The First Day

Took our very first steps on this new path last evening.  Following the guidance of Carolyn Resnick's Water Hole Rituals, we started with sharing territory.
When I began, Susie was out in the south pasture, grazing, and Sophia and Walter Donkey were both in the barn, waiting for dinner.  I took a folding chair and a book, and went out to the pasture.  When Susie saw me coming, she cantered up to me, and went right past me up to the barn. Everyone obviously thinking I was there to feed them early! I took my book and chair and went to sit in the round pen, gate open. After about 5 minutes, Susie came out to graze in the north pasture and so I took myself into the north pasture, too. She did an excellent job of ignoring me--"If you didn't come with supper, I can't see you!" and eventually walked past me down into the south pasture.
By this time, Sophie and Walter had come out of the barn and were standing in the dry lot, staring very intently at me. Walter is extremely cautious about ANYTHING out of the ordinary, including Mom sitting in the pasture. Sophia has probably never even SEEN a human being sitting in a chair in her pasture. Walter just stayed at the barn, staring at me, but Sophia's curiousity was high.  She was snorting, and trotting around the dry lot, stopping to stare at me every few seconds. I glanced up at her from time to time, greeting her with words to reassure her it was me, but careful not to stare or direct too much energy toward her.
She finally trotted out into the north pasture, and stopped about ten yards away from me, head high, eyes wide. I greeted her softly, and then stood up and moved my chair away a few feet, retreating from her. This gave her the courage to trot around behind me, and then back, and after a few more minutes of taking this new situation in, she was able to stop about five yards behind my chair and begin to graze.
I moved around in my chair, stretching my arms and legs, and making sure I could move without startling her. She is very quick to spin and kick out when she is startled, "Kick first, think later" :-) She stayed calm and seemed to relax, so I just went back to reading for awhile. All this time, Susie remained in the south pasture--no big deal to her, she has had me in the pasture hanging out with her for years--and Walter continued to wait hopefully at the barn for his supper.
I stayed until it seemed Sophia had completely gotten back into her left brain, and then stood up, folded my chair, and walked toward the barn, being careful to keep my energy retreating from her. She immediately followed me :-) for about half the distance, and then decided she wasn't done grazing, which was quite fine with me.
What a good time.  I will start adding brushes and cookies to my pasture trips in a week or so. It will give Susie a reason to be interested in visiting me.