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and proceed slowly from there. Now, thehorse and I can handle almost any oddthing by the road. If we don%u2019t try to communicate, thegame, growth, the beauty of what wemight do together are lost. %u201cMake it happen,%u201d people say. No. Allow. Sensewhere agreement, which is the source offlexibility and power, lies. From there,progress may happen. If understandingand communication don%u2019t develop due toa personality clash or unwillingness of oneor the other to engage, the horse will probably be retired. Over time, his body willdeteriorate. He won%u2019t look like the fit, mature horse his spirit would have led himto be given gymnastic and mental training.This is exactly what happened to Flamenco%u2019s half-brother, Comet. Althoughhe%u2019s much younger than Flamenco, helooks much older. I tried in the beginningbut never could absolve, or quite understand, his fears. Like Flamenco early on,he could not relax. When I mounted, hisback was tight as if ready to buck,, but because I was keeping him bent around myleft leg, he couldn%u2019t. Once underway, hewas prone to meltdowns due to something as slight as a car door closing. WhenI took him to the driveway entrance, hewas overwhelmed - his head and tail high,snorting. I trotted but never cantered theunpredictable horse. Lacking inspirationand courage, I didn%u2019t proceed. Perhaps ifI%u2019d given Comet all the time in the world,as I did for Flamenco, I might have createda solid connection through good communication. Flamenco, too, experienced Comet%u2019sunpredictability. When they were young,they used to play together. Then, one day,Comet broke the rules and kicked Flamenco quite hard. Flamenco was madand stomped around the pen, but hedidn%u2019t retaliate. That was the end of theirplaying together. As I told a vet, Comet is a horse Iwish I didn%u2019t own, but I do and therefoream responsible for his health and wellbeing. Last night, I dreamed that Cometwas in the throes of acute colic, sweatyand rolling. I might have told myself it%u2019sjust a dream and gone back to sleep, but Ididn%u2019t. I went out at 3 am to make sure hewas okay. Every muscle and nerve was taut. Ingeneral, Comet is easy to handle, to tie,trailer, and trim front hooves. The hindsare tricky; twice he suddenly kicked thefarrier. Comet lives a comfortable, peaceful life. Flamenco is his Rock of Gibraltarand, of course, is dominant. Comet knowsto keep his distance when Flamenco saysto back off. Flamenco is 31 now, still thinking he%u2019sthree, still supple, sound and handsome,and a good friend to me. When I releasehim in the turn-out, he takes a few moments to roll over and over. After gettingto his feet and vigorously shaking hiswhole body, he kicks up his heels, snortsand blows, and bounces around in hisfancy trot. I smile. oShelley's recent books, A Riding Life %u2013 Memories, Dreams, Art and Love, also A Wordsmith %u2013 Intimate Glimpses into the Life andWork of Elleston Trevor, may be found onAmazon. Her book, The Heart of the Horse %u2013How to Know Them, How to Ride Them,How to Love Them is available on Amazon,Barnes and Noble, and at Greenway Saddlery. Just released and available on Amazonand Barnes and Noble is Magical Riding -Connecting with the Extraordinary Nature of Horses.22 Arizona Horse Connection July, 2026VIBE - PEMF%u201cPocket%u201d PEMF therapy for Arthritis,Wound Healing, Relax and Balance,Grounding, Immune Boosting, Allergies and MORE!4 For Horses, People and Pets4 Over 120 Settings To Use4 Travel friendly and portable4 No drugs or prescriptions4 No monthly subscriptions4 No apps to downloadLearn more at https://resona.health?ap_id=cgaravettoInteractive Equine Bodywork928-308-2829 %u2022 cgaravetto@gmail.comINTERACTIVE EQUINE BODYWORKNow Offering and Selling....