Sweetpea's First Ride with Us - January 2009

We rode Sweetpea for the first time this weekend. She has been hard to catch and wil only come to us when we have food. She is more trusting than she was but still wary.

After all, she was neglected for a long time. And then some cowboys caught her, slapped a saddle on her bony back and rode her to the point of exhaustion for a half day, leaving her with a saddle sore the size of a fried egg.

Her back is healed, she has gained quite a bit of weight but that wariness isn't going to go away over night.

So the hooftrimmer was Saturday morning (yesterday) and after, we trimmed her whiskers, ears and bridle path, straightened out her ragged mane and combed the knots out of her tail. She got a good brushing as well. She doesn't mind the attention at all.

Then we led her up front. She was nervous but obediant. We saddled her up using my lightweight Abetta Cordura. I swear by this saddle. It fits every horse I've put it on. It's simple to swap out cinches and change the stirrup length. It is so light and easy to handle.

Sweetpea stood still for the saddling and for the mounting as well. She was increasingly nervous. We used a simple egg butt snaffle on her to start. She was head fussy and gapped her mouth a bit on it but she stopped and turned well.

She is very pressure senstive under saddle and turns on a dime. She has a fabulous Corto and a decent Classic Fino, though she didn't shuffle, she can Fino slower than I walk. We didn't try her Largo as she is still a little nervous. We'll give her a few rides to settle down before we let her move out. She's very side sensitve and even stomach kicked once. She's got the wonderfully smooth Paso gaits but is not very collected. Peg enjoyed her smooth gaits for a few spins around the yard and then we let her graze as a reward.

After she gains a little more weight and I might ride her myself a few times to see what she does. But she is too small for me to ride her on a regular basis.

Interestingly, she is easier to catch today. Even coming up when you don't have food to see what you are doing. It could be she's been so terrified of being caught and ridden that when it happened she thought. "Oh that wasn't too bad." Hopefully her bad memories of the times before she came to us will fade in time.

I can honestly say, our horses don't mind being ridden too much. They are always eager to get in the trailer and go and you can catch them with a bridle in hand when they are in the pasture.

Tacoda - Weekend 01-24-09

Cody did well again this weekend. I've ridden him twice and may get one more ride in this afternoon later. Luc took him around the yard once or twice. He did well then too but he was ready to be done.

We practiced mounting from the side of the trailer and he caught onto that pretty fast.

I also have stopped letting him graze during saddling because he keeps moving around. Now he has to stand there. He's not happy about that and is sullen. Luckily though, when I lead him over to mount he seems to forget all about his surly "tude".

When he sees Luc it's all playtime to him. Luc jogged ahead of us at one point, and Cody instantly threw his head up, prepared to buck off after him. A sharp "QUIT" and he settled right down.
He is definitely a horse you need to stay alert on. In a few years though, he should be a very consistant mount.

Tacoda - Weekend of 1/17/09

I rode Tacoda several times over the weekend. He did quite well. We used the new rope noseband sidepull. The rope is pretty stiff and if I have to pull his head around fast, he doesn't fight it at all. That head snaps around. He moves quickly away from the pressure.

When the reins are relaxed, the nose band doesn't bother him at all. And he doesn't fight it when pressure is applied, he yeilds quickly.

We've stayed in the yard and about a half mile stretch of dirt road. He starting to gait more consistantly. I particularly like how he comes running to the gate when I call him. I bridle him right there and he can't wait to get saddled. He's standing at the mounting block (ok still the pickup truck) and doesn't move out until I tell him to.

Now that he moves out to a cluck well, I'm starting to give him a light leg squeeze with the cluck now. Sometimes I have to tap him lightly with the crop to get his attention.

Tacoda - 01-10-09

I took Tacoda around the yard several times today under saddle. He did very well and even gaited a bit. No shenagins. I think we will spend a little more time in the pasture and the yard before we venture out into the neighborhood again!

I've ordered a sidepull bridle with a nylon rope noseband rather than a bosal. His refined muzzle would make the bosal hard to fit.

Tacoda - 01-7-09

Fifth Ride - I led him up to the mounting block and he stood well as I climbed on and got my stirrups. Then went went around the yard a few times at a walk. He was eager to go out on the road so we did. I didn't want to take him down past the dogs again after yesterday, so I cut through a neighbors yard to get to a vacant field. He was very hesitant through the yard, worried about different colored grass, the pump, a shed. But we got through it.

We made it to the field and started around the perimeter. The field is pretty barren but runs along our property line. The part that runs along our fence is wooded. As we rode along the wooded part, he heard a rustle and spooked. It was just a quick stop and a half turn. I turned him back around and coaxed him past the spot. We went a few more yards and he suddenly leaped up in the air, rather like he does playing in the pasture. I stayed on and got him stopped then scolded him verbally. Then took him in a few short circles and we went on. He did this twice more as we went around the field. The third time, I growled "QUIT" and he did.

He wanted to move out so I let him gait a bit. It was a lovely slow rack. I didn't let him do it for long though and rewarded him with alot of praise. We had been out about a half hour so I figured it was time to go back. Just as I made that decision, there was another hopping incident about the same place as the first one. So we had to go around the field again. We even gaited a bit more. He was pulling for more speed but I wouldn't let him.

After a last sucessful circle, we headed back through the neighbors yard and back home. He let me dismount at the block, though it took a bit for him to line up. We had to go forward and backward a few times and sidepass. He does not like sidepassing under saddle.

All in all, a good ride. Though I was ready to get off after that hopping. I braved it out and I'm hoping we won't have any more of that.

Tacoda - 01-07-09

Fourth Ride - I got home with about an hour of daylight left, so I called Tacoda up to the gate and he came running. Then I haltered him (he shoved his head eagerly into the halter) and took him out of the pasture. I tacked him up without issue.

I walked him over to the mounting block and lined him up. He stood perfectly while I got on and continued to stand while I put my feet in the stirrups, though he did turn his head to watch.

We rode at a nice walk around the yard a few times and he kept pulling to the road so on the third or fourth time around, I let him go out to the road. We walked liesurely down the road, stopping to sniff everyone's garbage cans and trash. He had to put his nose on everything new in the driveways.

We got to the house with the horse that always runs up to the fence, but it was stalled in the back, so I was relieved of that. We rode nicely all the way down to the goats at the end of the road. Tacoda was a perfect boy.

On the way back, we stopped to wait for a truck to pull out of it's driveway. While we were waiting, a man opened his gate to drive his truck and trailer out and two pit bulls got loose. They ran straight for us, snarling and snapping.

All I could think was.. "Oh shit, he's going to throw me and I'm going to be eaten by dogs."

As they reached us, I saw one leap up in front of Tacoda. Until then, he had been frozen there watching the dogs. He's not afraid of dogs and wasn't sure what to make of it until then.

When the dog jumped up, Tacoda wheeled around and bunched up. At first I thought he was going to explode but then in that second, I noticed he was tucking his head, as if trying to turn his back and pretend they weren't there. I knew he was scared, I could feel him tremble.

When he had turned, the dogs started circling. By this time the owner was running out to get them. So I picked the whip off the saddle horn and shooed it at the dogs yelling "GIT. GO"

That kept them at bay until the owner caught them. Tacoda stood there a few more minutes and then finally turned his head to see if they were gone. I praised him for the way he handled it and we started home. He walked out nicely and by the time we got home, I could tell he was tired, probably from the scare more than the ride.

I was so proud of him. He's doing great.

Tacoda - 01-04-09

Second Ride and Third Ride: I rode Tacoda today again. Once in the morning and another time in the afternoon.

In the morning, we just went around the yard a few times. He did very well. Very relaxed. We stayed at a good swinging walk. Rode him about 15 minutes, just practicing turns and stopping. Backing up. I made him move to the mounting block to mount and dismount. He did good on it.

The second ride was in the late afternoon, my sister brought Jackie, her mule, along on a lead line. We rode down the road to the end and back. Tacoda did very well, though all we really did was walk. Not alot of turning. We did practice stopping and waiting as cars went by. Only a couple of cars though. He did very good.

Tacoda 01-03-09

First real ride - Up until now, Luc has been the only one to sit on Tacoda's back. He's steered him around the yard a little bit with me walking beside.

Today was Tacoda's first real ride. I brought him to the mounting block (Ok, so it's the back of the pick up truck), lined him up and got on. He stood very well and let me get my stirrups on and then I sat there, still, a few minutes. I talked to him and petted him. Then I wiggled a little, shifting my weight so he could feel it. Then I clucked for him to move out. He did at a walk, and on his first turn he staggered a bit, getting used to the weight. But on the second turn, he did fine. I guided him around the yard for several laps, no more than 20 minutes, with lots of praise. Then I took him back to the mounting block and got him lined up, then got off.

A job well done for Tacoda!