Riding Jack

It is so difficult working with someone else's horse. I went to work with Jack the horse today.

I had to get one horse out while trying to contain two other horses. I had help at least.

I get Jack out, I pause, then I take him to the trailer where I learn how to use the blocker tie ring. It's easy. I brush the horse and clean his feet. He's real nice about picking up his feet. Jack is acting a little jumpy.

Jack didn't like the fly spray idea. Nice neighbor is saying "He isn't usually like this." Okay, maybe I am a bit nervous since the horse is a bit nervous.

We get him into the round pen to settle him down. The neighbor gal is saying "Don't say Shhh" to him because that means go faster. WTF? Most people just cluck. Anyway, the horse was doing good in one direction and not the other. They found me a whip instead of the rope to swing at him.

Now, I decided we would do it my way. Every time the horse turned without me asking, I turned him back and got him going and took the pressure off. That finally got him to go consistently in the other direction for awhile.

It is weird working with someone else's horse. I wanted to have him back, turn fore, turn hind. Back, lead forward. Just to have us on the same page. They were "Enough of that. Over doing that."

We used my new saddle and saddled him up. That took some time because the cinch had to be adjusted, the flank cinch didn't fit so it came off and the breast strap was just big enough and I had never done one of those before.

Owner ran him around a bit, tightens cinch more and says Want to get on?" I'm good, no. My trainer and neighbor lady are like "Really because he's ready after all of this."

Okay, I have to get on from the fence. Never done that before. Once on Jack, I felt pretty good. We checked the saddle for stirrup length and looking centered. She goes, let me check that cinch and she tightened it up way more. next time let us check that cinch an extra time before I climb on!

Seriously, did not do too bad. My stirrup banged on the fence and Jack started trotting and I did not pull on the reins in a freak out manner! I managed to steer with basically my feet and not a lot of using the reins. The horse whoa'd for me. He didn't like backing but I got him to do it. I clucked once to get him to walk faster and he started to trot because I clucked.

At the end, I got the horse to sidle up to the fence and then I got off. I am going back next Sunday. Both ladies felt it was my nerves that caused Jack to be a bit flinchy. They think I talk too much and hand out too much praise and didn't pet him hard enough. Okay, we'll try strong and silent next time.

It is strange being with a horse that round pens different than I am used to and has signals a bit different than I am used to but Jack was actually very cooperative despite my nerves. The horse never came over the top of me. Never tried to do bad horse things like scrape me off on the side of the round pen or rear up, or kick at me or different bad, scary horse things.

This is the first time I have successfully cinched up and used this saddle because cinching is where Tanka was exploding. I have a bit of PTSD from that I think.

I told the gals thank you so much for being there for me and helping me so much. I know I got nervous but I don't know how to get over being nervous except to go forward and do it!

Sorry, no photo. I was so busy working on all I need to work on, I just forgot.