Anything Horses' Journal

This is a photo of my horse Senor, ( behind a cut, so your flist isn't all messed up )

Really like him, he's an excellent team roping horse with a lot of personality. All winter long he's been quite well behaved. Getting quite mellow in his old age of 7, not evening humping up when I saddle him, let alone offering to buck. Haven't even felt the need to lunge him a bit before getting on.

You can see where this is going, hmm? Sure wish I had; this hindsight stuff is for the birds.

Today? Today I don't like him quite so much.
Also, that whole 'it's hard for horses to buck while being turned in a tight circle' thing? Might be true for most, it certainly was for the big paint I worked last summer.
Not so much for my super athletic, cat-footed little bronc. Oh no. He just goes faster and bucks harder. And boy, that centrifugal force thing can be a real bitch too.

The good thing was that I kept thinking. Okay, so it mostly consisted of "how do I get OFF THIS THING?!? AAAAHHHH", but still. Heh. But no, in all seriousness, once I realized I couldn't stop him (was at the end of my reins when I started to trot and then too busy trying not to fall off and was never able to get 'em shortened up and the tight circle didn't work), then it was just trying to figure out the safest way to come off and not end up under him.

Which I succeeded in doing. In that way, the centrifugal force was a bit of a help, as it helped with sending me away. On the other hand, it just added some more speed and force for when I hit the ground. Ugh.
I then lunged him. And then trotted him a lot, with some more trotting and then more trotting. Only then did I canter him.
Tomorrow we're going to rope for the first time since...wow, it's been months. I think I shall saddle him quite early, perhaps when they're fed in the morning.

And yes, lunge him before getting on this time. Heh
x-posted to

triggerhappy