Day 20

Hey!!

Well, Baja is getting really close to being ready to ride. I'm sure he will have his first ride within the next day or two. Although for the competition it may not be the best thing to be getting such a slow start on actually riding him, I feel it has been the best way to do things for him and me. I like to have the horse pretty well broke before I get on them. Broke to all the ground work, broke to the saddle and bridle, ground driving, standing next to the mounting block, the mounting routine, putting weight in the stirrup and hopping up and down, putting weight on their back, moving the saddle and fenders around, rubbing them all over from the opposite side, bearing all my weight on each side. That's where I am with Baja, so now it's time to ride!!

Day before yesterday (Day 18), I went through the entire grooming routine, adding currying first all over (he stood rock still for that), body brush, hoof picking, combing his mane, face brush, and fly spray. He was really good with the spray which surprised me. He even let me spray his nose! Then he made faces about it, but let me spray him all over including his legs and belly. We went for a walk again all over the place and out in the pasture, then went in the indoor and did trotting in hand, lunging, stepping over the jumps, and playing with the big ball. Later in the day I hosed him off with the hose!

Yesterday was really hot and humid, plus he had been limpy on the rocks the day before, so I turned him out in a grassy paddock to give his feet a break and let him eat some grass. He is already so chunky that I don't want him to eat too much grass and get chubby, so he is back in his pen at night. I may start putting him in a stall at night so he can get used to that.

Today, I took him in the barn for his grooming/saddling routine, and he was really good. Then I took him out to the roundpen and worked on lunging, groundsteering, mounting routine and mounting block. By the end, he was standing still with me on the mounting block (talking on the phone) with my foot in the stirrup, elbow on the seat and all of my weight on him. Sounds like it's time to ride!!!