Ruffian: Saddling...

May 12 2010

Today I decided to saddle Ruffian. I hadn't put my Fusion saddle on him in over a year and the last time I did he bucked like crazy. So that was what I expected today. I didn't make any assumptions and the whole time that I was saddling I was watching to see how Ruffian was taking it. I was also watching to see if he went internal because he has done that before. Everything went smoothly though. I did the first stage in the corral so that the saddle wouldn't slip on the way up to the riding ring. Ruffian was fine. We did some sideways, yo-yo's and some Touch it and then I tightened it up a couple more wholes. Then moved him around a little bit more then we went up to the riding ring. For the first little bit I make sure to stay away from the one end of the riding ring where it is really sandy. Ruffian has rolled with a number of saddles on him before.... and riders. But Ruffian did perfectly fine. Even when I asked him to trot, nothing, no bucks or anything. So we did some circles, transitions, change of directions and some other things. Even when Ruffian cantered he didn't buck. I was shocked but very happy! I never expected him to take it this well! We continued on. I set up the barrels so Ruffian to jump. Mr. Parelli says that if a horse is going to buck he will most likely do it after a jump. So this would be the truth! 

Ruffy jumped it the first time no problem. But it did it from a walk so I asked him to go over another time. This time he jumped it and added in two little hops at the end but that was it. After a couple more times where Ruffian trotted up to the barrels and jumped them and didn't buck we stopped. I was so proud of him. He was asking loads of questions and we were both having fun! Then we did some Figure eights. Ruffian has gone from strongly disliking Figure eights to loving them! He has gotten so light and really pays attention now. It was fun :)

I wasn't going to get on and ride because since it was the first time Ruffian has been saddled in over a year I didn't want to push it. I wanted to end on a really good note. But what I did do was sit on the fence above Ruffy and do some different things. I put my foot in the stirrup and bounced as if I was going to get up. I layed across him, knelt on him and did some other things. The whole time of course I made sure that Ruffy was fine with it all. He was though. Then I got down and took the saddle off. I was soooooo proud of Ruffy! He was fantastic! I am going to take it slow and get him used to a person riding ring again. But for my confidence and his I am going to make sure we are both super ready :)

After I let Ruffy go he stayed with me so I decided to let him out with Knightly on the side strip of grass by the riding ring. 

Naturally,

~Keri