Today was massage day!   It's been awhile since my lil short human has gotten me a massage and it felt sooooo good.  My right shoulder has been tight and sore and my hips.  The massage person is very nice, and calm and relaxing. She listens to me, moving away from areas that are just too sore to relax and giving areas that feel good longer times. I tell her this by looking at her and sighing and licking my lips.  Sometimes I get so relaxed I toot, but she tells me good girl so I guess it's a good thing while getting a massage.   I felt so much looser and relaxed when she was done, then my lil human put my special Back on Track sheet on me to help keep my muscles warm and loose.  I wish everyday could be massage day, but I did hear my lil human making another appointment for me in 6 weeks so I can look forward to that.  These are the things that make me love my lil short human all the more.

Feeling so good,
Princess Bella

Today was my day off.  My lil short human gave me carrots and told me to have fun outside before the rain started.  When I got back into my stall, I could tell my lil human cleaned it.  I had fresh, clean water, my stall was all fluffy and grain pan was sparkling clean.

I love my lil short human

Princess Bella

Well, my lil short human didn't disappoint.  When I am in the grooming area, I am connected to these rope things, they call them cross ties.  There I was, being good, when the horse across from us was kicking his stall,  ugh.  Next thing I know, my lil short human has the "stick of fear" and is waving it at that other horse and getting a little too close to me.  I don't want the "stick of fear" anywhere near me and being stuck in these cross tie things makes me really feel trapped.  I tried telling her and thank goodness she listened!  Well kind of, she undid my cross tie things and then told me she didn't know what happened to me with the "stick of fear", but that we needed to get over it. Next thing I know, she expects me to walk NEXT to the "stick of fear".  WHAT?!  No way, put that thing away, I am being good, it doesn't need to come on our walk.  She insisted, telling me I needed to be brave and check it out.  Really?!  Fine, I just wanted to move on so took a deep breath and looked at it, waiting for it to start attacking me.  Well, she might have been right, it didn't attack me, in fact it just sat there.  I looked at it with my left eye, then my right then took the plunge.  I SMELLED it.  I moved it with my nose and smelled it.  My lil short human was SO proud of me. She told me I was so brave, so good.  So, I bopped it again, I got pets and praise about how brave I was. All was good, then she wanted it to touch me.  Really?  Now it has to touch me?  Fine, I stood stock still so I wouldn't provoke it into attack mode and she rubbed it on my shoulder.  I didn't like it, but if this is what we needed to do so I could eat grass, I would do it.  She did it one more time and told me I was super brave and she was proud and that we could eat grass.  Finally!  I still don't like the "stick of fear" but it turned out ok.

The things I have to do............
Princess Bella

(Note: my human wants me to explain that the "stick of fear" is a dressage whip, with a shredded plastic bag on the end.  Like that shouldn't be scary or something,  pphhhlleeaaze)

Today my lil short human groomed me and gave me treats and let me eat grass.  We then went for a walk down the driveway and back.  She told me I was brave, I don't like one of the areas, weird noises come from it.  My lil human says its just kids, but she understands as they scare her too. Apparently "kids" are something to watch out for.  I like these days where we just relax and do quiet things together.  When she was done brushing me, we went to my stall where she insisted on braiding my forelock.  It was flowing and beautiful, I looked like a Disney pony, but she wanted it out of my eyes.  I only did the giraffe imitation once, she had a good hold of it and it kind of hurt when I tried the giraffe thing.  Sigh......   My lil human then thought it would be fun to sit outside my stall door in her chair.  I don't think that is fun.  She should be brushing me or feeding me or getting me princess water.  She shouldn't just sit there.  So, I kept encouraging her to get to work by continually poking her with my nose, snuffling her boot, messing up her hair but she wasn't getting the message.  In fact, she moved her chair over so I couldn't reach her!  This called for clearer communication that she needed to get out of that chair so I began bopping my head up and down. I've seen humans do the equivalent with their arms, they wave them at each other to get them to come closer.  Since I don't have arms, I thought this would be good enough.  Nope, she just sat there and told me to be careful I don't bonk my head.  Argh! Sometimes I wonder about my lil short human, I guess I will need to be more patient with her and find another way to make myself clear.

I can't wait to see what she does tomorrow.............

Princess Bella

I did it!  I got my lil short human around the arena without incident.  I had a little "episode" as my lil human likes to say, at the beginning while she was "lunging" me (going in circles over and over and over ugh).  I wish she could see what I see. Obviously her eye sight isn't that good as I know there is a horse eating monster crouched behind the arena wall in the corner.  She tries to see it, even takes me over to the corner telling me "there is nothing there" but she just can't see it.  Poor lil human, no wonder they say they are easy prey.  I will continue to work on being brave and not reacting to the monster, sigh...............it's so hard but my lil short human loves me and she hasn't let anything eat me yet, so I will try

Until next time
Princess Bella

Next month will mark a year that I've spent with my new human.  I've finally got her trained to allow me to drink from my water bucket, WHILE she is holding it.  Water tastes so much better when she is still holding the bucket, so fresh!   She still complains that I am like a Mastiff, showering her with water from my mouth after I've slurped up that yummy water.  I don't understand what the big deal is. Its water for gods sake, you will dry.  Isn't that what you tell me as you force me to stand still while purposely aiming that hose thing at me?

She still insists on kissing my nose and combing my bangs.  I can't see what she is doing, so it's frustrating to stand still, but kisses are nice so I tolerate them.  I don't care for the constant brushing and braiding of my forelock, I am a Friesian!  I am meant to have flowing, beautiful hair.  Let me be au'natural woman!  Of course, the cookies I get for being still make it somewhat tolerable and I will continue to work on standing still, and not imitating a giraffe.  Even though it is entertaining watching her try to reach the top of my head.

I will continue training my little short human, as she is making good progress and I feel is worth the effort to bring her up to my standards.  I think its going to be a good match, as long as she continues to understand that my love and trust is an earned gift.  To be cherished and valued and never taken for granted.  So far, she seems to get that  :)

Until next time,
Princess Bella

My lil short human thinks I am ready to go back to work.  I am not quite so sure, I still get these weird lil sensations in my right front foot, but I will try.  She has proven that she does listen to me, so I will give it my best and tell her, quite clearly, if it doesn't feel good.  I am getting kind of bored just going in circles and walking around anyway.  She told me that the massage therapist is coming on Sunday, that will be nice.  The chiropractor person came last week and I got new pad things on my feet. My lil short human is trying her best to get me feeling better so I will try to do what she is asking.  We shall see, wish me luck.  Better yet, wish my lil short human luck!

Princess Bella

Oooohhhh my lil short human got this rake/brush thing that feels so good!  She calls it a Furizzy
When she hits a really good spot, I stretch my neck way out and it makes my lip all stiff, I LOVE IT.  I dont like it when she moves away from the good spot, so I try to tell her by moving back and forth, she usually listens but sometimes she tells me to stand still which is not what I want!  Listen to me lil short human, I know exactly where I want you to groom me, if you were a horse, I'd give you a little ear pin, but I know you wouldn't understand so I just try to make it easier for you.

In heaven............
Princess Bella