I rode a bit in the round pen the other day. Amazingly all the sun and wind we’ve had lately has really dried out the pen and it’s been usable. I used my new western Skito pad. Seemed to fit quite well with the saddle. I was concerned that it might not be long enough down the sides, but it’s gonna work. I drove her around lightly a little to see where she was mentally and to check out the footing. All went well, so I decided to “jug” her a little.
I put two 1-gallon jugs on one side and worked her both directions. She was a bit concerned, but not as bad as I thought she might have been. I did both sides, got to a spot where she let down a little, and then took them off. I didn’t jug both sides together that day. I want to take it slow.
After I finished that, I rode with the neck rope for about an hour, just trying to go from post to post. Not too bad, but man, she was cranky when I asked for changes of direction or increases in speed. Granted, she hasn’t been ridden since before Christmas.
After I finished that, Paddock Boy wanted to ride. I gave him a short lesson for about an hour or so. I brought out a long line and tied it to my rope halter like a longe line. He wants to work on his balance and posting, so I didn’t want to just drive Ariel loose with him just yet. This way, I still had the ability to shut her down if things got hairy. Other than that, I just stayed out of their way. I offered pointers and tips, and he really improved. Since he didn’t have reins to hang on to, he really had to focus on his body position. It was great. He even got her to back up with his body, with a little help from me when she’d get stuck. All in all, a good day.
I am planning on resuming Tuesday night riding at Cedar Downs next week at 7:30. If I can find another better/cheaper place, I'd be up for changing venues.
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