Early this morning before breakfast I headed for the barn and got Knight. I led him to my tie area and brushed the dirt off him and we went out to the trailer where the saddle was and I saddled him, bridled him and we stepped away from the trailer and as I reached for the stirrup what I had hoped for did happen! The poor attitude and ill behavior from last night reared its head. Knight bowed his neck pushed on the bridle reins and was moving away from me in an attempt to keep me from mounting. I took my foot out of the stirrup and with the end of a long bridle rein gave him one swift hard swat on the behind. He had an instant change of attitude. His eye opened wide his head came up with a startled expression on his face. I believe he decided at that moment that standing still and allowing me to step up into the saddle quietly was a lot better choice. While on his back I headed off for my outdoor riding arena. I started around the arena and again felt the resistance of going forward. So squeezed on him with my legs and held firm pressure and again with the bridle rein I gave him another swat on the behind. He instantly went forward and I instantly relaxed my legs and let him go forward.
The next time I applied leg pressure he moved forward freely. I loped him around the arena both ways a few times, then we went outside. I rode around the house where he is reluctant to pass the AC while running, the lawn mover in the yard, porch deck, gas tank, so I worked on regaining forward motion with these obstacles. With each step he is freeing up. So I headed off down the driveway. We went down the county road out towards the highway. The cars on the highway don't seem to bother him at all. So we headed down the road from a walk up to a trot now to the lope. I loped him almost a mile down the gravel road. He seems to be relaxed and comfortable. He is allowing me to ride his body up to his face. He is allowing me to move him to the left and to the right while we are at the lope. So I let him come back down to a walk. We turned around and walked back to the house. He feels really nice, relaxed, attentive and responsive. Brought him back to the barn, unsaddled him, gave him a bath, walked him around for a little bit and allowed him to eat. He can relax in his stall until the reporter from the Farm Bureau magazine arrives at 10am.
