Love puddle: not

My Dad used to say that I made all my animals into “love puddles”. I would socialize them and handle them and get them used to having affection showered upon them until they became trusting and cuddly and relaxed around people.

My rabbits would lie upside down in my arms, and Misty, a doe, would let me handle her new babies right from birth. Cliff, a blue jay I raised from before the time that his little feathers fluffed out of their pin shafts, would swoop down out of the trees and nestle in my neck. My current cat Nikky was adopted from an animal rescue place. She had been given up for biting and not using her litter box. Now she is the most placid and loving of animals, and her only fault is that she wants affection all the time, and it isn’t always convenient. In fact, my Dad warned me when I began to have children: Do not make love puddles of them!

When I bought Champagne, his former owner said he wasn’t a very demonstrative horse. I thought I’d be able to fix that quickly enough. But, well, not yet. Other people’s horses nicker when they see them. Well in truth, other people’s horses nicker when they see me. Not Champagne. Some other people’s horses come when they call them. Not Champagne. Other people’s horses seem to want to be with their special people. Champagne doesn’t seem to differentiate among people. Mostly he cares about whether he is going to be fed. He will be cute and beg for a treat, but that’s just bribery working.

I know he knows me, and I know he thinks of me as one of his herd. He has learned many tricks. For example, when I say “pick up your foot” he lifts his hoof for me to clean. I have taught him to stand still and not dive for a carrot held right under his nose until I say “Okay”. He does seem to trust me, and will go into many situations he thinks might be dangerous and will quickly calm after a spook when I tell him he is a good boy and the situation is fine. When I hand-walk him and let him graze, he is willing to stop eating and be led to a new area (mostly because I seek out clover beds for him).

But he does not: come over and bump me with his nose; snuffle in my hair; perk up and come to the stall door when I get to the barn; lean his head on me; indicate where he’d like me to scratch him; act jealous when I pat other horses; seem eager to go out and do some work.

The only real opinion he expresses when I am tacking him up is that he lowers his head so I can easily put the crocheted fly mesh on. (He also chews on the cross ties when I put the saddle on, which I interpret as anxiety.) Other than that, his opinions are all about food or not walking in certain places. He’s been mine for a year and a few months now. I am still working on him. But I am beginning to wonder if he just doesn’t have the capacity to build a connection.