She just gets better all the time...

Sam never fails to amaze me. She of course is improving before my eyes, in her calmness, her attention, her ability to cope with new ideas. Yesterday was a big day for her. She had a special visit from a vet who does chiropractic work. Normally this vet has the horses come to him for this because he has an area set up that allows him to be over the horses back. He made a special exception for Sammy. He came to her!. I called and explained Sam's story to Dr. Badger, and he agreed that the stress would be less for him to come to her for the first time, and we could see how it goes from there.

Sammy was a TROOPER! As he started his exam she was curious about him so she sniffed him up and down, then finally decided that he was ok and she would let him continue. He checked her flexibility, watched her movement and when he had all the information he needed, he brought out "the activator". This is where I figured it would all fall apart. Dr. Badger didn't want to sedate her so we tried it without. The activator is like a miniature jackhammer and it pops when it pulsates. He places this against the areas he wants to adjust and when he pulls the trigger it pops. I just knew it would be a rodeo, but boy did I underestimate our little Sam. She was PERFECT! Her only reaction was to hook her nose in the crook of my elbow. she stood square and let Dr. Badger do his work. I was SO PROUD! When he was finished her gave her some attention and a nice horse treat when she normally likes but this was different than what she normally gets (brand wise) and she played with it for a min then spit it out. He got tickled at her and I laughed explained that I have spoiled horses and went for the flax snacks. He looked at the cookie, smelled it and pronounced that is smelled good enough to eat. When he presented it to her she inhaled it. He got the biggest laugh out of her behavior over the cookie.

Sunday Sam will receive yet another treat. An equine massage therapist is coming to see her for a massage. This will help to change the muscle memory and make the adjustments that Dr. Badger makes work better. She will go for another adjustment next week, and then it is on to training from there. I will continue to monitor her body mechanics and have her adjusted as needed. But the time has come for Sam to learn a few skills that will help her on her journey to a complete life.

We will begin with lines, and progress from there. I am sure it will be an adventure. Stay tuned, I will post photos of her massage in a few days.