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Assignment 11: Bridle and Saddle Training

With Speranze finally accepting the halter like an old pro and happily allowing puppies to climb onto her back, it was time for a major step forward in her training- getting her used to tack. Zalera was being weaned, and Speranza was as ready as she would ever be.

Flight grabbed to tack he'd spent the morning hours washing and oiling- a standard bridle and a new endurance saddle with a dark red saddle blanket that he had ordered. He left the tack at the small round pen he had all but claimed for his own to train Speranza- no one else was allowed. When he went to get Speranza from her pasture, the mare whinnied at him, and the sound made him smile. To think that this mare used to despise him with every bit of her being! All the hardships he endured with her when she had first been brought to Rose Thorn were forgiven and forgotten at the sight of her coming up towards the gate to greet him. He spent a few minutes giving her attention, playing with her ears- something that confused and neither of the two could tell if she found it annoying or liked it- and then clipped the lead rope to her halter. She snorted, but when he started walking and clicked his tongue, she followed.

When they arrived at the round pen, Mikael was waiting for them. Flight had been working with some of the younger horses to get them used to saddles and bridles, so he knew what to do, but it was still reassuring to have someone around who had been doing these things all his life around in case something went wrong. Still, Flight hoped he wouldn't have to ask for help- he was confident he could do this with his mare. He opened the gate and led Speranza in, who snorted and then sighed (Oh man, this means we're learning more new things. Joy.), and then Flight secured the gate behind him.

Flight brushed the lead rope over her back, something she had not approved of the first few times, but after experiancing it for a few days, all the response he got from her was a twitch of the ears. He walked over to the rail and retrieved the red blanket, let her inspect it, and once she was satisfied that it wasn't going to eat her, he moved around to stand by her side. Speranza turned to watch him. He waited for a moment, then placed the blanket on her back, which she promptly shook off. Flight picked the blanket up and pat the dirt off of it, then slowly put it back on her and put a hand on her neck, hoping the reassuring touch would keep her from repeating her wet dog impersonation. He muttered some nonsense reassuring words to her, and after a second of having her ears pinned she turned them to listen to him and after a moment or two calmed down. He took a step back from her and she didn't try to take the blanket off. So far, so good!

Next he grabbed the saddle and took it to her to inspect. She rubbed her nose all over the leather, then drooled on it, and then nipped at the girth. Out of nowhere, Mikael produced a rag and tossed it to a grateful Flight, who wiped the horse slobber off the brand new saddle and then tossed the rag back at Mikael, who doged the sopping wet scrap of material.

"Ok now, Speranza, I promise you that the saddle isn't going to hurt you. Everything will be fine, just relax... Ok now..." and on and on he continued as he got the saddle on her. No reaction. Flight breathed a sigh of relief, but then all of the sudden the mare's head shot up with a high pitched whinny. Flight snatched the saddle off of her back before she could buck it off, and started trying to calm her down. He put the saddle back on the fence and walked her around the corral a few laps, giving her time to calm to down, and then tried again with the same result. And again. And again. Disheartened, Flight took Speranza back to her pasture, which she was more than happy to see. As soon as he unclipped the lead, the appy mare took off, galloping down the hillside and splashing through the creek at the bottom of the hill. Flight climbed up the large tree back at the top of the hill and pulled his book out from a hollow where he had left it and started reading. He would try again tomorrow.

--

Tomorrow came around. He went to her pasture, greeted the mare, took her to the round pen, and put on the blanket without mishap. As soon as he walked towards the saddle, Spernza started acting uncomfortable. Mikael had been at the round pen at first, but when Flight looked at where he had been standing, there was no sign of him. Not sure what to think of that, Flight let Speranza inspect the saddle again and took it from her when she tried to chew on it.

"Alright now, we can do this. You can this. It's no big deal, really."

Almost as soon as he let go the saddle and blanket were on the dirt.

"You just really do not like the saddle, do ya girl?"

He patted down the blanket as best he could and wiped down the saddle. While has was doing that, Speranza walked to the opposite side of the pen and started watching something that Flight couldn't see. Then she nickered at something, and Flight got curios and went to see what had caught her attention. Mikael was leading his new horse, a Marwari Nazmei, towards the pen. What was he up to?

"What are you up to?"

"Can I see the saddle?"

"I've got this-"

"Give me the saddle."

Begrudgingly, Flight handed Mikael the saddle. Mikael turned his stallion, Ami, to the side so Speranza could watch everything that was happening. Flight saw that Ami already had a saddle blanket on, and it suddenly clicked. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that himself?

Mikael let Speranza look at the saddle for a moment, then took it over to Ami, where he put the saddle on and fastened the girth effortlessly. Ami, always the hog, puffed out his chest and posed. Speranza looked confused. Mikael brought Ami into the corral, where Speranza immediately went to look at the saddle and was going to try and bite it before both Flight and Mikael told her to knock it off. Ami seemed disappointed that Speranza wasn't immediately fawning over him. Then Mikael took the saddle off and passed it back to Flight. Speranza poked at Ami's back where the saddle had been until Ami stepped away and snorted at her, obviously not impressed by the mare's curiosity. Flight took a deep breath and put the saddle on her back, then paused, holding his breath.

Nothing happened.

Flight fastened the girth, then waited for the mare to freak out. She didn't seem happy, but she also did not freak out. Flight let the breath out and hugged Speranza aroud the neck, then gave her a rub down, telling her what a good girl she was.

After this, bridle training should be no big deal. And thank goodness, it wasn't. She didn't care for the bit, but after Flight promised to switch her to a bitless bridle after she was more experienced, she calmed down.

Now to start the actual training.

Description
Assignment 11: Bridle and Saddle Training

With Speranze finally accepting the halter like an old pro and happily allowing puppies to climb onto her back, it was time for a major step forward in her training- getting her used to tack. Zalera was being weaned, and Speranza was as ready as she would ever be.

Flight grabbed to tack he'd spent the morning hours washing and oiling- a standard bridle and a new endurance saddle with a dark red saddle blanket that he had ordered. He left the tack at the small round pen he had all but claimed for his own to train Speranza- no one else was allowed. When he went to get Speranza from her pasture, the mare whinnied at him, and the sound made him smile. To think that this mare used to despise him with every bit of her being! All the hardships he endured with her when she had first been brought to Rose Thorn were forgiven and forgotten at the sight of her coming up towards the gate to greet him. He spent a few minutes giving her attention, playing with her ears- something that confused and neither of the two could tell if she found it annoying or liked it- and then clipped the lead rope to her halter. She snorted, but when he started walking and clicked his tongue, she followed.

When they arrived at the round pen, Mikael was waiting for them. Flight had been working with some of the younger horses to get them used to saddles and bridles, so he knew what to do, but it was still reassuring to have someone around who had been doing these things all his life around in case something went wrong. Still, Flight hoped he wouldn't have to ask for help- he was confident he could do this with his mare. He opened the gate and led Speranza in, who snorted and then sighed (Oh man, this means we're learning more new things. Joy.), and then Flight secured the gate behind him.

Flight brushed the lead rope over her back, something she had not approved of the first few times, but after experiancing it for a few days, all the response he got from her was a twitch of the ears. He walked over to the rail and retrieved the red blanket, let her inspect it, and once she was satisfied that it wasn't going to eat her, he moved around to stand by her side. Speranza turned to watch him. He waited for a moment, then placed the blanket on her back, which she promptly shook off. Flight picked the blanket up and pat the dirt off of it, then slowly put it back on her and put a hand on her neck, hoping the reassuring touch would keep her from repeating her wet dog impersonation. He muttered some nonsense reassuring words to her, and after a second of having her ears pinned she turned them to listen to him and after a moment or two calmed down. He took a step back from her and she didn't try to take the blanket off. So far, so good!

Next he grabbed the saddle and took it to her to inspect. She rubbed her nose all over the leather, then drooled on it, and then nipped at the girth. Out of nowhere, Mikael produced a rag and tossed it to a grateful Flight, who wiped the horse slobber off the brand new saddle and then tossed the rag back at Mikael, who doged the sopping wet scrap of material.

"Ok now, Speranza, I promise you that the saddle isn't going to hurt you. Everything will be fine, just relax... Ok now..." and on and on he continued as he got the saddle on her. No reaction. Flight breathed a sigh of relief, but then all of the sudden the mare's head shot up with a high pitched whinny. Flight snatched the saddle off of her back before she could buck it off, and started trying to calm her down. He put the saddle back on the fence and walked her around the corral a few laps, giving her time to calm to down, and then tried again with the same result. And again. And again. Disheartened, Flight took Speranza back to her pasture, which she was more than happy to see. As soon as he unclipped the lead, the appy mare took off, galloping down the hillside and splashing through the creek at the bottom of the hill. Flight climbed up the large tree back at the top of the hill and pulled his book out from a hollow where he had left it and started reading. He would try again tomorrow.

--

Tomorrow came around. He went to her pasture, greeted the mare, took her to the round pen, and put on the blanket without mishap. As soon as he walked towards the saddle, Spernza started acting uncomfortable. Mikael had been at the round pen at first, but when Flight looked at where he had been standing, there was no sign of him. Not sure what to think of that, Flight let Speranza inspect the saddle again and took it from her when she tried to chew on it.

"Alright now, we can do this. You can this. It's no big deal, really."

Almost as soon as he let go the saddle and blanket were on the dirt.

"You just really do not like the saddle, do ya girl?"

He patted down the blanket as best he could and wiped down the saddle. While has was doing that, Speranza walked to the opposite side of the pen and started watching something that Flight couldn't see. Then she nickered at something, and Flight got curios and went to see what had caught her attention. Mikael was leading his new horse, a Marwari Nazmei, towards the pen. What was he up to?

"What are you up to?"

"Can I see the saddle?"

"I've got this-"

"Give me the saddle."

Begrudgingly, Flight handed Mikael the saddle. Mikael turned his stallion, Ami, to the side so Speranza could watch everything that was happening. Flight saw that Ami already had a saddle blanket on, and it suddenly clicked. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that himself?

Mikael let Speranza look at the saddle for a moment, then took it over to Ami, where he put the saddle on and fastened the girth effortlessly. Ami, always the hog, puffed out his chest and posed. Speranza looked confused. Mikael brought Ami into the corral, where Speranza immediately went to look at the saddle and was going to try and bite it before both Flight and Mikael told her to knock it off. Ami seemed disappointed that Speranza wasn't immediately fawning over him. Then Mikael took the saddle off and passed it back to Flight. Speranza poked at Ami's back where the saddle had been until Ami stepped away and snorted at her, obviously not impressed by the mare's curiosity. Flight took a deep breath and put the saddle on her back, then paused, holding his breath.

Nothing happened.

Flight fastened the girth, then waited for the mare to freak out. She didn't seem happy, but she also did not freak out. Flight let the breath out and hugged Speranza aroud the neck, then gave her a rub down, telling her what a good girl she was.

After this, bridle training should be no big deal. And thank goodness, it wasn't. She didn't care for the bit, but after Flight promised to switch her to a bitless bridle after she was more experienced, she calmed down.

Now to start the actual training.