Riding the Day Away

Well not necessarily the whole day, but part of the day! I went out today, he whinnied at me coming up to the barn, but that's where it ended. He didn't meet me at the gate, but Charlotte did so I scratched on her some. I headed up to the barn, scrubbed some dirty buckets, and got his bridle, my helmet, and halter out to the round pen. He came up interested, and I haltered him nicely. Then I lead him back to the barn and tacked him up and sprayed him with fly spray; he stood still and almost went to sleep. We went out to the round pen and played the "circle game" and he did just like yesterday, walked, trotted, and cantered great. Now that he has returned to his home round pen, he now has his pedestal back: OH BOY! He missed that thing and every opportunity he got he would go stand on it and look at me all proud. I would ask him off and keep going but I didn't ever block his thought. He even went over the row of barrel at a trot and then at a canter! He did great, so I got his cradle on and hopped up. We got our working walk going well, and he wasn't trying to eat grass. Then we trotted some serpentines getting his thought to come around with him turn and keeping his shoulder from "leeking" (as Terrie would say) into the turn. I also got his fast trot that we did at the clinic (I would get a fast trot and keep pushing him faster and faster, but never asking for the canter. This would allow him to go, "You know, it would be easier to canter rather than this uncomfortable trot. Make your idea their idea, similar to Parelli.). He cantered a couple of strides! It was really great, and once he did, I let him come back to a walk. Then we did the other way and I realized that Harry never "helped" Woods with his right side (it is his "worse" side) in the big arena the last day. Therefore, when I asked him for the big trot and he got to get ready to canter, he did one stride, pinned his ears and ducked his head I bumped him a bit to tell him "lose that thought" and then let him come back down. I am going to have Mom help us in the arena with the flag on that side sometime soon. Then, I pointed him toward a jump, and he tried going out early, but I redirected him and he made a HUGE jump. I was not ready for it, and I feel bad because I wasn;t very smooth over the jump, but I turned him around and took it again much better. I also opened the gate to the pen, rode past it a couple of times and his thought wavered a bit toward the gate, but I quickly got it back. I rode him through the gate no problem, turned him around and rode him right back in no problem. Then we rode out and around a nearby log back to the arena. I then called it a day because he felt so good, soft, and responsive about it.
I walked him back to the barn, unsaddled and brushed him. My pony even sweated!! I took off his halter and played some Friendly with him rubbing on him, then gave him a carrot. We walked back to the round pen to let them eat it down a bit, and I ran and he cantered behind me, just like yesterday. He really is doing amazing lately, I am really proud of him.
On another note, I am in the market for new tack for him. At camp, Harry looked at his saddle (he is a saddle fitter, too) and said that even though the wintec AP 500 has the extra wide gullet in it, it still is too narrow on him and bridges. That is what is causing the saddle slipping, because it is not "hugging" him properly. So, I have been looking into wintec wide saddles because they are wider than the normal wintec, and it has three changeable gullets to provide about the widest English saddle fit possible. I have found a couple used ones, but they are either out of my price range or the wrong color (yes, I am one of those people who places a fair amount of importance on tack color coordination). On top of that, I am looking for a black snaffle bridle. I have the Cradle, but Harry while there took the Cradle and described how it works and the reason for the design. I thought it was supposed to be different because it takes the whole head and applies pressure, so the bit doesn't get all the pressure. However, it actually gives a LOT of pressure everywhere, therefore making your horse lighter. It surprised me, but he explained how the string and nose band and everything was designed to work. He said the bit is really cool and very nice, but the actualy string and noseband and such is very strange. The bridle works fine, but I believe that a snaffle would be lighter in his mouth, and I would use it more.
~Eden