Bareback It!

(WARNING: Loonnngg post!)

<--wow do I look like a 16 year old or what?? Argh, yes I really am turning 25 in October -_-')

Had some fun with Ms Daisy Monday! I drug out my dr cooks bitless bridle that I bought years ago, last week. I had it all torn apart so it took me a few days to track all the pieces down, still had to substitute a crown piece from another bridle, but all is good! I bought it for my QH mare, Doll, who I sold before I got married, a long time ago. She didn't like bits and she did really well in it. (even took her to a dressage lesson once and the instructor there who rode her liked it) I also broke out my moms 2 year old SSH (spotted saddle horse) gelding with it. (who is now 8 and a very good sweet boy)

So! I decided to give it a try on Daisy, since she still chews and such on the bit, and I haven't been able to have her teeth checked, so I don't want to cause her discomfort if I don't have to. So I pedaled my bike over to the in laws, got my CAYOOOTT purple bareback pad, (which I've had for YEARS, since my very first horse Blackie Dan when I was like eight! yes, I put a purple pad on a gelding lol) and pedaled on out to the pasture with that on one handle bar, and my bridle hanging off the other, ahas. Also had my camera hanging off of one hip, and my cell phone off the other. I was READY! ;)

Got there and they were conveniently near the gate where I wanted to ride, so I dumped my stuff on the gate and went to fetch Daisy. Of course Rusty went over there and knocked off my pad and started pawing at it -_-. The nosiest horse I've ever seen.

The Troublemaker is seen here.

Took me a bit to get the bridle adjusted right, but Daisy just stood there dozing like a good girl. She wasn't real thrilled with how tight the noseband is supposed to be. If she wanted to open her mouth she'd turn her head sideways and be like, argh, I can't get my mouth open! But wasn't annoyed enough to really care.

That's what she's doing here:

Doesn't she look coot in her pad, haha, makes her look FAT. Which she isn't exactly in 'shape' either, lol.

Anyway, got her all suited up and then I start looking around for a place to get on. I was going to use the gate, but there was nowhere for me to set up my camera where I could see myself while riding. I found two small boards and stacked one on another and put my camera on that. Wasn't happy about it being on the ground but there was no where else to put it. So I only had 10 minutes of video left on my memory card and didn't want to waste time going over to the gate, getting on, yada yada. But also couldn't find anything to help me get on over near where I had put it on the ground. SO! I thought, lets see if I can just hop up. I see people do it on youtube ALL the time! Can't be THAT hard right?? Hah! (actually what I was really thinking is, I'm NEVER going to get up here!)

So I push record on my camera and start hopping up and down and JUMP. All I suceeded in doing was pulling the pad all the way over on her side and having her look at me wide eyed. I wasn't detered though! Tried a couple more times (after tightening the girth) and got closer to actually getting up. So I go over and stop the video and decide to practice a bit. I got to where I thought it wouldn't take too long to get up and restarted my video. And the very next time I tried I DID IT!!! YES!! It wasn't easy though, let me tell you! I got up on my belly/chest pretty far with my jump but still not far enough to get my leg up. So I grabbed her mane with my left hand and PULLED and after a few seconds I pulled myself far enough that I could get my leg over and I was UP! I was sooo proud of myself, haha. I told all my family that I saw that evening about it, haha.

The video of me getting up is really quite amusing to listen to, all my grunts and then a breathless I DID IT. And thats not the only funny part on it! After I got up I walked around maybe for a MINUTE and Rusty went over there near my camera (apparently RIGHT after I left it, because I don't remember seeing him near us while I was trying to get up) and KNOCKS IT OVER. &%*^&*%!! So you can hear me going, now what am I going to do! So then I called my younger bro in law (he's 15) and he came out and took over videoing and taking pics for me. He did a much better job then the ground, lol. He's such a sweety. He gets bored at home, they homeschool so he doesn't get out a whole lot. And he got a ride out of helping! I'll have pics and vid of him on Daisy later in the post.

So anyway! She did okay in the bitless, but she was a bit confused with how the cross over straps work. So I got a few back ups instead of turns. And whenever I would just sit there and try and flex her both ways she would just lean on it and fall asleep, that GOT ANNOYING! If I woke her up a bit she would listen better, but still not real responsive. She did respond well to stopping and backing up in it though. And did keep her head down etc, which she always does. If only her BACK end would stay down! That tail of hers, I swear, it would make any saddlebred rider VERY proud. No need for a tail setter with her!! I bet she has the strongest tail head muscles of any horse I know.

I found a magic button. Let me tell you about it. When I was neck reining her, if while I was pushing her over with my outside leg, I put my inside leg behind the girth and applied pressure she would turn like a DREAM. I don't know why that works but I used it and it served me well! lol, had to keep reminding myself, and it still suprised me each time it actually worked, lol! I have a feeling this is backward though. Aren't you supposed to use your inside leg at the girth as support and your outside leg behind the girth to control the haunches?? O me. What an idiot I sound like! But it kind of felt like I was pushing her hindquarters out so she would put them on the turn, if that makes any sense, which is why I think it worked...who knows! The pic above is me doing it. I know I'm using huge hand movements to rein her but she isn't real good at it yet for subtle movements.

Anyway did some trotting, her feet were soo long and one of her shoes was pretty loose. I about lost my balance a few times but after a bit I got the hang of it and felt pretty comfy. One video we go over through some brushy sticky stuff and she did some weird trot steps and you can see where I lost it again, lol, but that's what mane is for! That pad I have is sooo comfy, makes it much easier to be bareback. And I feel like the horse likes it better when your seat bones aren't poking them. My husband says mine are quite bony, lol.

Speaking of him, he was NOT happy to hear I went out there by myself originally. Oops. I told how much trouble I went to ransacking the house to find a cell phone holder so I could have it on me (found a really neat one he never used that fits it PERFECT, incidentally!) And all he could say is "yeah a lot of good that would have done if you had fallen on your head". Husbands.

You'll also see me about get knocked off again from that SAME stupid branch. It really needs to go. Doesn't she have a HUGE butt?? (trotting pic) I can just imagine how big it would be if she was in consistent work, man. And that's all I need, something to make MY butt look smaller. :roll eyes:
And check out THIS picture. Man, wow, egads, holy moly, etc! Does my mare really have THAT bad of a set of post legs?? eek!

And a posed picture of course! Can't do without one, or two, lol, of those. Can't you just FEEL how happy Daisy is to be in the shade standing still! ;)

So! I guess that's about all I have to say about my ride, like I haven't said enough. I get so lengthy when I start these things! And picture heavy, but I can't help myself!!! The picture up top is one of my favs of us, aren't we cute! I think Daisy looks fantastic in that one. Who could tell she is nearing 20 years old?? I'm really thinking about breeding her again next spring...but it does worry me about how old she is already. She would be 20 when she has the foal. But she looks so much younger then she is.

I think if I really get serious about it (and I'd have to have the money to get a really nice stud, probably ship semen, ugh what a headache. I don't foresee us having the money so this is probably all moot anyway). I will definitely take her to the vet and have him check her over first, ask his opinion. I think she could do it. It's just such a shame to have such a nice mare and not breed her to something even nicer. I know I already have a foal out of her, and I know I could buy one cheaper, we have enough foals in the world, etc, yada yada. And I know she has her faults, but if I picked the right one, WOW. What I'd want is a modern pleasure stallion, with good foundation lines back there still, minimal TB blood up close. Something that has been going strong in the last century that will hold out. Such as the Chip horses, Vested Pine, Invitation horses, Hotrodder, Good Bar etc. I even found a nice guy who is a son of Zippo Pine Bar. Neat.

And definitely something not as chunky as her, GREAT mover, pretty head and neck (which will just make give her foal have an even prettier head and neck, since she has nice ones already). And preferably one with a good show record. Or at least lots of winning, good looking babies.
I just told my husband my plans and he says "thats all we need, another horse" lol, phooey on him! We were just looking in our local advertising paper, looks like decent hay is 3$ on average at the moment. Not bad, could be lots worse. How bout in yalls neck of the woods? We need to get some bought now so we don't have to buy it all at once later.

WOW, write a book why don't I! And totally off topic. So sorry!! Anyway all that to say I'm basically dreaming and I highly doubt it will happen. I feel bad putting a pregnancy on her that late in life, although she is a great mama and really foals easily and non eventfully pregnancy to foaling. I couldn't believe how easy and well it all went, and I LOVED being able to be there for it. One of the neatest things ever.

So! Here are some vids, the first is the funny one of me grunting and Rusty knocking the camera over. Then two of me riding. Then one of the little BIL riding :) (although not little at all, he's taller then all his family except for his dad lol, he sure makes Daisy look short!)

Thanks for reading, have a great end of the week all!

Annoying Horse



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