June 13 & 14, 2008 update.
I have a new horse to ride. Well, the horse isn't new, but riding him is. Popeye (CANT TOUCH THIS BLUE) just came home from the trainer's the end of May. I had him started, green broke, to ride. I never rode him until I got him home, so didn't know what he was like.

The first day I rode him was 3 days after Popeye came home. I saddled him like the trainer did, without hesitation. I wore spurs like the trainer did. I was trying to make the wohle situation seem familiar and as routine as when Popeye was at the trainer's. I didn't have the exact same bit, but use one aobut hte same size and diameter. I climbed up and away we rode, in the round pen. I was very cautious at first because Popeye is a baby still and green. But he rode just great. I even got to lope him a little bit. Wow, it was smooth--I think. It was only a couple strides so didn't know for sure. His stride is so big. It kind of felt like an elephant at first.

Popeye was so relaxed and going so well, I let my son get up and ride. He doesn't ride much, no skills. But he did fine for his 2 trips around the round pen. That's all he wanted to ride. He was done. OK.

I rode Popeye again a couple days later. He was still good. This time I got to lope a bit more. It was wonderful. He was a smooth loper. His front end would move and his back end would move with the stride, but I didn't move much at all in the middle. It was like a rocking chair!

I didn't ride for 2 weeks. I didn't know what Popeye would be like after that long. He was used to being ridden every day at the trainer's. On Friday the 13th, I decided to ride after work. Wow! It was an awesome ride! I really got a work out. We loped several times around the round pen both directions. It's so incredible! It was just great. I decided to venture out of the round pen into the open (no fence). That is when the young horse showed himself. He was a bit nervous around new things. He wanted tobe a little spooky, which is understandable with a young horse. We rode in and out of a line of trees. We rode down into a ditch and back up the other side at the road.

I took Popeye to the side of the side of the house near the dog kennel. The dogs are on one side, a horse trailer on the other. The cement drive almost comes to an end just North of this area. So, we could only go forward into the backyard, or backwards on the cement toward the South. But there wasn't room for a green horse to turn around easily. Popeye started snorting and looking cautiously. I thought the dogs in the kennel would scare him, but not really. He was more concerned with everything in front of us being all new and scary. I coud feel him tense under me. I knew if he spooked, he could slip and fall on the cement and pin me under him. So, I hoped that wouldn't happen.

I tried riding Popeye forward, but he paused and looked at something. Then all of a sudden he spooked and jumped. Problem was there wasn't any place for him to jump to, so he just sort of jump in place, perfectly balance. Remember the footing underneath--cement. When he jumped, we started ice skating in place on the cement. Popeye instantly decided there was nothing more important to be affraid of than getting his feet back under himself. I just sat still while he scrammbled, praying he wouldn't fall. He finally got his feet flat on the ground. We were OK. I urged him to go forward. He showed me he's not dumb. He could have spooked so badly that he couldn't think straight and just freaked out. No, he knew to turn off the spooky and think about getting his feet straight under him so as not to fall. He knew that was a worse situation than being affraid of an unknown monster. Stinker.

Anyway, he was a little nervouse about the different objects in this new strange place, like the truck and horse trailer, a trash traile, another horse around the corner of the barn, and who knows what else. We proceded around the back of the house but we did so in many small figure eights. We figure eighted around the entire back and side of the house. When we got back out to the front, he realized where he was, someplace familiar.

I rode him past Roman's pen (my tall stallion) and back up to the gate. He did well there and we had done a lot of exploring. Oh, yeah, I was exhausted, to. So we quit for the day. It was a good ride, though.

Saturday the 14th, I decided to get Popeye ready for photos and video. I went out in the morning because it was going to be hot. I shortened Popeye's mane and then braided it. I was hot already. I trimmed him with the clippers, brushed him, and painted his feet. He was loking good.

I knew Popeye would need to be ridden in an English saddle for any video to show him as an English horse. Well, he had never been ridden English before. Some horses don't take to that very well the first few tries.

Next I had to get all my equipment ready. I got my camera, my video camera, and my tripod, the saddle, bridle, and something black to wear. This was going to be interesting. I had to ride and film at the same time.

I put the English saddle on and a bridle. I put my hard hat on for safety. I tried to squeeze my hands into the only pair of black gloves I coud find, sweater knit lined winter gloves...for summer. My hands were so hot and sweaty, this was not an easy task. But, I got it done.

I took Popeye to the mounting block. There was no way I was going to try and mount the English saddle andhave it pull over on me. That would not be a good first English saddle experience. I kind of hopped on from the mounting block. I was up! I found my stirrups and rode off at a walk.

Popeye walked around well. I tried trotting a little bit and he kind of put his head up because it felt different and he wasn't sure of the situation, but he didn't change his gait. I was able to ride a sitting trot and post. He was so good. I do not have a quiet seat, but he took it all in stride. He doesn't throw his head way up when you switch gaits. Then we tried cantering. I try not to interfere with his mouth. He has such a natural rhythm and smooth gait, all you have to do is sit up there and steer once in a while. It was such an awesome feeling. It really gave me lots of confidence to go on. It was so fun and Popeye was so good, even though I don't ride well right now. He's just so cool and easy to ride. I love it! I had the video camera going so I got some video. After that, I was exhausted! Day over. What a great day. Popeye rides just like I imagined he would, big, smooth gaits. Really awesome.

 

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