I Wasn't Planning This...But...

We had another great weather weekend. It wasn't quite as warm as last weekend and there were quite a bit more clouds in the sky, but that didn't deter me from getting out and working with Chance. On Saturday I lunged her with the surcingle, and then I put the bridle on her for the first time. She handled it really well and I worked her at all gaits so she could get used to carrying the bit in her mouth. She did the usual baby "chomping at the bit" thing. I will eventually put a caveson on her, but for now I just want her to get used to carrying a bit.

On Sunday, my OH and I decided we would put a saddle on her. She has never had any problems with the surcingle, so we figured it was about time for her to wear a saddle. I lunged her first to make sure she was in the right frame of mind and listening to my cues. Then my OH brought my saddle into the round pen. I have never put a saddle pad on Chance, but I have sacked her out to towels and a lot of other things. I picked up the pad and let her smell it. She didn't care. I put it on her back and she just stood there. I picked up my saddle and let her check that out. She sniffed at it and she didn't care. So I threw it up on her back. She didn't move a muscle. I cinched it up with no problem (this is where the surcingle comes in handy, since you have to cinch up a surcingle it gets them used to tightening a cinch). So the saddle is on. No reaction. Quiet as can be. I sent her off in a circle at a walk. She was very relaxed and so I asked for the trot. She trotted around like it was no big deal, with the stirrups hitting her sides. I then asked for a canter. Each gait the stirrups hit them differently, so they need to get used to the feel of a saddle at all the gaits. I then asked Chance to reverse and we went through all the gaits in that direction. Not one buck, spook or kick. She acted like she had been wearing a saddle for a year.

Now, you know how you plan on doing things a certain way, or say your not going to do something until the time is right? Well, I wasn't planning on what I did next. At all. It just happened. I had my bridle with me, but I didn't have any reins at the round pen. My OH kept saying "Just get on her, she's ready." Now why would I listen to my OH, when he doesn't know anything about breaking a horse? I mean, Chance has only worn a bridle one time. ONE TIME. I had not gotten her in long lines yet to get her used to the pressure of the bit, learn how to turn and stop. I was planning on spending the next couple weeks doing all that, then saddle break her, then climb on, which would be in about 2-3 weeks time. Well, since I felt that Chance has been so good with all of her training, and she is so smart and does not over-react about anything I thought that I'd at least get her used to pressure in the stirrups. I decided to run down to the house to get reins and my camera.....just.in.case.

Before I bridled her, I put my hand in the stirrup and pushed down, jumped up and down, patted her on the butt. I did this on both sides. I then bridled her with no problems, with my OH in the background "Just get on her, she's fine!" I put pressure on the left rein until she gave, then released. I did this quite a few times right and left. I mean if I was going to be getting on this wild beast, I want her to have a little idea of what pressure on the bit means, right? I'm not crazy...



Chance is just so good about everything. She doesn't fidget and move around when I am working with her. She stands so quiet and calm. She doesn't get nervous. I just love that about her. I really am not crazy....



I checked everything to make sure it was all adjusted properly, tightened the cinch a little bit more. I turn Chance's head to the side so that if I do decide to get all the way on, she can't do anything too crazy. Am I crazy?



With my weight in the stirrup, I jump up and down, lay my body over her back and pat her on the neck and butt. She just stood there. My OH yells at me "Get on already!"

I then swing my leg over.............and put my weight all the way down in the saddle. I petted Chance and told her over and over what a good girl she was. Chance did absolutely nothing. I then did the same thing with the reins when I was on her that I did from the ground, had her give to the right and left. She figured out the left pretty well, but going to the right she wanted to put her nose straight up in the air. But she got it after a couple minutes.



I continued to pet her on her butt and neck, talking quietly to her. Here I am explaining to my OH what my plan is. Gotta love the timing of the photographer...



After a few minutes I put my other foot in the stirrup.



And then once I felt that Chance was comfortable with me up there and that I had some sort of control (crazy?), I put my legs on her, clucked and asked for the walk. Yeah, not so much.



She stood there....and stood there....and stood there. Kicking and clucking and she could not figure out what any of that meant (I had to explain to my OH that horses just do not know that a kick means to move, we have to teach them that and everything they know). I eventually took the end of my rein and tapped her on the butt. One step forward. Tapped her again. Two steps forward. We finally were getting somewhere!



She would try to turn left and I would pull on the right rein and she actually would go right. Then she would stop. Tapped her again. We walked half way around the round pen. She would just stop again. Got her going again. She tried going to the right. Pulled on the left rein and she straightened out.



We walked twice around the round pen. I sat with all my weight in the saddle, pulled back on the reins and said whoa. She stopped the first time I asked.



I told my OH that I would do one more lap, then we would call it a day. I like how she walks with her neck and head relaxed. She has a very nice, natural head carriage.



Once that lap was complete, I asked for the whoa again. She stopped right away. I praised her....a lot. I then dismounted.



And gave her a big hug!



I was not planning on getting on Chance so soon, nor was I planning on doing it the way I did it, which I mean by just jumping on her the first time she has ever been saddled and by not having any control. I know some people break their horses that way, but I was not going to do that. Well, I did. And I lived. And Chance was awesome! So maybe I am not that crazy after all! I am so proud of my girl. She was not nervous, anxious, spooky and I NEVER once felt like she was going to explode. I know she could at anytime in future rides and she will definitely test me at some point. I mean, Chance can't be that perfect, or can she? All I know is that this is one awesome horse and I am so excited for our future together!!