Harry is a six year old Morgan gelding. He was born and raised in Greensboro, NC and made the long trip to his new home in Michigan on March 30 '08. He's a wonderful boy for this old grandma and is very patient with me while I figure out western tack, western riding and get to know Harry.
We got off to a bad start with the wrong bit, wrong girth and me needing a lesson on how to put the saddle on. I can take a carriage harness apart and put it back together in the dark, but could NOT figure out this cinch/girth thing to save my soul. Poor Harry put up with me putting it on and off about 10 times one day before I finally gave up...it was too far forward, too far back, the girth was too long, then adjusted too short, saddle pad kept moving (it was new and slippery clean) and HUSBAND WAS TRYING TO HELP! Boy that will put me out of sorts in a heart beat. Nothing like a know-nothing know-it-all telling me what to do. Ya, I'm real good with that...LOL!
Finally got a less complicated girth, saddled up, got on and squeezed...as in giddy up! Nothing. He wouldn't walk. Gosh darn it. Hubby had to lead him to get him started (hubby IS good for SOME things ;-) ) and so we were walking. Did a little jogging and I was just absolutely delighted with that. He's so smooth, like silk and it's way WAY less work than a posting trot.
We had ongoing problems with getting him to walk off, plus I had problems getting my old leg up and over the saddle. I needed one person to hold him from walking off before I was completely on (not that he tried that) and one person to hold the stirrup so I couldn't pull it off center with my weight. I had trouble getting 2 helpers together at the same time. Finally, with the help of my friend, we figured out a way for hubby to hold the stirrup AND the reins at the same time. Great. NOW we're getting somewhere. Golly, that only took the first 6 weeks! I'm starting to feel like an old fool for buying a new horse by that time.
My next 'problem' was that the mounting block was too low and my leg wouldn't swing over Harry's rump. I hated my riding breeches...the crotch was down around my knees...so I got a new pair, cool summer weight. And I got a 3 step mounting block.
Okay we're all set: hubby holds the horse and the stirrup, I climp up the mounting block, step into the stirrup and swing my leg up. Well, let me tell you: my new breeches are so stretchy that my leg went all the way up, all the way over so fast I darn new kicked hubby in the head and almost came right off the other side! But, holy cow, I was on my horse! I was elated. Okay, so he still won't walk off but given a little lead and a few thumps on the side and he reluctantly walked. Okay, now I've had him over 2 months and so far actually had ridden him twice! Not at all what I thought I'd have accomplished by then. I thought I'd be showing him by then. I was way behind MY schedule but apparently Harry was right smack dab on HIS!
I'd made a few phone calls to his 'other mother' who was at a loss as to why he wouldn't walk. We discussed equipment, riding, training everything. I should say that Harry had spent his whole life with his other family so moving to be my horse was a huge change for him. We decided he needed more time. I quit worrying (a little bit anyway) about what I should be doing with him and tried very hard to just go with the flow. I'm kind of a type AAAAAAA personality, so being laid back was something that didn't come naturally. My whole family agreed that Harry was good for me in that regard: as in....RELAX mom, sit down!
I'm getting much better at going slow. I have to remind myself that he came from down south and southerners are pretty relaxed, so I must have seemed like a whirlwind to him. Now I work on brushing slowly, stopping to give him scritches and yesterday I found out he loves to get fingernail scritches around his eyes. He's actually standing in the cross-ties without chewing on them (another story for later) and resting a hind leg. I like this boy.
My lastest idea to figure him out seems to be working. I remembered when I looked at him that his rider mounted up and then sat there talking for about 10 minutes. Then when DD and hubby went to pick him up, the rider again mounted up and sat there talking to DD for a few minutes. I thought possibly no one had every mounted up and asked immediately to walk off like I was doing. My plan for the next ride was to get on and sit there and wait to see what he did.
Yesterday was the day. I got on (after a relaxing grooming and tacking up) and sat still. And guess what: he walked off all on his own. The unanswerable question will always be: did my relaxing have anything to do with it? or was he about to walk off anyway? At any rate, we seem to be over that obstacle.
I rode again today. I have a hard time keeping him trotting...he wants to WALK! My dressage back ground is hard to undo. Riding on a loose rein is hard to do. He has a very soft mouth and I find my hand bring the reins back to me...as in whoa? Also, he keeps jogging better if I sit up very straight. I think I'm cueing him to walk when I start to slouch.
I have a lot to learn. I'm having a really great time with him and he comes when I call him so I guess I'm okay by him, too.
I think this is the start of a life long love affair for me!
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