We're Riding Again

Whisper and I had an excellent session yesterday. I started him on light round pen work last week and put a saddle back on him on Thursday. He also finally got to try out his new bit – that was kind of a nonevent but made me feel better to have him in a bit that fits. I had big plans to ride him on Friday. Hah, no one told Whisper the plan. Seems he’d been practicing his avoid the mounting block routine while he was off. Every time I picked up the reins he’d move his butt away. Took a bit of fumbling on my part but Clinton Anderson saved me again. One of his favorite techniques is to work the horse then let them rest beside a scary object. I initially moved him in small circles back and forth around the mounting block. This didn’t seem to work so well – at least it wasn’t accomplishing much. So I said the hell with it and sent him around the round pen at a canter – about 5 circuits in each direction then stopped him and led him to the mounting block. If he stood still he got rubbed and told he was a good boy. As soon as he moved I sent him off at a canter again. Pretty soon I was able to climb up on the block, pick up the reins, step in the stirrup, and lay across the saddle. We did this for maybe 45 minutes. I never did get on him, just went thru the motions. When we were done I tied him in the round pen to think about the lesson. Saturday was a day off. Yesterday we started the same way -circuits then he stood by the mounting block. Only this time he never moved. I sent him off at a walk a couple of times then seriously worked on standing in the stirrup, sitting on him and dismounting without having him move. On and off, on and off. Finally we set out and worked on walk/trot and whoa. Afterwards I tied him in the round pen to think again although what he actually thought about was how to untie himself. He was wandering around when I brought Spice up. I’m just glad he didn’t roll with the saddle on. As of right now I’m confident that he is at the same place he was when he was injured. Later this week (work does interfere) we'll move on to the arena. The really good news is that the endurance and show seasons are over and I should be able to get some professional training help.

On the adoption front I still don’t have his papers but those are apparently in the works. Once that is finalized I’ll have to give some thought as to whether to continue his blog. EOI has declared the venture a success – their definition of success being adoption. Although training is ongoing the initial goal for him has been achieved - he has certainly joined the ranks of working equines.