Slow but steady

I think most of my on-line horsey friends would get a kick out of watching me work with Gunner. Three to four days per week I work him for 20 minutes in the round pen to keep his condition up. I think I have stated here before how I am getting him ready for training. Hope is to have him at the trainers by the first of July.

When I started training him in April I wasn't sure if he would come out of his EPM enough to be usable. I would see him trip out in the field, but couldn't really judge if it was his right hind quarter or if it was the bogs he was running through. It seems it was the bogs.

After about a month of conditioning and working him on the ground I decided I was bored and I really should get in the saddle. He had thrown me once before so it took a lot for me to get up the gumption to do it. The first day or so I would just put my weight in one stirrup and lay my body across the saddle and wait for a buck or jump. After a few days I got enough nerve to sit in the saddle, but no stirrups. A week or so later I graduated to bending and flexing him on each side. Then it was on to backing him and eventually moving forward. At first he would take one step and stop. One step and stop. The last couple of weeks I have started to have him walk and use the one rein stop technique. Please understand that during all of this more days than not I would get off and be weak legged. I probably have no business working with a horse when I get that jumpy, but slowly and surely my confidence has built.

Today I was ready to trot. The moving forward at a walk is going well and he is stopping when asked. So OF COURSE today was the windiest day in a month. Although unlike last year or even last month, he stood quietly and let me saddle him. He has gained self confidence and now spooks in place or not at all. So...horsey friends, I am moving forward with my training with Gunner, it's just at a snail's pace. I'm happy to say although it is slow, it seems to be working for us.