound creature (or in her case, closer to 750), but if I had to put my trust in a horse in terms of safety, Inula would be high up on my list.
It’s difficult to believe that back in May, we had to rope Inula to get our hands on her. She acts, for the most part, like she has been domestic all her life. I have been working a bit with Inula over the past few weeks, helping her through the troubled spots she does have (she has a tough time being away from her friends, and can get a little baby-ish about having her feet picked up), and was lucky enough to be able to work her in the recent Joel Conner clinic.
Inula is a quick study, and has a lot of try. It was my struggle over the weekend to try and determine when I should ask more of her, and when I should release her for the effort she was making. She is relatively new at all of this, so the boundaries in which she operates are not quite as narrow as some of the other horses who are more educated. She has an easier time on her right, likely because she has been less handled on that eye, and she was more willing to bend and really reach under herself in hindquarters on that side. But by the end of the weekend she had softened considerably in both directions, and was able to come to a stop with a bend much more readily than she ever had before. We also made great progress with backing up – Inula started out struggling to really get back, and would often encroach on your space when asking her to back up. Over the three days, she started to really gain a better understanding of what was being asked. You always hope that, when working a horse, you leave them at a point where they pick up where you left them, or at least closer to that point than where they began the previous session. Inula definitely picked up each day with more knowledge, and at the end of the weekend had made some great changes! I adore this sweet little mare, and am happy that we were able to spend this time together over the clinic weekend!
