Introductions Continue

Our first ride at home was a bit more eventful than his homecoming. The barn was packed and I forgot there were sets of cross ties in the back by his stall. So we were close to all the excitement, and he was dancing around in the cross ties and running through me. I committed to my friend's saddle on him since I knew my saddle sat ON his withers and he didn't have the mental capacity to stand for multiple saddle changes at that moment. No problem getting the bridle on as long as it didn't matter that we were 20 feet away from where we started - son needs some education in feet NOT moving while doing things. 

Once under saddle he was a total pro. W/T no problem, only a bit of a scoot into the canter before settling. He spooked a bit when the neighbor was doing something in the trees that border the ring and it was NBD, just a tiny scoot forward within the trot. We then hacked out with two friends and he was fantastic as well. He gave the mats and flat bed trailer that tend to scare horses just a bit of a side eye.

The first of many bay ear shots to come 

And then... what else do you do right after you get a new horse? Go out of town! I got a positive review when I came back - no trying to run people over or kick people, just going about his business in and out of the stall. 

Second ride at home we jumped some. He was lovely over the first jump in the line but then would pick up the pace and run towards the second with some odd lifting of feet over the second. I resisted the urge to start pulling and picking in between and instead called it quits after a few lines and signed us up for a gymnastics/jump lesson the next day. We hacked out alone after our short jumping session, and he was fantastic again. 

Pony-o was in definite need of some tidying up, so after our ride I brought out the clippers. He has that silly extra long racehorse bridle path that was part-mohawk, part-bridle path. He initially didn't react much to the clippers, but I accidentally touched the body of them to his ear while trying to get the bridle path and the head went straight UP. Which didn't make for good clipping at all. I stood on a tack trunk and got the 3 inch bridle path I wanted, but there was no tidying of anything else. Bribing with treats meant we ended on a good note. Good thing I'm not a fan of clipping the ears anyways - we'd have a long road ahead. Which we will go down; I believe in horses being solid citizens and adequately prepared for things people might ask of them, but it is much easier to take time to get it done right than feel the need for it to be done for this show or that one and force the issue. 

I briefly attempted to pull his mane, but that was a hard no, expressed by sticking head straight up in air and giving me the hairy eye ball while backing up. Fair enough, solo comb and scissors will do there. He's a sensitive fellow and pulling hurts, so I'll accept that one. 

Bath time was next. He cross ties well and walking onto the wash rack was not a problem. He did have some feelings about water in his inguinal area. We discussed that he is allowed to have feelings but he is not allowed to express them by lifting a hind leg. He didn't offer to kick, just picked up a hind leg in warning a few times before acquiescing that perhaps I could hose in that area.