As you pass by her paddock, Barb nickers at the gate, a little bay siren enticing you closer. It is hard to divine what, exactly, she wants, once she has you. Likely to be let out and left to her own devices. Barb would make an excellent automatic lawn mower, if only someone would allow her to live out her dream.
Barb was between riders for a bit, and had a bit of a vacation, but after a period of muscling up on the ground, was easy to get back going under saddle. She knows her lines, just needs a bit more work on their delivery at times. I (Lily) have been ground working her in preparation for her work with a rider, and it has been an enlightening experience for me. One thing I have learned is that Barb loves competence. But she is also forgiving to those of us who chase it with a big ‘IN’ prefacing the word. She reminds me of a surly teenager on occasion, acquiescing to your request, but not happy about it. You are nagging her to take out the trash for the fifth time, and she’s really doing her best, so lay off, would ya? Barb just showcases what (some) other horses are better at internalizing, which makes her a pretty cool little pony. She really forces you to want to work on yourself and your ask, and when you’re doing something ‘right,’ she rewards you for it in spades. For me, working with Barb has been an exercise in refinement. She is not afraid to tell you when you need to adjust your volume, and she has a way better ear for it than you do. Or I do, rather, which has been interesting for me. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m getting better at it, and Barb is a big part of that. She does on occasion, especially after a weekend or few days off, get squirrely and sassy, needing a reminder of where her feet are and how she can use them to feel more secure, but she has come a long way even just since i began working with her in hooking on to a person and feeling of an ask.
Personality wise, she is a little goof. Sometimes, Barb wants to sniff your face. Warm breath on your cheek. Teeth that, while not necessarily sharp, are still powerful, hidden behind an easily retracted curtain of lip. It conjures up images of a dragon. Albeit, one who isn’t too hungry. Investigative, perhaps slightly dangerous? She seems more the former.
It has been a lot of fun learning from Barb, who is a very fun little horse herself. It will be a wonderful day when this cutie finds her person!
