Finding a partnership with Navi

Thursday Navi and I hiked 4.5 miles while my other half rode Willow. We took a route Navi has never been on. One that included flags blowing in the wind, walking along the ditch beside the road, and our 1st encounter with cows on the trail. How did Navi react? Well just fine! The only thing that worried her was the yellow water tank. Ha! She did drink out of it, but it took a minute to convince her that it wasn't going to eat her. This mare is about as rock solid as they come. For a green 5 year old hitting the trails is a piece of cake for her. She takes everything in stride. I have been trying to expose her to as much as I could since we got her at  1 1/2 and I think it paid off :) 

I joke that she is my Henry (dog) of the horse world. For those of you that don't know of Henry. He is the worst dog ever! Okay maybe not that bad...well yes, he is. But he is also the smartest, most loyal dog you will ever meet! And I truth be told I couldn't live without the little dude. Well that is Navi in horse form,okay maybe not the most loyal horse, but smart.

To say that my partnership with Navi has always been perfect wouldn't be the truth. We have worked hard to find a mutual respect for each other, lol. At times our relationship has been rocky, but at other times really good. There are many days that I honestly avoided working with her instead choosing to get Pixie because it was easier. I have a hard time not comparing Navi to Pixie. Pixie is far from perfect, but in my eyes she is perfect, and I struggle with comparing other horses to her. Since Pixie has had to take some time off I have been working with Navi more, and it has been the best thing for both of us! I have to give her credit for what she is good at and learn to work with her and not put her in Pixie's shadow. I look back and realize the only reason Pixie and I are this good together is because I devoted the time to her. I have not devoted that same time to Navi so I can't blame her for not being Pixie. I keep saying she is going to make a good horse and she will only get better, however,I need to stop and realize she is already a good horse. I don't feel like Navi and I have connected like Pixie and I have because I never really was open to it. Was that on purpose, no, not at all. I thought I was open to making a connection with her, but I wasn't, and now I can step back and see that. I love her, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't allowing her to step out of Pixie's shadow so her and I could form our own working partnership. Giving Pixie some time off will not only benefit her, but it will allow Navi and I to form a better bond.