Monday's Ride!

Well I am doing good on my goal of riding every day..Rode three days in a row:) Well I got Navajo and spent some time with him then I saddled up and we rode out. To be different this time I just headed up to the area where the big hill is. We didnt' do any hill work today but I plan to again soon. I just walked him around and went behind the one shed and did some backing and got him to move his forhand around. He did really well with that. I was just working on some basics to remind him that just because we have a saddle now doesn't change the cues any. He did excellant. What I am hoping is that the saddle will be thought of as more of constructed work or play however you want to look at it and then to relax we will ride bareback:) Maybe once or twice a week just to break up the time of saddle riding and bareback riding. No matter how much I love having a saddle I LOVE TO RIDE BAREBACK..There is just something about it.

Anyway after that bunny trail:) Once I was done working up by the hill area I headed past the barn and toward the strip. That is when Navajo's stubborn side emerged (all was well until then). He decided HE IS NOT GOING TO DOWN THE STRIP NO MATTER WHAT. I told him hey listen you know how it works I tell you to do something YOU are supposed to listen. LOL. I think he thought he could change the rules just for this once. Well didn't happen. I walked and trotted him back and forth and got closer and closer to the strip. He wasn't to willing but he did take some steps and I praised him as he went. Then he was headed toward the strip. You could tell he wasn't to happy about it but he did it. So down the strip we headed. He was acting a bit balky (does this sometimes..usually only when he is testing me :D). I got him the whole way down to the area that was all torn up. Then I turned him back and we headed back. Instead of going back to the barn like Navajo wanted me to I turned around and headed out again. This did NOT please him one bit. So he didn't move his feet. I was like ok don't move them forward we will move them sideways :D So I got him to move his hindquarters both ways a few times. The first time he didn't want to do it but he did the next time he did it willingly. Then we did the forhand. That was no problem. Ok I know moving his hindquarters and such aren't his favorite things to do usually (needs quite a bit of work) because he is usually pretty willing to walk forward and trot after we do those things. Well it didn't work in this case. So I backed him up and he still wouldn't go forward. SO I went to plan B :D

So I was like fine don't go forward. So we went into the field. We didn't go far and I trotted him back. But instead (again) of heading for home I headed out toward the bottom of the strip. He didn't want to forward but with a bit of persuasion he went forward. I was a bit amazed he didn't fight more. Well we walked the whole way down the the area where it was torn up and headed back. He wanted to trot but I said nope you didn't want to walk before now you get to walk back..That is what we did. Then I got off and walked him home and when we got home I unsaddled him and spent some time loving on him and grooming him. He seemed to enjoy that. I love that horse evne though he can give me some frustrating days:)