Last night Nelly and I went mantrailing for the first time. If you, like I, don't know what that is, it is when a dog follows the scent of a human to find them and get a reward (snacks). I have never done any "work" with Nelly. He was once described by a behaviourist as independent, decisive and aloof. Nelly does what Nelly wants. The trainer explained that this is the only type of "work" where you are purely following the dog. For some of the other dogs who have done agility and the like, they were constantly checking in with their owner to make sure they were doing the right thing. Not Nelly, he was off, he knew what to do. He stopped to sniff some pee and of course had to pee on that pee but had to do a little spinny spin first to make sure he was oriented correctly. He didn't rush because he knew what he had to do, in his own time. My gosh I was so proud of him! He even took food from the lady he was finding by the third time. He also willingly went up to and sniffed a whole load of new people, including a man. It's one of those moments where I realise how far we've come. From a dog who hid under the bed for 24h, had never been outside at 8 months old, was scared of doorways, BBQs and carrier bags, to now a dog who has his own hobbies 🥹🥹🫶 This picture is from the farm where I worked on the weekend for 14h with my little best mate by my side.

Yesterday was 22c which is hot for England in April. When I arrived to the yard Mr Kipps was sweating under his fly rug and generally seemed lethargic. I was supposed to ride with friends but decided he would prefer a cold shower instead. I always tack up loose so he can decide if he wants to go, and he was walking away and turning his back on me when I tried to brush him. There was a time when I would've ridden anyway because my needs (to go for a ride) were more important than his. Horses are unique in that they have played many roles for humans over the years in terms of their utility, whether that is in the military, agriculture or for sports. Since doing my MSc and researching horses, I've been actively trying to change some beliefs I had about horses. One of those is that they need to do what I want them to do. Of course, horses are larger than dogs and there can be safety issues if you don't have boundaries, but that doesn't mean they don't get a choice. I'm teaching Mr Kipps that his opinions matters, after he came to me totally shut down because he had presumably never been given a choice. Seeing him happily running around the field after his shower gave me much more joy than riding would have.

I don't know if there is any better feeling than when a horse trusts you enough to sleep on your lap. This isn't my horse but one at a farm where I've worked for a couple of years now. Was such a beautiful moment to start my Monday. I've booked in a coffee chat tomorrow at 10am UK time, let me know in the comments if you can make it? I'll get the pet first aid recording uploaded tonight or tomorrow too 😊

Happy Friday everyone 😁 hope you've all had a good week? Would love to hear about any wins you've had with your animals this week?

SO blessed to be your mum. 6 years of adventures, naps and nibs. 6 years of learning. I still try every day to do better and be better for him because he deserves the world 🌍 When Nelly came home for the first time he was 6-8 months old and had never been outside. He hid under the bed for 24h. I never once thought about returning him. In his first year with me he got leptospirosis and was in multiple organ failure. His tongue went necrotic and fell off, but somehow he got better. The vet called me and said can you come and get Nelly he's bitten the vet we think he's ready to go home 🙈 He was then hit by a motorbike and ran away for 2 days, when we had only moved house 5 days before, and he found his way home. That same year I got sober, and that is not a coincidence. Since then he's had more holidays and adventures than a lot of humans! From the mountains of Ninh Binh to the beaches of Cat Ba, flying all the way from Hanoi to Paris, visiting Stourhead, The New Forest and the beach here in England. I am honoured to share this journey with you Nelly 🫶🐾🥰 Do you have an animal who has saved you? I'd love to hear your stories