Here's a little photo of my tired mare and her trainer, Jill. Jill is really helping Violet become more supple, looser, and confident. She's got great advice about where my mare is stiff. And she's helping Violet become more straight and true. But what I'm writing about today is my Sunday routine. This winter, I took a MOOC course on Equine Nutrition out of the University of Edinburgh by Dr. JoAnn Murray. I loved the course. She gave great information and explained the physiology of horses and their nutritional needs in clear language. She explained the different types of forages. And what was great is that she talked about how to monitor your horses' conditions. So, now, every Sunday, I love to do a little Wellness Exam. I get my stethoscope and listen to their bellies and hearts. I take their temperatures, and check their ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. I feel their legs and inspect their hooves. I put thrushbuster on their frogs, and oil in their manes and tails. I inspect them with the Henneke body conditioning scoring system. And I take their weight in two ways -- by a formula system and by a weight tape. I've been doing this routine for about 5 weeks now and my ponies "get it." They know it's not a time of work. It's a time of rest. And love. And bonding. They relax. They enjoy. They listen to me listen to them. They wait with love and patience for my hands and heart. And for the treats!