There’s a lot less bit chewing going on, no head tossing and lots & lots of listening on Rosie’s part. She definitely has a certain way she likes to have things, and I’m fine with that.  We just needed to figure out exactly what that way was with this new tack.  The reins I have are somewhat shorter than the ones I previously rode her with, so I need to hold them a bit lower and just in front of the saddle a bit. To neck rein, instead of lifting my hands up a little so the reins hit halfway down her neck, I’m keeping my hands low and almost letting the rein press against the area where her neck and shoulder meet.  She responds to this quite well, especially with the right amount of leg cues too.

I am still looking to replace the saddle, as the gullet is definitely too narrow, but at least I know we can get a good 30-45 minute ride for now without much trouble.  We’ll be doing exercises in the arena all winter to work on communication, bending and cues.  By spring we’ll be ready to hit the trails and do just about anything!

Dr Sue was there tonight and she thinks there is an issue with the way my borrowed saddle fits.  We knew it wasn’t a perfect fit to start with, but I think Sue is right and it is a bit too narrow in the shoulders to feel comfortable for riding.  She feels a wide-tree (7-inch gullet) would be best because Rosie has such rounded withers.  I’ve been starting to research and shop online for a used saddle with a wider tree.

During riding, we did much better last night though, with a few bridle adjustments made. Rosie is still mouthing the bit and tossing her head, but about half as much as the first time.  Most of the mouthing/chewing seems to be her trying to chew on the shanks/cheek pieces of the bit where the reins clip on.

I was able to get her into gait more often and do about 3/4 of a lap around the arena before she would either break out of it and get trotty (usually with a head toss) or slow down to a walk.

I think I’ve got the bit sitting in the right place now, she either needs to get used to the bit or we may have to try a different one.  I am thinking about trying rubber bit guards on the sides to see if that changes anything.  She shouldn’t be getting pinched at all with this bit as it has the smooth pivoting areas and the width seems right in her mouth.  But maybe the guards will help keep her from chewing at the shanks and keep her focused more on what we are doing.

Overall, though, we are making great progress and I’m really happy with how things are working out!  Slowly but surely Rosie is starting to recognize me as her “person”. 

I went on a spending spree at Tom’s Western Store on Saturday and picked up some new tack, including a pretty, shiny red headstall and reins. The leather is a metallic red and really shines on her dark coat!!  I also got a new bit, saddle pad and a few other items.

Rosie seems to be taking some time to get used to her new bit, mouthing it a lot more than I remember her doing when we trail rode, but I did get in about 30 minutes of riding in on Saturday.  I’m going to make a few adjustments to the headstall and saddle to see if that makes some difference in her reaction. She’s not behaving badly by any means, just tossing her head occasionally and really mouthing the bit. She follows my directions but does seem to be either annoyed or bothered by something.  Perhaps she’s just getting used to the new tack overall, or riding in an arena compared to trails?

Rosie is still Rosie, too, although I have tossed around the idea of calling her Mocha, or maybe Cocoa… I figure I’d give us more time to get to know each other and see which sticks!  There is another Rosie at our barn, so it might ease some confusion if I go with Mocha but I don’t want to base my decision on this alone…   Rob and Kayleigh just love her too, both have been out to the barn with me throughout the weekend.   Rob even has his own bag of treats that only he gives to her.  I think Rosie’s big brown eyes must have melted his heart!

When I was at Tom’s I found a trail saddle that I really loved but just can’t afford right now.  It’s made by Circle Y/High Horse, it’s a synthetic so it’s not too heavy and they offer a wide tree to be sure we get a good fit. It was sooo comfy!  I could have stayed there in the store, sitting in that saddle, for hours!  Maybe by next summer, once we’ve both worked a few pounds off with regular riding over the winter.

The indoor arena is definitely  something new to Rosie, too. She stops and peers into the dark glass window of the observation room each time we go past.  She notices her reflection and at first seems to think it is a different horse- she’s whinnied at it a few times then steps forward as if she expects a response and a sniff!  It’s quite cute!

In the summer she’s a nice dark bay, but gets darker over the winter with her thicker coat and less sun…

Last night I talked to her owner and told her I was interested in Rosie and ready to take the next steps towards purchasing her. Today I will be scheduling a vet check and transportation to Sandhill Stables where I will be boarding.  She currently lives a little west of Grand Rapids, so it’s not too far… If all of those plans go well, she could be here either Monday or Wednesday!

OMGPONY!!!!!!

Two Tennessee Walker mares to ride on Tuesday (trail ride at Silver Creek!), a Rocky Mtn Horse on Thurs, another Tenn Walker mare Friday at Willow Tree in a group session, a Missouri FoxTrotter (this one’s not for sale, just a test ride to try out the foxtrot gait) on Saturday, plus the TWH I rode this past Saturday.

I hope that by Saturday, one of these works out to be the right one!  I’ve been reading, searching, learning and spending all my waking hours on "for sale" sites for a while now and can’t wait to get that part done so I can spend those hours with a horse instead of a computer!! 

Rob will be glad when this is done and over…   I think even with many hours spent at the barn, he’ll still see me more than he has the past weeks while I’ve been seriously shopping!  Lucky for me/him, I have 2.5 hours after I get out of work before he gets home.  That will be my guaranteed barn time that won’t cut into family time! 

You’d be suprised at the beasts listed in the for sale ads as “healthy”, “sound”, “beautiful” horses when the accompanying photos clearly show elsewise. Nasty hooves, protruding ribs, dull coats and sad, sad eyes… So I’ve been reading up, researching and scouring every equine-for-sale website I can find; visiting the tack shops and the county fair to try to make some connections and find sale listings; but it’s getting tiring… I just want to find the right one and start building up the relationship between us so we can enjoy each other’s companionship for years to come.

It’s been decades since I’ve been a regular rider – probably since I had my horse as a kid, actually. But I’ve spent a lot of time with horses during my adult life and I’ve learned that horseback riding is much like riding a bike – once you know how to do it you’re fine no matter how long it’s been since you last rode. I’ve had the opportunity to ride recently and was tested by a snarky little mare who did her best to unseat me and disobey my instructions to her. Luckily I was able to set her straight, keep my seat and remind her that she’s not the boss. It felt good to know that I still have it in me, that I haven’t lost the skills I learned so many years ago…

I’m still a bit rusty, of course, so I am thinking about taking some lessons while I am looking for the right horse. I might even lease a horse if I can find one available where I can take lessons so that I can ride between lessons and practice. That would get me in better shape for eventually owning my own horse and riding more regularly in the meantime. If anyone out there knows of a good lessons/boarding/leasing stable within a 15-20 minute drive from Okemos, please let me know!

In the meantime, I am going to continue to search the sale sites and hope My Perfect Poneh shows up soon!