August 2013 progress report

The last couple of months has seen further progress in Lauder Lass’s trust which has been extremely moving for all who have seen this with their own eyes.

When you consider some of her previous reactions :

1   If in a field she would rather have bolted off to Australia than have had anything to do with humans

2   She would have bolted and broken through a stable door if you went too close.

3   She would have fallen a sleep in the furthest away corner of a walled yard than take any food from a bucket if a human was any where near her

4  For her to take anything from a table top you would have to knock on the table first, walk out of the stable and be well out of sight before she took the treat

5  She didn’t know how to react with other horses other than be scared of them

6  You couldn’t feed her from the palm of your hand unless you stood totally still, speechless and without a hair follicle as movement.

7  She didn’t know what a good scratch or groom was

8  She was petrified that her Muzzle was going to be snatched and twitched

9  She couldn’t cope with any form of human movement or talking in her stable without feeling she had to hide in a corner

10  Once she did find the confidence to take feed out of her bucket, she would give the most fearful squeal as if she was going to be snatched, caught and hurt

11  It took her 5 hours to realise that going out of a door way wasn’t going to hurt her .

the list is endless . . . and to think the majority of people said ” she will never come round” and to consider how she is now is just amazing  . . . .

Self Employed Mags Fenner from Smithy Cottage Cakes’, near Selkirk taking a well deserved afternoon off with Lauder Lass and as can be seen here, seemed to be filled with awe re Lauder Lass’s progress. – thank you Mags for spending your spare time with her. Look forward to that G.Free Loaf, perhaps a Hazelnut loaf or a Banana and Pecan Nut loaf!!! no hints or anything . . .

A sympathetic tilt of Christine’s head say’s it all! She was amazed with Lauder Lass progress – thank you Christine.

She has, as long as her visitors body language is correct, totally surprised many. She has been welcoming her guests by coming up to them in the field to say hello or, if she knows them well enough, to ask for a scratch. She has walked with them in the field just as if she was a lamb at foot – never in a month of Sundays did we think that she would ever regain her trust in humans to this extent.  It absolutely goes to show that no matter whether you are a human or animal, if you have been negatively treated or abused then to be surrounded by positive individuals with a consistent approach and with everyone singing from this same hymn sheet, all animals and humans can indeed regain their trust and start to enjoy life again.

In our opinion, for all living creatures who have been abused in any way shape or form, the best medicine is not pharmaceutical medication but having a mentor to rely on who can  guide them forward and introduce them to the ‘right’ people or Groups that could give them the confidence and kindness they need for the length of time and quantity of weeks/months or days that the Sufferer needs. Medication often just masks the issue in hand and can put individuals in to a form of trance and does not allow them to regain trust naturally.

Already for many Adults and children, she and her other equine, 4 and 2 legged friends, succeeded in regaining their own confidence in the Equine World and in life in general.

Her recently sheared Gimmer friends  have given them much fun as well, with their frolicking around and wagging tails! .  Some of her visitors have never seen a sheep close up so have found them extremely amusing and incredibly intelligent especially by the way that they use her tail as a fly guard! 

One of our previous articles/posts covered the day that she felt she would use her height and size for power with a view to proving  to one of our smaller horses that she could bully her just to get what she wanted. She tried this by pulling toady faces and expressing her body language in a certain way as well as trying to  push her a way by the way of flicking her tail and threatening physical contact – all because she wanted to be where the other horse was standing – but we don’t do bullying, so she recieved her first ever verbal sign of disapproval from us because of her behaviour and never has she tried to repeat this, infact quite the reverse, it has almost taught her to respect all individuals.

However, on occasions she, who is now standing at 16’2, can be seen hiding behind our Little Shetland, especially if the Ganders are around with their offspring –  this creates great amuzement and as a few of her visitors have said this often reminds them of instances of their school days when ‘the threat of superiority/bullying’ from taller people was clearly apparent, and is a welcome little reminder that tall humans also find some things alarming and often use smaller people as their shield –  so the motto in this is, we all have a heart, no matter the size, shape or height and often need help if we feel anxious about something. So whether you are tall or small we can compliment each other’s downfalls or fears by helping each other through something by remembering what it feels like when we were anxious about something –

How often have you been in a superstore and can’t reach something from a tall shelf  but have asked someone tall to help,  just as when someone elderly or tall drops something a small person usually picks it up, this is the way is should be, let’s all try and discourage bullying or threatening behaviour and remember we are all scared of something no matter how tall we are.

Tall animals, whether they be a horse or an elephant can be as scared of you as you are of them . . . . Respect each others distance, height and body language and we will all help to create a kinder world.

On behalf of Lauder Lass – thank you for taking time to understand how she and other animals can feel.

Thank you to  everyone all over the world for sending her strength and comfort and to those who continue to visit her –  it is you who have helped her – from the bottom of our hearts thank you so much.