Up Up and Away

Yes Saturday was THE day..  The day Charlie was backed.  We started with a lesson for Chanice Who Helps On Saturdays, on Daisy......First off with a saddle, but she still gripped up with her knees.  Jo jumped up to demonstrate relaxed legs, and stopping without reins.  Then we took the saddle off.  Not very BHS I know, but I learnt to ride bareback.  I led Daisy, and Jo side-walked so we had risk assessed our lesson.  It worked.  Chanice had longer legs.  When we got her to fold her arms, she also sat up much straighter.  We even had a little trot.
Then it was my turn......It didn't start well, Charlie didn't want to be caught.  He had the devil in his eyes, as he cantered around me in perfectly balanced circles.  Once tacked up I led him round the 'school'.  He seemed quiet enough, until I went to tighten the girth......Off he went, eyes rolling, and evaded being caught again for, like, 40 seconds.  So I thought, Just get on with it. I even had a hat on!!
At the mounting block, Jo held his head and I leaned right over him.  The saddle was slippery though, so i slowly slid back to the block. It just seemed easier to put a leg over.  He was a star......Stood stock still, amidst lots of praise.  Twice more I got off and on again, the third time i put my feet in the stirrups.  We were going to call it a day, but we had moved slightly, and I couldn't reach the mounting block to get off, so we took our first wobbly steps.  With my added weight to balance, Charlie felt his way forward foot by foot, wobbling like a new-born.  He was so good I forgot to slide off slowly, and jumped off like I would a broken pony, which freaked him a bit.  He then had loads of praise and half a packet of polos.  I am so proud of him.  Next week team chasing....Just kidding.

Jo in Demo Mode

A leg over

Ready, steady...........

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