10/6/10 If Your Legs are Together

*naughty readers... If you thought about anything BUT horses when you read that subject heading, go wash your brain with antibacterial soap, and go sit in the corner for fifteen minutes to think about it.* LOL

I caught Harley, got him ready to go, and added my hunt saddle. It's not near ready to fit him, as he's still waay too out of shape to carry it a long time. I very slowly cinched it up, and watched his ears. He didn't flip them, didn't even wiggle. Stood stock statue still. I walked him over to the side yard, asked him to walk out some, and tightened the girth. Still no reaction. Great! Lunged him a while, and he sped off. Quickly, though, Harley realized that, to make the saddle make less boogery spook noises, he needs to slow down. He halted with each "whoa", even with the saddle irons flapping on the sides of the saddle. I lunged him this way in the tack for probably ten minutes, and when he settled, I took him back to the trailer, and took it off.

What to do, what to do. Okay, a few turns on each end. Great job, Monster! Five steps in the back, four up front. Nice! Led in-hand at the walk a while.. still needs work to keep him up with me. He'd be MUCH happier toodling along behind. What to do, what to do. I stood beside him, grabbed mane, and hop hop hopped to simulate what it'll be when I hop up into tack. No reaction, at all. Both sides. now what.. good grief.. now what.. dumdeedumdeedum.. doodleydoo.. I've got it!

I grabbed my little plastic step stool, set it beside him like I would mount up. I stood up on the stool, no movement from Harley. I hop hop hopped, no movement. I took a solid hop, and leaned up on him, legs crossed together. Clinton Anderson say, "It's not riding the horse unless your legs split over him."

I repeated this, and almost went head-over-tea-kettle on one hop up. Oops! LOL .. Forgots is little horse, needs little propulsion upwards. OOPS! :)
I did it from both sides, and when my body weight was up there, I scratched, rubbed, fiddled, wiggled.. Still zero movement.. He didn't budge.
PASS!!

A total of about 35 minutes' work before I hit the mental "uh oh, I still need to eat supper & scramble off to choir practice.. Oops!" I don't know about Harley, but I sure had fun.