Didn't even break a sweat!

I am so excited...Spade is almost to the place where I start most of the really raw horses that are left here by clients. Some of them are barely halter broke.
 After church this morning I came home feeling kinda crummy, blood sugar, lack of sleep, not sure why, just not 100%. Plus my hands are still really sore from yesterday.  I have learned from experience if you aren't 100%, this type of horse isn't what you need to be dealing with. On the other hand I don't want to loose a day to work with him. So after a long nap I headed to the pen. While I was cleaning his stall and gathering the training tools, I heard him snorting and blowing. I looked up and he was prancing around and looking toward the big pasture. As I looked up to see what he was focused on I could hear the motorized golf cart that we use on the ranch bouncing through the holes. It was packed with children laughing and playing. My niece, her friend and my oldest daughter were driving around giggling and singing like little girls do. Spade apparently hasn't been around little girls much. He was a bit worried. My first thought was to go out and make them stop, but then I thought what if Spade and I encounter something someday that won't obey my commands so easily. So I took the time as a training opportunity. I soothed him with my voice while grabbing a halter and started toward him. I was shocked because even though the things going on the outside of the pen were scaring him, he locked in on me and hesitantly stood still as I approached him. It took him a second but he finally settled and I walked up and slowly put his halter on. I was really proud of him for overlooking the commotion and focusing on me. That is not in his nature.
After Spade was haltered it wasn't long til the girls got tired and they all headed up to the house. That was about the time that I had clipped the long line on Spade's halter.  I was much smarter today by using a long line. I can't tell you how much easier it is. I started working him back and forth and pulling him forward. Apparently he sat in the stall and thought about yesterday's session because he almost had the leading thing down. He was stepping forward as well as turning and backing up. There were a few times that he spooked and would take off around the pen. BUT with the long line, all I had to do was step to the center and I had full control of what was happening. MUCH different then yesterday. Soon he was coming off the fence and actually listening to the halter instead of fighting it. The whole twenty minutes of work excited me so much I decided that I would try to groom him. I wanted him to have a day off for all the training that we have accomlished, especially since I wasn't feeling all that great and we had worked four hours a day most the week. The next 10 minutes I brushed his beautiful coat and worked my way through all the witches knots in his mane. It was funny because when I went to brush his forlock (the mane between his eyes) he wouldn't let me, like a kid that didn't want his face washed. I let him know that I was going to be persistant and he reluctantly stopped. I reached up and scratched his forhead with the hairbrush I was using and he thought he was in heaven. He LOVED it! I was glad to see some  type of positive emotion come out of this guy. After grooming him, I guess he figured I wasn't so bad after all and he wanted to follow me much more then ever before. He had a curious look in his eye as he watched me move around him. At the end the day, I braided he mane to one side to attempt to train it to stay that way. His brand from the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) is on the other side and it is a very bold and beautiful brand. I want him to be proud of who he is and where he came from, so we are putting the mane on the other side. I can't believe how far we have come in a week. I am so proud of him.
As I watched Spade run around the pen today I thought about many people in my life. Everyone of us has commotion happening around us. Spade reminded me of Peter during the storm when Jesus called on the disciples to walk on water (Matt. 14:22-33). He was asked Peter to do something completely outside of his nature, to do somthing that he was physically incapable to do on his own. But Peter kept his eye on the Lord. Even though he was distracted by the waves, he at least tried. There were many that were still in the boat that didn't even try. I love how even though Spade was scared he really tried to stand for me. It was a great feeling to see that my training was settling in. I can only imagine how God feels about us as we stand in faith. He must be 10 times as proud as I was of this guy today.  My favorite part of the story is when Jesus took Peters hand and lead him back to the boat. I have a commitment to this horse just like Jesus committed 2000 years ago to be there when we need Him. I encourage you today to be brave and have faith to step out and do what Jesus has called you to do. There are people out in the world that there eternal well being might depend on you either steping out on faith or staying in the boat. If Spade, a fearful, flighty wild animal can stand in the commotion, I know you can too.