First Ride!

Today I rode Jet for the first time in years. It felt amazing to be on him again! After we turned him out with Elsa and Biscuit for a few hours, I decided to go brush him and get him ready. I check all my tack to make sure it fit him and luckily it did! Bridle looked amazing, saddle fit nicely, girth was just the right size...everything was already to go!

I gave him a good brush. Mom had to hold him since Elsa and Biscuit went back down in the paddocks and Jet was still up in the ring and he was getting anxious. After a while he decided to finally stand still and let me spoil him. I curried, hard brush, soft brush, hoof pick, etc. He was nice and clean! Yay!

I then tacked him up and just looked at him for a minute. I was finally going to ride my boy again. I was extremely excited and ready to hop on. I walked him around once, tightened the girth, walked him a bit more, tightened it again and stretched his legs. Then Mom gave me a leg-up and on I went!

We immediately started to walk because I knew he needed to get his mind working again. Mom tried to take pictues but she, unfortunately, isn't very technologically talented so I didn't get a lot of good ones, but I got a few! I will send them from my phone onto here in a few mintutes when I am done typing this.

We walked around in the ring. On the rail, circles, diagnols, serpentines, figure eights, anything to keep his mind busy pretty much. At first he wanted to stick his nose out and up but I worked with him and by mind-way through the ride I got a nice headset out of him for a few steps at a time! I was very pleased since he hasn't been ridden in a while.

We walked, stopped, walked, walked faster, walked slower, leg yield, bending, rounding... everything for just a few seconds at a time. I looked over at Mom and said, "Can I trot him once around?" "Sure! Wait! Let me take pictures!" "...Okay Mom." So I waied for her to get ready and then asked him for a trot. We went a few steps then he decided that it was easier to walk. I asked him again with my body and voice. I decided not even to carry a crop. If you can't work with your horse to get it moving how you would like it to then obviously you aren't strong enough, the horse is physically weak(or lazy like Jet), or just isn't ready. I do carry it occasioally when I need to but most of the time I don't even bother. Gotta build up those legs muscles! Anyways... where was I? Oh! I got him trotting again and he gave me a lovely headset right away but he wasn't collected. I was perfectly okay with that since he is so out of shape. We went around twice in each direction and we are going to add a bit more trotting every day to build up his muscles.

I gave him lots of pats and scritches and hugs! I walked him around a few times just to cool him out (even though he wasn't even warm. We still needed to relax his muscles) After I hopped off I gave him another good brush and threw his blanket back on. We took even more pictures and then I brought him back down. It was such a good ride and I am so happy to have him back!

I have pictures that I will post of us rididng later! :D yay!