hi!! i love seeing your adventures with blue and his progress. while it’s not the exact same, my partner and i recently moved to a new place and my reactive dog has been much less reactive with the change in scenery (suburbs -> city.) do you think the change in barns has been a contributor to blue’s success with confidence?
Yes, I 100% do. Even though it's busier and there is more going on the vibes at this yard are so chilled. Everyone is just out to enjoy their ponies, and enjoy other people enjoying their own ponies too. The horses are all also super chilled, and that has a huge impact on Blue. On top of that he's got 24/7 turnout and all of his frustration related behaviours have disappeared, all of his frustration around food gone, even being muzzled and losing weight. Everyone on the yard loves him, which wasn't the case at our last place, and so I think that lack of tension helps too.
Then I am just so much happier. Where we were before had lots of good memories, but lots of bad ones too. There are no gremlins lurking at our new yard. I don't think I'd realised how much of a toll managing my relationship with my friend was taking, and a calmer happier human makes for a calmer happier horse. I know here that no one is going to push us, and that getting off if I'm scared is allowed. I still get cheered on for trying. And I have so much more confidence in myself. I DO know what I'm doing, and I'm actually quite good at it.
Turns out, initial stress aside, this move was the best thing for both of us.
