This morning I saddled Knight up, TEll , David and I went for a ride outside. When I first went outside of the barn with Knight something spooked him, he bolted and ran off. He was headed straight for a fence, where he stopped suddenly and looked back over his shoulder.
His head was high and his nostril's were flaring. I don't know who's heart was beating harder, his or mine. I ask him to moved forward and he reluctantly moved his feet. I knew I had to take over
and direct his energy or I would be at his mercy. So I gathered up the bridle reins and rode him up into the bridle and took the lead down the driveway. When we got to the end of the driveway,
Cindy had placed some flags at the entrance that were waving in the breeze. So Tell and David walked on ahead of me and crossed the road into the subdivision and I followed on behind.
I can feel the horse beginning to relax and he's getting more confident with each step we take.
We rode for probably 1/2 hour and then came back to the barn,. unsaddled, rinsed him off and put him in the stall. After lunch I got him out of the stall and tied him to the arena wall.
He stood quietly for quit awhile. Then for appartenly no reason, pulled back on the lead rope
and fought like a tiger for a short period of time. Then as quick as it started it was over. He acted like nothing ever happened. Tonight is the night my grandson Trenton and his pony cheese will have their first horse show. Trenton is 2 and his mother will lead him in the lead line.
I am also going to take Knight to town and do a demo with him during an intermission. So we loaded up the trailer and headed to town. When we first got there we unloaded cheese, saddled him as his class would be first on our agenda. Left Knight stand in the trailer. Pony seemed to be nervous and upset, pawing and nickering and I didn't know how he was going to be for Trenton.
So I was going to work him on the line before I let Trenton ride him but as soon as I untied him, he got real quiet, so I lead him for a ways, Trenton wanted to ride so we put him on and headed to the arena. Christina lead Trenton in the class where all of the young people won the class!
It was a good experience for everyone. Now its time to get Knight out of the trailer and see how he is here. He came out of the trailer quiet, allowed me to saddle him, accepted the bridle very well. He seems to accept the commotion better instead at home where its quieter. So I took him into the warm up arena with the traffic of other horses and he seems to be taking everything in stride. I would like for him to be more responsive to my legs, step forward freer, I would like for him to be alitttle more willing to stay between the bridle reins and my legs. After all this is just his 5 th
ride. Really he is doing well. At the intermission it was time for his turn in the arena. He was the only horse in the arena, lights were bright, band at the county fair was playing loud music,
sounds of the carnival were going on. Didn't seem to bother him at all. So I trotted him around the arena while Cindy announced about the Mustang Makeover and what we were doing. He felt pretty confident as we trotted around so I ask him to step on up to a canter, first time to ever canter was in public and he did well. So I loped him around the , stopped, changed direction and loped him around the arena the other way. It wasn't perfect but it wasn't bad. I am feeling good about his progress and at this point feel like we'll have a good shot in Fort Worth.
