Where do I start?!

A lot has happened since I last posted! Riley is fat and happy in his new home.

We haven't been working to much on showmanship and I should really start so next show season if he's not ready under saddle we'll be able to show at least in Halter and Showmanship. But he's starting to understand how to pivot and set up, but he can't back straight for the life of him, or stop. He's been getting better at stopping, he stops after two or three steps so that's not so bad. Eh, we have time to work on in.

But we've been working A LOT with side reins while lunging to get him to start using himself. This horse didn't even know where his own feet were! When I first started lunging him (without the side reins) I wanted to see how he would do cantering, each time I asked him he pretty much nose dived into the ground. A lot of that did have to do with his feet, but also with him being so heavy in the front. But with a lot time and work he's finally able to pick up the canter right when I ask instead of speeding into it, and he's starting to collect up on his own without the aid of the side reins at the canter, which is a BIG step forward from what he use to be, I wish I took videos of him before.

When I bought Riley he had no rides under his belt, he was pretty much in his stall for his whole 3 year old life. So when we brought him to the barn he had the saddle on his back maybe 3 times? It took us about two weeks of all ground work till I got on. The first few times I had my trainer walk him around with me just loosely hanging onto the reins, after like 3 rides doing it that way I decided that he'd be okay being off the line, but we hit a issue...he wouldn't stand still while mounting, I always had someone standing next to his head while I was mounting, so now that no one was there he thought it was okay to just wonder off while I'm half way in the saddle. But that only took about a day to fix, that horse learns so fast.

So as of right now we've been just working on keeping him going!, he has the mind set that if he trots a few strides then he's done, silly boy. Yesterday we worked on lifting his shoulder because he's been dropping it a lot, and you can instantly feel a difference in the way he moves. I also tried spurs on him, the sooner the better I think, he handled them really well, he kind of jumped into the trot once when I really asked him with the spur cause he was completely ignoring them.

I'm just so excited for next show season, even if I don't get to show him till later on, I'm still so excited. I have to get my NRHA, Buckskin, Paint, and Ranch Horse card for next year, oh and I also have to get his papers from his old owners! Lots to do before next show season! and I'm SOOO excited!