Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Fuzzy's first saddle--the Saga

Fuzzy has been neglected in her life. She was part of the foal crop that included Gypsy. As most people know, Gypsy went to cutting training and came home with a broken pelvis. That put the kibosh on anyone else going to training that year--for several reasons, the greatest one being I had the fear of God in my heart that something else would go wrong. Naturalloy, I had more than a little trepidation about using that same trainer again--who, although I do not blame him for her injury--did not react in what I considered an acceptable manner when he was informed it was not a temporary stifle injury as he thought but instead a career-ending broken pelvis--his reaction? NONE. No acknowledgment of the info ever came forth....leaving me without a trainer handy.

Anyway, long story short.....the rest of the keepers from that foal crop stayed home. HaidaGirl went to a different trainer the following year, and Fuzzy went to the broodmare band.

In telling someone that all my broodmares ride, I realized that was not in fact true--so it had to be remedied and in a hurry.

Today was day 1.

This is what she thought of the first saddling---please ignore the ugly cordura saddle--it is disposable in case Fuzz were to come in two and put the hurt on it.


She did not so much care about the whole saddling episode. I did not cinch her up real tight, but it was on enough to be irritating were she to take issue. She did not.

Next step was to let her go in the small pen --if she is going to buck it might as well be then with no one on her. I thought she would take off in a hurry--instead, she stood there, in this funny position, as if she was not sure if she was supposed to do something.

There was some moseying.
There was some standing in the corner, wondering what in the hell I was doing watching her so closely. About that time Madison showed up, so we did what we could to get some action out of Fuzzy--maybe that would spark some rodeo out of her. Not so much. Since she was being so easy to get along with, we put some weight in the stirrups, bounced up in them some...just general testing. She just stood there.

We decided to go out in the world and lunge her. I do not know what I was thinking as that is my major defect- I am too much of a clutz to teach a horse to lunge. I will hurt myself, not to mention probably everyone else in the immediate vicinity.

That left just investigating things, and for me--what else? Taking pictures.


Looking good huh? Especially for a previously neglected, unnecessarily fat mare in an ugly saddle. We ended the evening with some more stirrup pressure, and ultimately, laying across the saddle on her. Madison is an agile little thing, so we stayed in a confined area and I kept a good hold on the lead rope as she put herself across the saddle, and I led Fuzzy a few steps. She handled it beautifully, so we ended on a good note and called it a nite. I am so proud of her and Madison both.

Stay tuned for updates on her development

3 comments:

pita-woman said...

Don't you wish they'd all be that easy to saddlebreak and be so laid back?

Holly said...

what a good girl! I am proud of her, proud of you and proud of Madison.

I would also use an old saddle if I thought there would be a rodeo, no sense in damaging a new one for sure!

Isnt it a satisfying feeling when one you bred and raised has such a trusting, compliant, steady temperament?

MicBel QH said...

Glad she was such a good girl for you. Good luck and keep us posted on what you are doing.

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