Who wants to buy a mare?

Today was my Third ride on Sissy.

I saddled her up.

She patiently waited.

Here we are headed to the neighbors pasture to ride.

Whew! I am on....

and ready to go!

It was pretty uneventful while we were in the pasture.

We walked UP the hill and we walked DOWN the hill.

Sissy was not fond of going up the hill because that was "work"!

Then I was feeling pretty good, and my neighbor friend, "T", was talking about riding out further.

I said, sure why not.

So we go up to the corner of this pasture behind me, where there is a gate, into her place, and then a gate that goes out to the ditch. We have to ride the ditch to get to the top of the hill to ride around the circles.

As me and Sissy go through the gate,

I KNEW to keep my feet turned in, because I did not want to get them caught.

Well guess what?

Yep!

My foot caught part of the gate.

(it was a narrow gate).

Sissy,

SPOOKED!

and

BUCKED!

and

BUCKED!

and

BUCKED!

I was trying to grab the reins,

saying whoa,

and I kept getting tossed forward.

Couldn't find the frigging reins

cause everything was moving around as I

was being tossed around up there.

All I could think of was:

GRAB HER NECK!

So I did.

I slide off on the right side

to the ground, feet first.

SAFELY!

Whew!

Boy, were my legs a shaking.

of course, soon as my feet touched the ground she quit.

We get to the ditch.

I put Sissy on the down hill so I can get back on.

All was going well, and half way to our turn around,

A horse whinned at Sissy,

and Sissy whinnined back.

(I think the horse called her a bitch!)

because

It was all down hill from there.

We walked a bit further and within 20 yards of our turn around,

Sissy got it in her head that she wanted nothing to do with going forward anymore.

As I was urging her forward, she was backing up! Yep! Backing up as straight as can be, and

probably would of done it all the way home if I let her.

But not a good thing.

So I stopped her.

Circled her, and we were pointed for home.

By now, my nerves are very rattled!

I dismount!

My objective was to walk her home.

BUT.....

I thought,

I am not going to let her have her way.

So I turned her around, and we walked AWAY from home.

To our goal spot.

I had to borrow a rope halter from T because she just was NOT listening to me

with the bridle and reins.

We get to our stopping point. There is a metal bridge.

My stomache sank! (But I am braver on the ground.)

T walks her horse across first so Sissy can hear what it sounds like.

Then Sissy walks across it like she has done it a million times before.

(I am still on the ground walking-it feels good to walk)

We turn and head for home.

We walk a ways, and then I come to a spot to mount up again.

We start to walk, but Sissy is throwing her head,

dancing a jig, and I know if my whole attention is not on her, she is going to bolt for home!

So I get off again.

We walk the rest of the way home, thru the gate, and into the pasture.

I know I can't let Sissy get off to easy, so I position her on a down hill, again,

so I can get on her.

(Damn she is TALL!)

If I did not have her breeding I would swear she had draft horse in her!

We walk down the sandy part of the pasture, towards home.

She knows it. We stop a couple times.

We get to the corral, and my mind is telling me,

DO NOT let her off easy.

So I make her turn away from the gate.

She danced the jig, I turn her in a circle and walk away from the gate again.

She starts to side pass.

(I am NOT asking her to do this. I actually did not know she KNEW how to do this)!

We did many circles and walking away from the gate.

FINALLY,

When I felt her relax just the slightest bit,

I DISMOUNTED!

By now,

My nerves are frazzled!

My legs are weak!

I am TIRED!

I did all that I knew to do.

ALL I WANT is a damn trail horse, and if I miss out on trail riding this year

because of:

PISSY SISSY

I WILL TRADE HER OFF!

I love her because:

She does not spook.

For the most part, nothing bothers her.

(T's horse spooked several times and Sissy did not react to it.)

Today, Sissy did spook at a cat, but her spooks are more like a jump and step aside.

(No bolting. No running off because she is scared.)

She has a smooth gait.

I CAN make her do almost anything from the ground.

I have put in a lot of time and money to get to today.

She is not hyper, or high strung.

So I have a plan:

Tomorrow, I will saddle her up just like we are going to go ride.

I WILL be putting her bridle on OVER her halter.

Then I will take a lung line with me.

and we will do LOTS AND LOTS of lunges

and direction changes in these lunges.

OVER in the neighbors pasture.

Then IF and only IF I feel the time is right, or good,

I will ride her.

She knows I am boss on the ground.

I have to teach her who is boss while in the saddle now.

And this part is scary for me.

(Mostly because I do not know what to do)

Yes I could pop her on the butt.....

But I don't know if that would create a buck.

I do not want to ride with spurs

because I do not know how to use them, and I do not want to injure her.

If I got scared or something, I could gouge her.

I know she needed a good hard work out too, but

I am not comfortable trotting or galloping at all at this point.

I am OPEN TO ANY and ALL advice here, so feel free to interject some.

So Third ride,

not so well.