How Reya Found Her Way to Me
I first saw Reya when I was coaching at Love This Horse for my Connection Training Coach certification. While I was focused on my work, Reya left the safety of her herd and came up to the fence, standing there watching me. After a few moments, she ran back to her herd, almost as if she wanted to acknowledge me but wasn’t sure she could stay. That moment stayed with me.
Later, I saw that Love This Horse was looking for a foster home for Reya. Despite the challenges I knew this would bring—both financially and physically as the sole caretaker of my ranch—I felt like I needed to do this. Reya deserved a chance, and I wanted to be the one to give it to her.
Reya’s Arrival & First Days
A new home is a major adjustment for any horse, but for one with a history like Reya’s, the transition can be overwhelming. While she had time to decompress at the rescue, a big change like this can still be a trauma trigger.
Right now, my focus isn’t on training her but on helping her settle in, build trust, and feel safe in her new environment.
Some of the first things I noticed:
- She’s terrified of enclosed spaces. She won’t enter the barn yet, but she’s beginning to feel more comfortable near the turnout shelter after seeing my herd use it.
- She’s extremely reactive to sound. Even something as small as me stepping on dry leaves startled her, causing her to jump to the side.
- She’s eating better. At first, her appetite was low, so I kept her on free-feed Bermuda grass, which was also the diet she had at the rescue. I wanted to keep things as familiar as possible to help her transition. I slowly introduced a little alfalfa to encourage her to eat, and I also started her on a gut supplement with probiotics to help her digestive system adjust to the move.
- She’s allowing me to halter and lead her.
The last one is particularly special. The rescue had a lot of difficulty haltering her, but when I visited her to arrange the fostering, I approached it in a way that felt natural for her. I simply held the halter open next to her and grounded my energy, presenting it as an invitation. She lowered her nose slightly, and I took that as her acceptance. She let me halter her on the first try.
Since she’s arrived, I’ve continued following this approach. Some days, if she’s over threshold, I can’t halter her right away, and that’s okay. But more often than not, she’s been cooperative, and that tells me she’s beginning to trust.
For her initial turnout, I placed her in the furthest pen, giving her more privacy and alternating which of my horses were placed next to her. However, I quickly noticed that she kept hanging by the fence, wanting to be closer to the others. After a few days, I moved her to the middle turnout so she could choose her own level of interaction.
Right now, she seems to prefer the company of the boys—though that might have something to do with the fact that she’s in season!
What’s Next for Reya?
For the time being, my priority is to let her settle. An equine needs to feel safe before real learning can begin. While she’s still very much in an adjustment phase, I can already see small signs of progress.
And speaking of progress—my herd has been incredibly calm, curious, and welcoming toward her. Each horse has reacted to her presence in their own way, and it’s been fascinating to observe. In my next blog post, I’ll be sharing more about Reya’s first interactions with my horses and how I carefully structured her introductions to avoid overwhelming her.
Follow Along on Reya’s Journey
This is just the beginning for Reya, and I’m excited to share her journey with you! If you’d like to see more of her adjustment process, stay tuned for my upcoming posts and follow along on social media.
