New Saddle, New Style

Got a new saddle today that fits my boy like a glove... plenty of room for his high withers and narrow enough for his little shoulders.  And it fits me like a glove too  :) 
So I rode for about 15  or 20 minutes tonight, he was getting real good about keeping his head straight and the whole stopping thing was coming along...

and then....

I decided to ride bareback. 

The first time I got on, he got nervous and tried to jog away from me, so I bailed... he would have freaked if I'd have stayed on.  I fell right on my left leg and heard my knee pop about 6 times.  So I held still, felt the knee, processed the pain level, decided it wasn't too bad, got up and walked it off.  Then I mounted bareback again.  He gave me a cow kick, then one good buck, then walked on.  I let him choose where and how fast... for a bit. Then I started giving him cues and my gosh he did famously!  His stop without a saddle was amazing!  He could really feel my weight shifting, so it all came together.  Now that is something amazing... I am the only human on earth that has ridden this horse, and I am the only human on earth that has sat on him bareback... and he trusts me enough to let me do it...

Love this horse.  :)

This morning my boy stood super still and got groomed all pretty.  He let me pick all four hoofs, with not even a flicker of his ears.  He lunged nice, had a tantrum but got over it really fast.  Im letting him have a little break today, I imagine he is probably pretty sore!  Poor little guy! 

On another note, I woke up this morning from a strange, sad dream... about a certain person that used to make me smile.  So i tried to push it out of my mind and think about something happy... like the tack I found, and all the apples that I can make apple sauce out of... thats a happy thought.  :)

Found this picture and it made me laugh... I could use a good laugh, so here you go :)

Reminds me of sean working on his cars...

Wills Ride!!!! Enjoy!

The first Ride

My boy had his first ride today.  I jumped up on him and he didn't even flicker his ears.  We were ready.  A solid walk, a solid trot, and some good forhand turns... he even backed up about 6 steps.  He moves away from pressure well, and wasn't spooked or upset at all!

After, he got a bath, and stood super still and patient while I braided his tail.  (Also a first for him... his tail was a MESS).

So it was a pretty exciting and positive day.  Nothing like the virgin ride, knowing no one else has ridden him before, knowing he is all mine... It is something pretty spectacular.

Life is good

I sat on my little monster, and he is doing very well taking a "saddle beating".  He lets me stand on the stirrups, jump off them, lay over his back, wiggle, flail... He is doing so good!  The only thing he doesn't like is the standing still part.  Of course he wouldn't.  A 1200 lb thoroughbred, standing still???He thinks Im crazy for asking him to do that.  HAHA  well news flash bub... you HAVE TO!!

On a side note, things are on the up and up around the house, in my life and pretty much everything is positive.  Sean played the guitar last night, and I almost cried, thinking about how I'll miss that so much.  I need to find me someone that can play, just sit around and play like sean does.

It has been weeks since my last post, and that is because it has been crazy here! Apart from my crazy horse and his bad attitude lately, (and my attempt to assert dominance and stop the “spin and kick” as I call it) I have been busy working, celebrating my birthday, my parents anniversary, and getting ready for the fall.


Sean will be moving to Alabama for Pilot Training in about a week, and honestly I am really really sad about it. I will miss him more than I can ever describe. I’ll be home with the parents again, just us three. At least I have things to do to keep my mind of it.



Here is an update on My boy:

• He is figuring out that I am in charge of the food, and I will only let him have it when he is a good little submissive boy…

• He puts his saddle on and lets me cinch him with very little to no fight

• He is getting desensitized on both sides, stands still, and has a solid whoa.

• He has figured out that I mean business when I ask for space

• He had his first ground driving lesson last night, and figured out how to back up, and turn his butt both directions. (reigns were too short to actually do more than that, so I need a pair of longer ones.)

• He pays attention better, not as distracted

The goal is to be riding bareback by Christmas… I like to take it slow and enjoy the journey. Training is one of my favorite things in the whole world, so we will enjoy it while it lasts, and not rush through it. I’m sure I could have him done so much sooner, but hey, that’s what life is all about – enjoying the journey, even when it throws you curve balls.

Still working on the party video… got a lot more footage than I originally thought 

My boy did great today.  He only tried to kick me once!  Little (I mean huge) butt head!!  He was tied and i was putting his saddle on.  He was doing great, just grouchy that i had woken him up so early.  When I went to cinch him, he walked into me, spun and bucked...
luckily I saw him coming and jumped out of the way... grabbed a rope and nailed him!  So... we moved to the arena where I could spin his butt around while cinching, and I won the battle.  After that, he did famously. Lunged to both sides, walk and trot.  Too tired to canter, so I didn't ask. 

What a good boy he is becoming.

Back to work. :(

I hate my job. But it helps pay for life.  The pay is crap.  I don't make enough to even live on.  Gas is expensive, and I use three tanks a week.  Time is money, right?  Not really.  I work my butt off at my crappity crap job, and the state takes more than its share, and I am left with one check a month (who ever thought is would be a good idea to pay monthly?)  And I am not paying off what I need to on my loans.  Soooo.... what is the plan?? 

Get a new stupid job!  Man  I hate work.  Man I hate immigration law.  I would really love to flip my job the bird and walk away... but I have to be a responsible adult and bite the bit and deal. 

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 

Groundwork

I know I promised a video of the party... but It isn't finished yet... here is one of My boy's progress :)

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZZZYYYYYYY night

video coming soon...

Do NOT kick!!!

Retard horse decided it would be a good idea to try and be the dominant male in his pasture, during feeding time... and the only beings in the pasture were me and him.  A kick in the right hamstring, and another attempt... I WAS PISSED!!!! 

So, later on, I took his cheeky little thoroughbred but into the arena and tore him a new one.  My space bubble grew from two feet to about 7.  One small finger wag and he would back up, or lift his head up and away...  SO THERE!!  He tried to do his stupid "dance around" think while I was saddling him... so I whacked him a new one on the butt.  Finally, he was standing still, head down, saddle on, cinched up tight, behaving. 

On a side note, I pressure washed the POS trailer.  Apparently it was originally a pea green, straight out of the 70's, then an awful cream, then white, then grey.  So I have to get out the dang grinder and grind down to the sheet metal.  Ill have to knock out the rivets and cut out all the cancer, but it should turn out fine.  (Donations accepted for material! hahaha  just kidding)

This afternoon is our family party... I'll be putting together a video for the family... so I'll post it on here too, hopefully tomorrow. 

Projects Projects

Just to stay busy, and because my boy won't load up, I bought a junker tailer.  $200 got me an old 1973 bumper pull.  It needs love.  So the plan is to strip the thing down, snad blast it, re floor it, rewire it, and put new sheet metal on it... it needs a new manger/tack storage, and it needs the center divider reinstalled...

as if I don't have anything else to do, right??

And my boy is coming along... slowly.  He stood on a tarp this morning.  At first he wasnt so sure about it.  He spooked at some horse blankets that were hanging out to dry... but he is pretty curious, so he was fine.

Here is the project trailer... don't make fun.  the goal is to get it usable for training purposes...