Riding My Daughter's Horse

Sunday was a fun horse day for us.  As soon as our guests checked out, we flew out the door to meet our daughter at the trainer's so we could video her rides on her husband's horse.  The trainer felt Copper would benefit from having a different experienced rider on him before going home.  Jay is a very new rider, and Copper, being a very green horse, could use someone with riding confidence on his back.

He is a very sensitive horse and needs to feel a lot of assurance that he is doing right.  He tries really, really hard and it was fun to watch him figure out the feel of someone different.  He did great.

It's been a very anxious week for GunDiva and Jay, getting ready for Colorado Mustang Days at the Rocky Mt. Horse Expo this coming weekend.  They are using CMD as a training time for their horses, to get them used to strange surroundings, noises, camera flashes, and other horses, plus just the traveling to and from somewhere together in a trailer and staying in strange stalls.  Both horses are quiet and laid back, but we all know how difficult it is the first time you travel with your horse companions!  I am really proud of the two of them - and a little jealous - for doing this.  It's something I always thought would be fun, but was never brave enough to actually sign up for.

After the riding session at the trainer's, we headed to our daughter's place to put some time on Skeeter, her horse.  Between the weather and our daughter's work hours, Skeeter has not gotten the optimal amount of training time.  The weather was great so we all took turns riding Skeeter.  First, GunDiva did a bit of groundwork with her, then saddled up and hopped on.  There was a little obstacle practice to keep her thinking.

Skeeter was behaving like the champ she can be, unlike a couple days earlier when she was showing how bratty a young mare can get when something is not just right.

Since she was handling everything so well, I finally hopped on.  I've been around for a lot of the rides, but never felt 'just right' about getting on Skeeter.  This was the day and it was such fun.  I handle the reins quite differently from GunDiva; it took Skeeter a few minutes to decide if she was doing what I wanted, but she quietly figured things out and did great.

This was also the first time the new Wintec saddle had been used.  I didn't get the stirrups adjusted right - shorter than I like - and the fenders are so stiff, it's hard to get your feet forward enough, although Bill seemed to be able to when he rode.
We only had one minor upset.  I like to dismount from the off-side; it's easier on my hips for some reason.  After checking with GunDiva to see if it would bother Skeeter, she said she didn't think so as she had done it a time or two.  Obviously, Skeeter did not agree.  When my foot hit the ground, she swung her head around at me and stomped that right front foot on the ground as if to say,  "that's not right!"  We all laughed because it was so obvious she thought I did not know what I was doing.

Bill then hopped on Skeeter and took a few rounds of the corral, but it was obvious Skeeter was becoming tired and wanting to end things on a good note, we decided to quit.

I will lay odds Skeeter has spent a good deal of time this week thinking over all these things.  We hope it will help at CMD having her know things can be different and still be fine.
Bionic Cowgirl