The big ball is a favourite with the five horses that live down the road. A young mare is the super star. I stand about six feet from her stall door and we pass the ball back and forth. Two days ago Bill came with me to that barn and I introduced pushing the ball to a specific person. Bill stood to the right, I was to the left. The mare sort of got the idea.
Yesterday I was alone with the group and the family on that farm was gathering for Christmas dinner. One of the four grand-children likes horses. She and her father came to the barn. They had heard about the games the horses were learning and were interested in seeing them. I decided to start with the super star and proceed from there. The daughter, her father and I were spaced a bit apart and much to my surprise the young mare was able to push the ball to a specific person! With each push she got stronger, so we stepped back a few feet. Then, when a ball was pushed lightly, she returned it lightly.
The father fetched the other children and the five horses played their games for them. Once again the young mare demonstrated passing the ball. We had a line-up of six people (two adults and four children) and as I called out, “Next person’s turn” she passed to that person.
Who would have thought….!
