New Addition

Well this winter Sissy will have a pasture mate once again. Only this time she is a Quarter Horse and 11 years old, and Technically mine. Sadie is a horse I should of gotten instead of Sissy, and this is why:

I am surprised that Hubby has not sent me to the lean too. Since he stated that he would pack his bags when I went to the horse show, if I brought anything home that breathed! I was a good girl and did not.

But he is so good....when the mention of Sadie came up, he just said do what ever you want to. I told him that was not what I wanted to hear. So we discussed it, and he said that it would be ok with him. Then he mentioned the awful subject! He asked me that maybe down the road if Sadie works out, if I had thought of selling Sissy....I said yes, I had, and then the tears flowed like a dam had just broken open! I got mad at myself, because whenever I think of selling Sissy I cry! I just do not understand it! I know, she is just a horse. people go through horses like underware around here! They use them more for an ornament or a tool. They don't mean much to people, but Me and Sissy, well I just don't know. She has gotten under my skin and stuck there! So I doubt that I will sell. Yes I will think about it, briefly only. I have worked hard with her this past summer. She has learned to respect me, and I feel we have grown closer. It is not her fault I can't ride her. It is MINE! She is the only horse I know that I can just go up to her, grab her around the neck, bury my nose in her winter coat, and just breathe deep!!!!!! awwwww she smells so good! No other horse smells the way Sissy does, and it calms me! I can stand there all day with her, and she in turn will let me!

But this is not to say that Sadie will not hold a special place in my heart either! I have fallen for her already. Went and rode her Thursday and saddled her up, she put the bridle in her own mouth. We walk out to the pasture, and she is on a bit of a low side, I am on a higher side. I struggle to put my right foot in the stirrup and grunt to lift my butt up into the saddle...The saddle slides a few inches to the side...Ummm...tighten the girth...try this again. Putting my foot in the stirrup kind of takes my breath away and makes it hard to breath because that is quite a stretch. It is kind of like taking your leg and trying to wrap it around your neck. It cuts off you breathing abilities somewhere in between!

So i try again! Dang! The saddle moved again! So I tighten it up once more. Ok, now I am thinking, poor Sadie, I am going to cut HER breathing off next! I re-adjust, and this time as I am struggling to put my foot in the stirrup, Sadie turns and looks at me like, OK WHAT NEXT?! She stands so patiently, and I feel like a total klutz! She moves NOT ONE muscle. Kind of like she knows I am struggling. I think if she thought she could, she would of gave me a boost.

I ask my friend to check her cinch and see if it is to tight. She said it was just right. So She puts pressure in the opposite stirrup and I get on with no problem. Sadie stands ever so still!

We ride around the pasture. I think Sadie is use to her previous owner, and goes where ever she wanted to. Although my friend says she is almost neck reigned, I am wondering where the "almost" falls into place. I feel like I need to drive her like a car, probably due to my lack of experience, but we make turns and I coax her to go where I want to go. Till we get to the big ole brush pile! Sadie stops....She perks her ears up, and is looking cautiously. Then Sadie turns to the right, and we head back to the gate. Ok maybe she knows something I don't.

I tell my friend what Sadie did, and she said I need to 'make' her go around the pile, because right now with what just happened, Sadie is BOSS! And that means we are starting off on the wrong hoof.... Don't want that. LOL

So we make the trip around the brush pile at my encouraging and when I get back to the gate, I do feel so much better! WOW! We ride a bit more, and it is time to quit.

Now my dismount is nothing of grace either! I lean forward, swing my right leg over, rubbing it up against Sadie's butt, because honestly if I pick it up any higher, I know I will get a charlie horse! I really don't want wind up with any spasms on top of a horse. She stands ever so still. I lay across the saddle on my tummy.....I relax a bit, and then I Slide ever so slowly down to the ground, so that when my feet hit, it does not send sharp shooting pains up my legs, holding onto the saddle.

Now, one thing I don't quite understand; when I try to get in the saddle, I pull it over to the side....but when I get off of her, I know there is great weight pulling on the saddle to let me down, and the saddle does not move much at all! Ummm.....

When I get Sadie home, I am going to practice getting in the saddle. If I make it then my treat is to go for a short ride. If I don't, then It is Sadies treat, and she does not have to pack my big ass around for that ride! LOL