Gia - sessions 1188-1191 - more with Danielle

 Monday 12/15/25 – On Monday this week, I (Danielle) had planned to work with Gia on the grooming and the saddle pad. However, during grooming, I actually found a small lump on her belly near her umbilicus which we will be monitoring and following up with the vet at our next appointment if it is still present. It is highly unlikely that the lump is anything other than a small reaction to a bug bite or allergen, but, with Gia, nothing is small! This is also a great example of the reasons why we thoroughly groom our horses regularly. Many times, while teaching, students are rushing through the grooming to get to riding. We try to instill in them that the grooming is just as, if not more, important than the riding portion. Additionally, I found Gia getting quite anxious towards her back legs. I know from experience that this can be a sign that Gia’s teats need to be cleaned. This isn’t a glamorous job, by any means. Gia has rather large (shocking, I know) teats. As a result, they tend to get a build up of dirt and smegma between them. This can lead to itching, bug irritation, and even sores. To prevent this, once a month in summer and once every other month in winter, I have to get the crud out and clean her skin. Seeing how she was acting, I checked Gia’s teats and sure enough, she was telling me that it was time. Luckily for all involved, this is a job that won’t have to be done by others and, I believe, Gia knows it will help her even if it is uncomfortable in the beginning.

Tuesday, 12/16/25 - On Tuesday, I was able to resume our new normal routine of grooming and approaching Gia with the saddle pad. The plan currently is to stop as soon as she gets anxious and wait for Gia to relax. There are two ways she can do this: either distract herself with the carrot ball or give me a sign of relaxation. Gia was quite worried about the saddle pad, so I decided to make it a little less scary. After we got a few repetitions of Gia relaxing, I held the saddle pad up to myself. Holding it in front of me, I walked up to Gia the way I do when she gets to snuggle with my chest. She literally HAD to touch the saddle pad if she wanted to touch me. I knew she wouldn’t resist too long. She gave me a few dragon snorts and sideways glances, but eventually Gia gave in and touched the saddle pad on my chest in order to get attention. I rubbed Gia’s face and ears as long as she was touching me and she stopped worrying about the saddle pad entirely!

Wednesday, 12/17/25 - On Wednesday, I asked one of our grooms, Ashley, how she would feel about trying to do a bit of grooming with Gia. This process has been for the means of other people being able to work with her, so I need to introduce that idea! Ashley was excited about the chance to work with Gia again. For the first time, all I had her do was curry Gia. Just as I had with Heather, I sat to the side and watched/coached Ashley through Gia’s body language. At first, I don’t think Gia even realized it wasn’t me grooming her! She was perfect for the first side. Then, as Ashley was walking in front of Gia, I saw Gia make eye contact with me. She then looked at Ashley, so I had her stop and stand still to give Gia time to process. Gia made a great decision and comforted herself with the carrot ball! Ashley proceeded to brush Gia’s other side. She was pretty good at this, as well. She definitely was a bit more anxious, but Ashley did great following instructions and learning how and what I have been working on. Ashley was very excited about how the grooming went and I think she’s ready to do more as soon as Gia and I are ready!

Friday, 12/19/25 - On Friday, Gia had to be groomed at the tree. This is a different location than where we have been working with her, but she has been there many times. Because she was so good on Wednesday, I asked our Friday groom, Chloe, if she would like to try grooming Gia. She was onboard. However, it seems Friday was not the day for Gia. She was quite anxious and reactive while Chloe was taking off her blanket. I decided not to push anything with her on this day and took over working with Gia. Gia was definitely more active and sensitive, so my main focus was getting her back to her baseline and letting her end on a few good moments. You win some, you lose some. I was happy to get some good, relaxed moments from Gia and let her end that accomplishment. There will be plenty more opportunities for Chloe and Gia to work together. There was no reason to push it and have a setback. It’s so hard to believe the end of the year is quickly approaching! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday this week!