LOL! Well as soon as I posted how great Z was doing under saddle, she took a turn for the worst today. Today Z decided that trotting while saddled was the WORST THING EVAH!

The reality, and don’t ask me why this is true as I do not know, is that your horse will go along swimmingly and then suddenly you hit a brick wall. Hempfling writes about this in his Dancing book – and I’ve seen this also with horses I’ve handled and trained.

After calmly walking about with the saddle yesterday, today she had pinned ears and bulging into my space, I knew we were going to have a blowout and sure enough – she took off bucking and bucking and bucking… Unlike me, the saddle stayed on and she had to suck it up.

So until she accepts this saddle at walk, trot and canter in a calm manner everyday, I won’t put the Forlorn Hope on her. My purpose is not to get anyone killed – just get her to go along with it.

I have more work to do before we get going under saddle AND rider. However, things are getting clearer in my mind on how to approach this training and what needs to happen in the next four months:

1.) Training to drive at walk and trot.

2.) Working under saddle at walk and trot in the roundpen.

3.) Continue mounting prepartory work (i.e. mounting block)

4.) Constantly, shaping positive behavior.

5.) Chiropractic work from August to November.

6.) Connected Groundwork exercises to relive stiffness.