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| Pictures lifted from the video - including one that shows Rory isn't perfect! |
Today I saddled Rory up and went out to the arena for his second lesson on the longe line and the first time longeing with a saddle on. I set the camera up to video the session before we started. At this point I'm trying to avoid putting Rory into the position of feeling he must dump the saddle, so I'm not letting him loose in the arena with the saddle on. This did leave him with a bit more energy than usual, but he was very good. We worked walk, out, halt and trot again using about eleven feet of the longe line. A couple of times Rory jumped and bounced into canter, but I managed to keep him on the short line and bring him back down to trot or walk fairly quickly. Rory didn't show any sign of being particularly concerned about the saddle either time. We changed directions several times and he did need a little encouragement to stay in the trot. We're keeping lessons short and sweet at this point. The purpose is to teach him the commands and what is expected of him during longeing rather than building his strength or fitness. Exercise for his brain, not his body.
Tacking up is becoming more ho-hum for Rory. He still gives the saddle blanket a close look, and rolls his eyes at the saddle, but is moving less during the process. Small steps, but ones that make me realize just how close we really are to riding.
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