Back to the saddling

I wanted to write more yesterday
but my Internet was down again

Sugarfoot's first saddling went very well
a rear and a buck
and that was it

she wasn't real happy
but she accepted it
no one says she has to love it

but she came right back to me
mostly to say
"Would you take this off now?"

Debby hit it right on the head
when she said

"the horse has seemed to come to a conclusion.
She's decided you are "good people"
She's allowing you to do all these strange
senseless things because she's decided she can trust you"

and that's the impression I get
and that she's starting to enjoy the attention
just a little bit

prior to this I snugged a rope around her barrel
front to back to make sure she
wasn't going to lose her mind over
that kind of pressure

she wasn't keen when I walked in
carrying the saddle and blanket

much snorting and running away
until the promise of a carrot
changed her mind

I started with the pad
and only moved on to the saddle
when I could slap her fairly hard
all over
legs included
with the pad

all that work with the rope
pays off right here

I used the kids saddle because I knew
I'd be flopping this thing all over her
in the hot sun
and it's too hot to heave a big saddle
over a horse 50 times
both sides

by the time I was done with that
I could slap it up there
or under her belly
or up on her neck
and it was no big deal
cinches and stirrups flopping around

then I set it on
reached under for the cinch
brought it up and just tightened it
with my hands
without actually cinching

she took that well
so I went ahead and cinched up
and stepped back

after the big moment being
not too bad
I gave her a carrot
left her to think on it 15 minutes
then came in
unsaddled
hosed her down
and we're done

and we'll do it again today
and pick up all the feet

soon we'll move to a bigger saddle
and some ground driving
and eventually I'll get on
bareback

I always ride bareback first
I think I get a better feel
for that particular horse

but I also want the horse
to think a saddle is
no big deal

and I am waiting on the child's
return to school in Aug
freeing up 6 hours of my day
to take Sugarfoot out

September
expect to see that picture of us
riding out

it's coming...