First Ride

Well, we've done A LOT of stuff since I last wrote! On Friday I took Cabrito through our indoor obstacle course - which meant plastic tarps, teeter totter bridges, hanging pool noodles, tires and streamers. He took it all in stride and there wasn't an obstacle that he refused to do. He wasn't too crazy about going through the curtains that were hanging down, but he did do it! Yesterday I pulled the horse trailer up so we could work on loading. From the time I pulled him out of his pen to the time he had all 4 feet in the trailer, it was only 7 minutes!! I'm just so amazed that this horse went from being perfectly capable of taking care of himself and not needing me, to willingly following me and doing everything I've asked him to do. Outstanding!

Today I decided was the big day to get on him. I saddled him, did some more ground driving, and then had Spencer come in on Roxy for moral support (and to play pick up man if things got a little out of hand lol). I got up on him and had Spencer walk Roxy by us to help Cabrito get moving, and we were off! He was walking real easy and relaxed, and even took the lead going to the right. He seemed to be pretty independent and didn't mind going ahead of Roxy. He was even starting to sit on his hindquarters and step his front end over off my leg when we changed directions! The funny part was at the end though - I decided he did well and was looking to find a place to quit, so I was trying to get him to stop and stand still for just a second so I could dismount. He was milling around a little bit and pulling down on the lead rope, so I just hung in there and waited for the right thing to happen so I could reward him. Well, I never got that chance cuz down his front end went, he was laying down!! I kicked my stirrups and stepped off the right and tried to get out of the way before he got up. He just stood up and looked at me like "what are you doing down there?" I knew we couldn't end like that, so fortunately he let me get back on and back off the "right way". Hahaha. Well, I've never had a colt do THAT with me before!!! And of course Roger had already turned the camera off, so no pictures of the unorthodox dismount!