July 08 - First ride in my new saddle

Well quick update. I am supposed to be working but wish I was playing so I come here instead! I finally got a chance to ride in my saddle on the weekend. Saturday was a lovely sunny albeit crisp day so after I got the hundred and one jobs out of the way I collected up my saddle and trundled off to the arena. Got a new play pen organised for Scout and then went off to get caught. It takes less than 2 minutes now which is lovely. I then get a long face from Star when it's not him I choose to play with. Scout seemed happy enough! We yo-yoed into the arena between 2 poles and over one at the end. He did this with consumate ease! Ah hah...have to make it more spicy. So we did circling... at the canter.....he was showing off! We did change of gait....still showing off. Almost like he's saying....yeah what else cause I got that one. Then we did sideways at the trot....this got him thinking.....good. Then we did porcupine...now this is nort his favourite game....he does everything to not move but I have more moves than him and so he's beginning to lose. I make a huge effort to not move my feet. He gets very stroppy when this happens.....not aggressive but as though he's saying "Oh that's not fair you have worked out my secret game." Then we went over to the mounting block, I introduced him to my new saddle, theraflex pad and all the other bits and pieces. All he wanted to do was hold the green shopping bag I had my helmet in, in this mouth. So he did. We saddled up, now issues. We played in between cinching, no issues. I stood up on my elephant stand which is a bit too high for them to get on...and asked him to come over so I could get on. Being lazy. He did. We strode off at the walk and I practiced my pushing passenger lesson as well as indirect and direct reins. We practised this for about 5 minutes and we were then moving on to follow the rail. Then it happened. He pulled out his gold plated savvy arrow! He stopped as if to scratch his jowl on his leg and then gently plopped onto the ground! I let out a cry much like Bridget Jones when she slides down the firemans pole, kicked my feet out of the stirrups and then when he had landed I calmly stepped off. I DID THIS ALL ON AUTOPILOT!! I didn't get scared or bothered I just did this without thinking. Then I thought about my saddle and that I WAS NOT WILLING TO LET HIM ROLL ON IT!!! Sorry Linda I am TOO precious about my saddle. I asked him to get up, he did and then looked at me. I looked at him, he smiled at me, I smiled at him and thought, OK mister lets play some more and then I am going to get back on you. We did some squeezes over a jump, he threw a loop of rope back at me, have you ever had them do that. THEY are so SAVVY with ropes that they can do this!! Well he can!! I know when he's going to do it now and just throw one back at him! He knows I will do it too and so it becomes a very interesting experience. After about 10 minutes he asked if he could stop. I said sure, he came in and politely asked for a scratch. He got one. We then did sideways to the stand and I got on. This time I asked for "interesting" stuff. I asked for rein back, I asked for sideways and he actually seemed interested. Then Bruce dared me to ride a lap around the arena outside the fencce. Something in me..maybe fear....maybe savvy...who knows said nope I am happy here ending on a positive note for us both. After that episode I have mulled this over a million and one times cause that's what I do. I have emailed Christine and asked her advice and look forward to hearing what she think. I did get dejected and think that this horse is too much for me, why do I never pick the easy ones.....Bruce tells me cause he knows I wouldn't have it any other way. He's right too. I did start to feel un-savvy about this but then quickly thought that we must either be on the cusp of breakthrough or I am going to learn what to do when this happens again. Cause believe me it will, he's only got bucking and rearing to go in his arsenal, both of these he does on line and both I am waiting for when I ride. Luckily he's too fat to be as athletic as Star! Phew! Star on the other hand is coming along really well. He's happy for me to be his leader now. He is starting to be so comfortable around me. He's showing me all his itchy spots when we are in the paddock together.....he's even grooming me which I take as a huge compliment. He's showing me just how athletic he is. The other night he did one time changes to his feed bin! I looked at him and said now I only need to communicate that I would like to ride those and for you to say ok cause you know how to do them already! All is good, my savvy is being stretched...but one thing is for sure. I AM SO DAMN GLAD I BOUGHT THE FLUIDITY SADDLE, IT"S FANTASTIC!