OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2020

14 OklahomaHorses • September/October 2020 STORY AND ART BY: Jennifer Cocoma Hustis UNDERSTANDING EQUINE HERD DYNAMICS To Work More Successfully With Your Equine Par tner T he smile melted as 11-year-old Alexa looked at her mom with tears of surprise in her eyes. She whispered, “I never thought Bella would come to my drive-by birthday party.” It had been weeks since she had been to riding lessons due to shelter in place orders from COVID-19, and at that moment, Alexa realized how much she had missed her leased 4-H pony from Art of Horsemanship LLC. The following week, Alexa eagerly returned to the farm. The sky seemed a bit bluer, the clouds puffier and the bird’s songs more joyous. With a huge grin, she happily greeted her friend, Bella the pony, and gently haltered her. She mentioned to me how much she missed Bella and filled me in on the past few weeks’ lack of activities and friends. The pony happily followed Alexa, who was walking confidently back to the maple tree where she would groom and tack the pony for her riding lesson.