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.  :)