Tammie & Rufus
Tammie & Rufus
Tammie & Rufus
My man is Rufus - Show name 'Primitive Courage', he is ten and is TBxID and I bred Rufus. I am Tammie, my passion is horse breeding and Rufus is currently my only horse& I am his only human!
What does your pet mean to you?
Rufus and I have been through the trials of life together. He was born 4 months before my daughter, whilst pregnant I slept at the yard waiting for his arrival. He has had several serious conditions so I have to manage him carefully which makes our bond even stronger. My precious alone time is riding him and talking to him about my week. He agrees with almost everything I say and in return I care for him, get up before 5am to see him in every weather and I will never complain about doing that as I appreciate him.
How does your pet show they are anxious?
Rufus shows his displeasure, frustration and anxiety very obviously. It is easy to read his face and body language. Often he will tense up and paw the floor until I see to the situation that makes him uncomfortable. His ears and eyes make his feelings very clear to me.
When did you first spot signs of the anxieties in your pet?
Rufus has never liked loading into a trailer. He would refuse to move or go up when he did not want to move forward. I first loaded him to go to shows when he was 2 years old.
How do these anxieties make you as a pet owner feel?
Worried and sometimes frustrated because he is in a safe situation but he worries about not being able to see what is going on or not being able to see me when travelling. So I stop to comfort him and make sure he knows he is safe.
What would it mean to you to help your pet cope with these issues?
We have made steps to making the experience more acceptable and comfortable for him. We are getting there but to have him feel comfortable about going in a trailer and relax on a journey would make me feel better about travelling him.
Why is it important to highlight these issues to other pet owners?
Don't feel that you are in the wrong and not to make yourself feel guilty, there is a solution. Take steps towards finding that solution to the problem that fits your situation and circumstances. It takes time and sometimes a lot of patience but the positive outcome is the reward most of us owners desire. It is a fairly simple equation that having a happy healthy animal creates a happy healthy content human. We should not be concerned about looking for help because there will be other owners who have or are experiencing the same issues. There are snippets of knowledge that will fit your situation, it's just we have to look for them in the right places.
