Yodie's First Ride Since September

So, I was FINALLY able to get it together and get on Yodie for the first time since September. He was last ridden by someone that was coming out to look at him to buy, and I had jumped on him once before that to show them how he rode. Before THAT, he had only been ridden about ten times throughout the entire year of 2010. So, needeless to say, I am happy to be "back in the saddle again" with Yodie :)

The weather turned out to be fantastic yesterday; still cold, but much warmer then what we have been having. There was no snowfall and, much better then that, no wind.

I waited for my sister and her friend (she boards her horse at our house) to get out of school, and then we saddled them up. Despite the fact that he hasn't been worked (or even handled much for that matter) in the past year, Yodie definantly has that Curly personality where he rebounds fairly quickly. He is a extremly smart horse that thinks way ahead of the rider, so you have to be on your toes with him.

I am quite pleased to say that he stood quietly at the hitching post (even without other horses there. He used to be a nightmare!) to be groomed, saddled and bridled. He also waited patiently while everyone got their own horses ready to go. I think that my work since I got him two years ago has paid off to some degree! lol

I am trying to intergrate him back into a snaffle with rollers; for a time, I was using a jointed kimberwicke with him. This was partially due to the fact that I was going to try to ride him English for 4-H and it was a proper bit to use, but also because it gave me a little more leverage on him. He is a powerful horse and would try to gain control of his head from time to time.

I realize now that it is probably in both of our better interests to put him back in the snaffle. I can tell that he pushes alot on the bit, trying to be rude and to gain control of it. He also needs work on only transistioning from gait to gait (walk to trot, trot to walk, for example) when I ask him to, not when he wants to. The poor guy, even his working walk could be considered a "death march." And, on this ride he had to keep up with my sister's Paso Fino! :()

Our ride consisted of just going down the main road then doing a loop on a seasonal road that goes around our house. He was a bit spooky at times, but nothing more major then a plant and stare when some birds flew out of the trees. I have noticed that the Curlies are very much intune with what is going on around them. Both of my guys can sense, for example, that there is a herd of deer a half a mile up the trail and will stop and stare until they know what it is and only then will they move on. Maybe it is there Mustang intuition? Regardless, it makes me feel like I have a very aware trail partner :)

So, that is the gist of my first trail ride with Yodie for 2011. I am already planning on logging up the trail miles with this beast, as he really needs it! One of my other goals is to get him going good on the trail by himself again.


Happy Snow-Riding,


Emily, Shaneequah and Yodie