Mustang Saga

Today I tried to let Joseph out in the pasture but he didn't want to go.

It's hard to see here but the gate is open between the two wooden posts.

Finally I urged Bella to go in and meet him.

She's totally in love but he's a little skeptical.

She's like a groupie following her favorite rock star.

Then Pedro was cute.  I love his big ears and his wonderful nose and his eyebrows and his eyes.  I guess I just love all of him.  :)  I think he's jealous of the time I'm spending with Joseph.  He brays a lot when I'm out there.

This afternoon I saddled Joseph again, this time with the cinch!  He was jumpy and goosy at first, so of course I didn't saddle him yet.  He had to get over being groomed and rubbed and pay attention to me instead of his new girlfriend.  It didn't take long before he was ready to be saddled. 

We did a lot of walking and trotting and moving in tight circles to get the feel of the saddle.  I flopped the stirrups and popped the flaps and was generally obnoxious.  Then we worked on tipping his head toward me and moving his hindquarters away from stirrup pressure, lining up next to the mounting block and leaning, waving, bumping, and generally desensitizing him to any goofy thing I might do in the saddle.  I hopped next to him, grabbing his mane and sticking my leg up like I was going to mount.  I think I probably could have climbed on today if I wanted to. 

But it's not time yet.  He's still pretty touchy about his flanks and hind end being bumped, and he's not at all comfortable with me switching sides behind him.  No rush.  Gotta do things right.  I think tomorrow we'll do some work with switching eyes from behind, without the saddle on.  We should also work on ground driving, and for that I'd prefer to use a bit, so there will be all kinds of preparation for that as well. Still plenty of work to do!  I may be slow as molasses, but we have our whole lives ahead of us and it's the slow moments when we just get to "be" that are the most enjoyable.