Lungeing with saddle

Howdy ya'll!!



Guess what? YESTERDAY I SAT ON VALLEY WHEN SHE HAD THE ENGLISH SADDLE ON HER!!

Lemme start from the beggining:



So I was sitting inside, when I had the sudden urge to canter across the pasture on Valley. I thought to myself, the only way I can do that anytime soon, is to go work with Valley so I can get her trained. So, I grabbed my helmet, handy stick and string, and my Clinton Anderson leadrope and headed outside. I decided to go ahead and feed both horses since I was going to have Valley out anyway, and I didn't want Chloe standing inside the pasture doing nothing. So I grabbed Valley's other leadrope and halter, and headed towards the shed where I feed Chloe and Valley.



After I fed them, I left Valley tied up, but shortened her leadrope. I got a saddle pad and put it on her. Then got the English saddle, and put it on Valley. After I tightned the girth as much as I could, I untied her, and took her down where she usually grazes.

My dad was there watching, and I started to lunge here, and she was doing small bucks. They wern't exactly bucks but close to it. I wanted to get her 'bucking' on camera, so my dad went to get the video camera. It wasn't charged, so we had to wait till it charged some.

When the camera was done charging, my mom came down with it. She filmed, my dad watched, and I lunged. : ) Valley 'bucked' here and there. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing. I wish I had a round pen, so I could put here in there and let her buck, instead of my attempting to lunge her while she was bucking.

After a bit, I stopped lungeing Valley, and called my dad over. He held Valley close by the leadrope, and I lowered the stirrups. And then I put my left foot in the stirrup, and I..

*drum roll please* thank you

..mounted!! That was the first time I'd ever been on Valley while she had been wearing saddle. My dad s..l..o..w..l..y.. led Valley a few steps. I felt like I was a little kid riding a pony for her first time. It kind of was actually. Valley's a horse, but pony sized, I had someone leading me SLOWLY, and it was my first time for being on Valley with a saddle! Lol. So kind of the same. Not really. Nah.

Anywhoo...

I then told dad to hand me the leadrope and step away from Valley and I. I took the leadrope and flexed Valley on both sides, then I practiced turns with her. She did great! It felt really weird for me to be sitting on her while she's walking with a saddle. Before when I've sat on her bareback, she would walk around to graze, but it felt different with the saddle. She did great on her turns, and I was HAPPY! I'm glad mom got that on film. :)