Showing trust

My DOR has worked hard to earn my trust and I have worked hard to earn hers. I give her my feet like a gentleman and she gently takes care of them. She grooms me and I stand still. I wait nicely to get tacked up and she never tosses the saddle rudely on my back. We take care of each other.

I have watched her walk up to the other horses when they are laying down and give them rubs and treats. She even cleans Harley's feet when he is laying down...lazy boy. They know that they are both safe and trust each other.

The DOR and I have had a hole in our trust that she has been puzzled by. You see I have to stand up whenever I see the DOR headed my way. I would like to say it is because I am being polite, but I can't, I just have never been comfortable laying on the ground with a human close. Harley will let a person crawl all over him when he is laying down. Salty and Freedom will let people brush and scratch them while they are laying down.
If Ginger is laying down she is sleeping and has no idea that a person is even there-she is a very sound sleeper.
I just have to jump up and walk over to meet the DOR, I can't stay laying down. I know that it has bothered the DOR, she feels that it is because I do not trust her completely. That has made me feel bad, I do trust her, but this laying down stuff is hard. I thought about it and decided to give it a try. After all I stole treats from the dead man bag, how hard could it be. So the other afternoon I was sunning myself when the DOR came out to the pasture. Instead of getting up I just laid there, in fact all three of us were laying in the sun. The DOR went to Harley and gave him a treat, then she went over and scratched Salty. She was giving me time to think, to get up if I chose to do so, she didn't want to push me. Well I kept laying there, nice and still. Then the DOR looked a bit worried, she thought I might not be felling well since I had never done this before. She came over to me, bent over and asked me how I was. I nuzzled her cheek and she gave me a treat. I laid there while she looked me over to see if I was hurt. I laid there while she pulled a brush out of her pocket. I laid there while she softly ran the brush over me. She had a big smile and a few tears running down her cheek. You see by laying there I showed her how much I trust her, I showed her that the last little barrier that existed between us was gone. It met the world to her to know that I felt safe enough to stay off my feet while she fussed with me. It seems to me that it was such a simple thing, but sometimes the simple things are the most important. I think I can keep working on this laying down when the DOR is around stuff-it could be easier to get my feet cleaned that way.
Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR