We Rode!!!!

The BO showed up last night and asked if I wanted to try to ride with her for a few minutes to see how Dodge is coming along. I said sure!

The BO rode Kash and he is so good and calm on the trail. Dodge did amazingly well! I'm not going to say she was perfect, she was not, but a lot better than I could have expected her to be. Her ears were pointed forward the entire time, which I like them to be in a more relaxed position, she at least wasn't in a pinned back upset frame.

She stood still for the saddling and still for me to hop up on her. The saddle pad moved back again, I'm not sure what I'm going to do there. It is brand new pad so I will use it a few more times to decide, then chuck it if it doesn't stay where I want it to. Anywho, so I hop up on her and she starts playing games almost immediately..... she ran me into the barn. While I'm trying to get my bearings on her she is running off. Oh Dodge.

The BO helped me back her and turn her around. Dodge had two options here, to run back to the barn or run out forward, she was trying to do both. Kash comes up behind us and I cluck Dodge forward. She went forward with some ease, trying to turn around a few times on me. As long as I kept her forward movement going she was fine, just needed a few corrections. She kept trying to break into a canter and I had to keep her at a trot, but the whole ride went well I thought.

Near the end her buddies were screaming in the pasture and it made Dodge instantly dumb. I had to jump down and walk her back. I would have rode it, but I didn't have my helmet on me and my brain is slightly important to me, so I would much rather walk than actively fight her.

I'm hoping to do this a couple times a week to get Dodge used to being ridden and get her used to going out on the trails. She isn't exactly attached to Kash, so it does make it a little harder with her to keep her under control. I would say she is NOT a beginners horse at all. If somebody would have given me her when I first started lessons I would have left the barn crying. I am questioning putting Joe on her, but she could settle down and be calm with time. I would say she is more of an intermediate or beyond that at the moment. Only because she needs firm consistent training.

I noticed a few things about the new bit, I think the bit is fine. She isn't trying to pull through it, does well on a direct rein, and will stop with enough force applied. (I don't like to do that but at the moment she needs it. More groundwork with woah is needed) I want to switch to indirect reining but right now its more important to me to know that she is going to move out without flipping out, than it is to focus on reining methods.

All in all, im very optimistic about riding her next week. Probably won't be able to get out there till Sunday or Monday due to work and blah blah blah, but I can't wait!