He stood near the mare, while she worked with the foal. The little paint, a filly registered as Raven Wing’s Doll, handled with remarkable ease. “Dolly’s already responding to advanced halter training,” Lourdes said. As far as Juan knew, he’d never raised a foal, but he hadn’t expected a horse so young to be so relaxed and responsive. Old-time cowboys believed that newborn foals shouldn’t be handled, but Lourdes followed a method that proved them wrong. Dolly, born a short while before Juan had appeared on the ranch, led well and stood tied already, something most horses took much longer to master. Lourdes stopped to reward the foal in a soft voice, praising the youngster for her efforts. “So you’ve been working with her since the day she was born?” he asked. Lourdes nodded. “While Dolly and her mother were getting to know each other, I desensitized Dolly by touching her face and head and rubbing her ears. It’s a repetitive procedure. You can’t overdo the stimuli with a newborn foal.”
What do You think about The Heart Of A Stranger (2003)?
