Tucker bucks again

eam Tucker is trying it again.

Tried out the new used saddle and saddle pad today.

Neighbor came by.

I felt tired and nervous. Just not having my best day. I tacked up with the neighbor's help.

Tucker and I walked around the pen.on the ground while we took turns watching how he seemed to feel about the new saddle. Tucker seemed like he likes the new saddle. The pad seems to sit in the right place. He looked relaxed. There seems to be more room between his withers and the pommel.

I am pretty sure I wasn't very relaxed. I mounted and we walked around the pen and then jogged a little.

We went out to the obstacle course and Tucker walked over the logs with no problems so his shoulders are moving well in this saddle.

She said trot him over by the vertical poles. He stepped in a small hole with his hind foot and then he started bucking. I turned him with one rein while he bucked and he stopped. She said, "You just take him back through there. There was no excuse for that."

So I turned him and went back through there and turned him and went back through there several times.

The good news is I did not loose a stirrup and I did turn him to get him out of bucking mode.

I also felt good jogging in this saddle. It's not as hard on my butt as I thought it would be.

She says, "Did you take him out to the big pen today?" Well, no I didn't.

She took him out there and had him circle and lope. Of course, in both directions. One note here is that Tucker is feeling better. His scratches are almost gone and he got antibiotics for his tooth. He is a good weight. The weather is cooler.

He is feeling his oats a bit. One day, I was looking out the window, Tucker thought I wasn't fast enough with the food and he was trotting and shaking his head and he threw in a couple of bucks all on his own.

I am not capable yet of cantering. So, the next best thing is to let him lope in the big pen without me on him. I am corking him up. I will have to work on that aspect. Fiddle with the reins less and have him walk out on a looser rein. Rewatch rein management on the CJ site.

I also think the side pull maybe isn't the right bridle for him. It is pulling up towards his eye sometimes if you use one rein on the ground so might be doing that when riding. Since I have to be bitless due to his tooth, the neighbor wants me to try a mechanical hackamore. I'll have to read up on that.

My game plan for the next week or two, I think, is that I will tack up and take Tucker out to the big pen where we will lope during ground work. I will make sure he gets to blow off some steam. I will also do more ground work and I will be firmer in some areas. Expect more of him. Which I am doing already and it is helping our relationship.

I will get on him if I think I am ready to do that. If Tucker isn't ready on the ground, then he isn't ready for riding. I'll know.

I think more ground work is in our future :) I think if I would have been doing ground work since the beginning, we would be further ahead as a team but that is water under the bridge. No time like the present.

Hopefully on Saturday, when I work with him again, I'll have my energy level up some :) Ill try to get some photos of the new pad and saddle.