Sparkling Dynamite - Miranda Florin

[Miranda Florin]

[Miranda Florin]

The Stats

Name: Sparkling Dynamite
Barn Name: Dynamite
Age: 4 years
Height: 14.3
Gender: Gelding
Breed: Appaloosa/Cob
Color: Bay
Markings: Blanket spots (Summer only!)

[Miranda Florin]

1: A First Impression
When I first met Dynamite, he was doing his best to get away from me. Totally freaked out by everything that was going on around him, this bay horse was the last one left in the trailer. When I went to bring him out, food was no motivation, nor was a kind word. I had to crowd him to get him out, and I was almost scared to leave him in the paddock, in the fear that he might try to jump the fence if something happened. After Cara and I had managed to fix up stalls for the group as a whole, he was the first one I brought in. As I brought Dynamite in, he seemed to take comfort in the tiny space of the box, although he stayed stuck in the back, as far away from anything as one might please. I'm worried about having to desensitize him to everything, as he freaks out at the slightest thing. For the time being, I hung an unused winter rug to block out the light that gets to him, but I'll start looking for a more permanent solution tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get a ride into town.

The Plan Being
For a start, I want to get Dynamite to accept light. I'm also hoping to get him to accept my scent as comforting, but that is only secondary to him getting used to light, and the general sounds of a barn being run (Which I really can't do anything about).

[Miranda Florin]

2: Not Much Done
Today was the first meeting of the Equine Rehabilitation class that Dynamite is technically a part of. I keep forgetting that he is part of the class, not just a vet project (I treat him the same way, though). Anyway, today was the first time I switched out the fabric curtain that's been hanging in front of Dynamite's stall. The new one doesn't let too much light through, but it lets in more than the near-void of the previous one. Dynamite freaked out at the more light, as I expected, but he quieted down after a few minutes. When I went in there later, all was quiet, as quiet as usual, so here's hoping that he'll slowly adjust to the light.

The Plan Being
For the next week or two, or perhaps three, I just want to work on replacing the curtain every three to four days. I know it's pretty slow, but with Dynamite as anxious as he is, I think taking it slow is alright. I have half a year, right? I'll at least have him desensitized to light by the end of the class, I hope.

[Miranda Florin]

3: Last Round!
Finally the last cloth! This last one is pretty thin, I can see Dynamite moving around inside his stall, so I know he can see out as well, if only the silhouttes of everyone. Unlike the other ones, I've decided to leave this cloth up on the stall for a good week, or until I notice that he isn't freaking out when someone walks by him. Camping out in Tanya's stall while she's outside, I've watched quite a number of people pass by him, and he's been having less spastic moments, but I'm still going to wait, because I know leaving his stall completely open will be problematic.

The Plan Being
Another week of the cloth over his stall and my scent on it, and after that, hopefully approaching him, and then touching him.

[Miranda Florin]

4: Giant Leap for Horse-kind
I'm writing this over the din of a freaked-out horse, again in Tanya's stall. I took the thin cloth off of Dynamite's stall, and he's having some problems adjusting, even though no one has even walked past his stall yet. I'm hoping that he'll calm down without hurting himself too much, because there's definitely no way we're going to get into his stall. It's starting to stink, but I can't get in there, and I don't want to move him. Hopefully the next step of the process will get rid of the problem, he really needs to get his health testing done as well.

The Plan Being
He's going to stay in his stall with minimal contact until he's okay with the normal bustle of people around, and then I'm going to work on getting him to accept me.