The Carolina Cowboy's View: Round Ring: Copper's Third Session: First Ride

Well today (10/22/12) is Copper's third lesson, and today he will be ridden for the first time.

First we must review the past two session.

After a few laps I invite him to join me in the center.

He remembers the saddle, but because there is no bad memories with it he stands while I pick up the brush.

He remembers to stand still from yesterday for the brushing.

I get him all over.

The we have another little conversation.

I let him sniff the saddle again. Horse have an inbred instinct to smell strange thing, I imagine that they do this to get it fixed in there mind.

Then I through the saddle on to his back,

and he stands to let me cinch him

When I sent him around the ring with the saddle he expressed his displeasure about having too ware it.

After a few bucks he runs hard for a few laps.

I keep him at the trot for longer than he want to run.

Then I invite him back into the center.

Another short conversation.

The he is bridled for the first time.

He is not happy about it, but does not try to run away, if he had I would have keep him running for several more laps, invited him back to the center, and tried again.

I had to adjust the straps as he has never worn the head stall before.

As I go to mount him for the first time he walks away.

I make him walk around me,

and try again.

But he still will not stand still for mounting, so off he goes around the ring for a few laps.

He will figure out want I want him to do, it just takes patients and consistency.

Isn't this a neat picture?

I invite him back in

And rebridal him and tied the reins through the pommel.

After this I walk away and let him follow.

I send him back around the ring.

Let him get used to the idea that if he does not do what I want he will have to work.

Then I call him back in.

And lo and behold he stand stil and lets me mount.

I rest my weigh on him without getting all the way into the saddle for a bit.

Dropped to the ground and remounted without him moving, I give him that chance to learn if he moves he will have to run more.

Then I sit down,

And get my far foot in the strrupt,

And we are riding.

Around and

around.

Showing what the reins are for.

We do this a lot.

Back and forth.

Figure eights,

large circles

Small circles

In both directions.

A little backing up.

Another conversation.

As I teach him to mouth rein (direct rein) I am also teaching him to neck rein (indirect rein).

This is why they called him copper.

See how the inside rein is tight on the bit, but the outside rein is against his neck?

I leave the detraction of the other horses for the green horse to learn that they do not matter when they are under tack.

More backing up.

At this point he got very irritated,

And bucked a few times. We could not get a picture of it for I regained control rather fast by pulling his head hard and all the way to his left side. I was hollering, "Easy! Easy!",

and as he stopped his acting up I released the pressure on his head. We had another good long conversation here.

And road back into our lesson.

This is a picture of the indirect rein putting pressure on the left side of his neck to ask him to go right. The direct rein also has some pressure on it applied by the lower fingers.

You can tell that I have started him out with a full cheek snaffle. I use the full cheek on green horses so if I have to pull hard to the side, like I did when he started bucking, it want come out of their mouths.