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Description

"...no matter how long you're taking."
Featuring Elliot Blackwood and Rowan Berry , a 5 yo Kaimanawa mare.

I'm so proud of this you can't even imagine. I love my Kiwi's, and even though I missed the deadline, I'm still going to finish the challenge. <3

KAIMANAWA CHALLENGE 2015
1. Introductory Image
2. Groundwork (you are here)

~

Seven months had passed since Elliot had given the last update. It didn't mean she hadn't spend any time with her Kiwi's - better said: she spend every free hour she had with the Kiwi's. College took a toll on her and kept her from home more often than she'd liked. The training with Rowan stagnated, but still Elliot spend every second she spend at home with her new ponies.

Rowan started to get adjusted to the fact that his human was so interested in her and started to appreciate the soft cuddles and scratches the human provided as she came closer by. The human expected nothing in return, which was an eye opener for the mare. Rowan became more relaxed and saw Elliot as a part of her day, instead of a part of her training. There was no pressure, no stress and it seemed to work with the Kaimanawa mare.

As she seasons crawled by and Rowan started to grow on Eliot and reverse, Elliot started to get the mare adjusted to a halter. She didn't liked it at first; for the mare knew the thing only as a device of pressure. But in return for letting the halter hang from an ear or hang over her neck or back; Elliot gave her even more scratches and cuddles. And sweets, of course. Rowan started to see that the halter was no pressure or training; it was a way of the human of saying 'hey I'm here and we're going to have a relaxed time together'. And Rowan enjoyed that.

Just at the beginning of winter Elliot moved the (now three) Kiwi's from their small pasture over to the huge pasture that was going to be their home from now on. Elliot knew Rowan would come to her when she entered the meadow and whistled; and so did Prince. There was no need anymore to keep them in lesser space than they could provide for them.

As spring arrived Rowan picked their 'training' back up. Apart from an half hour of cuddling and messaging the chestnut mare's skin, she did literally nothing with the mare, not having enough time to continue her training. The challenge went by and she did not succeed to finish it in time, but she had proven enough to keep the mare and so did her training continue, now that spring had finally arrived.

...

Playfully Elliot continued the training, trying to let Rowan following her around as she made her way through the meadow. It begun innocent as Elliot took her control walk along the fences to check if everything was still in tact and if all the water throughs were still filled. Rowan followed her every step, just enjoying the time together. The human did not want anything for her, which made Rowan's interest in the human grow even more. It was her free will that decided if she wanted to be with the human or not and in that choice her curiosity won.

Finally getting so far that the mare would follow her, Elliot clicked a lunging rope to Rowan's halter - just for safety. She let the rope be long, so the chestnut mare could take the decision if she wanted to stay, or follow her into her steps, without feeling the pressure of the rope pulling on her halter. Rowan did not like the click of the rope at first, but as their followed no pressure nor pulling she seemed okay with it. As Elliot walked away from her, Rowan did like she always did: follow in the human's footsteps.

And so their first training in a round pen began: playfully Elliot asked things of the chestnut mare; but always giving her the choice to answer differently. There was more than one right questions, always. The chestnut mare was stubborn; going right where Elliot wanted her to go left, but Elliot did not question her on that; instead she followed the chestnut mare in her choice, and adjusted her question on the direction. And miraculously the training went perfect. Where the steps were tiny baby steps in the beginning; the mare seemed to jump forward, finding joy in the things the human asked of her. And even more joy in answering with different answers every time. The only thing that seemed to be a bump in the road, was the belly of the chestnut mare seemed to grow. It could be from all the lush grass she had been consuming in the winter; without having much work to do. But on another hand; Prince still had all his men parts, and they sure seemed to be smitten on each other...

~

Pose References from That Perfect Girl is Gone and Apache 2012

Description

"...no matter how long you're taking."
Featuring Elliot Blackwood and Rowan Berry , a 5 yo Kaimanawa mare.

I'm so proud of this you can't even imagine. I love my Kiwi's, and even though I missed the deadline, I'm still going to finish the challenge. <3

KAIMANAWA CHALLENGE 2015
1. Introductory Image
2. Groundwork (you are here)

~

Seven months had passed since Elliot had given the last update. It didn't mean she hadn't spend any time with her Kiwi's - better said: she spend every free hour she had with the Kiwi's. College took a toll on her and kept her from home more often than she'd liked. The training with Rowan stagnated, but still Elliot spend every second she spend at home with her new ponies.

Rowan started to get adjusted to the fact that his human was so interested in her and started to appreciate the soft cuddles and scratches the human provided as she came closer by. The human expected nothing in return, which was an eye opener for the mare. Rowan became more relaxed and saw Elliot as a part of her day, instead of a part of her training. There was no pressure, no stress and it seemed to work with the Kaimanawa mare.

As she seasons crawled by and Rowan started to grow on Eliot and reverse, Elliot started to get the mare adjusted to a halter. She didn't liked it at first; for the mare knew the thing only as a device of pressure. But in return for letting the halter hang from an ear or hang over her neck or back; Elliot gave her even more scratches and cuddles. And sweets, of course. Rowan started to see that the halter was no pressure or training; it was a way of the human of saying 'hey I'm here and we're going to have a relaxed time together'. And Rowan enjoyed that.

Just at the beginning of winter Elliot moved the (now three) Kiwi's from their small pasture over to the huge pasture that was going to be their home from now on. Elliot knew Rowan would come to her when she entered the meadow and whistled; and so did Prince. There was no need anymore to keep them in lesser space than they could provide for them.

As spring arrived Rowan picked their 'training' back up. Apart from an half hour of cuddling and messaging the chestnut mare's skin, she did literally nothing with the mare, not having enough time to continue her training. The challenge went by and she did not succeed to finish it in time, but she had proven enough to keep the mare and so did her training continue, now that spring had finally arrived.

...

Playfully Elliot continued the training, trying to let Rowan following her around as she made her way through the meadow. It begun innocent as Elliot took her control walk along the fences to check if everything was still in tact and if all the water throughs were still filled. Rowan followed her every step, just enjoying the time together. The human did not want anything for her, which made Rowan's interest in the human grow even more. It was her free will that decided if she wanted to be with the human or not and in that choice her curiosity won.

Finally getting so far that the mare would follow her, Elliot clicked a lunging rope to Rowan's halter - just for safety. She let the rope be long, so the chestnut mare could take the decision if she wanted to stay, or follow her into her steps, without feeling the pressure of the rope pulling on her halter. Rowan did not like the click of the rope at first, but as their followed no pressure nor pulling she seemed okay with it. As Elliot walked away from her, Rowan did like she always did: follow in the human's footsteps.

And so their first training in a round pen began: playfully Elliot asked things of the chestnut mare; but always giving her the choice to answer differently. There was more than one right questions, always. The chestnut mare was stubborn; going right where Elliot wanted her to go left, but Elliot did not question her on that; instead she followed the chestnut mare in her choice, and adjusted her question on the direction. And miraculously the training went perfect. Where the steps were tiny baby steps in the beginning; the mare seemed to jump forward, finding joy in the things the human asked of her. And even more joy in answering with different answers every time. The only thing that seemed to be a bump in the road, was the belly of the chestnut mare seemed to grow. It could be from all the lush grass she had been consuming in the winter; without having much work to do. But on another hand; Prince still had all his men parts, and they sure seemed to be smitten on each other...

~

Pose References from That Perfect Girl is Gone and Apache 2012