We trailered Desi to Ben's farm and put him in a stall right next to one of the polo ponies. Desi was nervous and a little anxious the first few days at Ben's farm because it was his first time away from his friends and family. He did not understand that this was the start of his new life as a riding horse. He didn't have to worry because he would have a very good friend in me and I was his new family. I went to visit him every day. He was brushed and curried and bathed and I even took him for walks on the lead rope, so he could get acquainted with his new surroundings. We practiced getting on and off a trailer. And we even ponied him out with the polo horses so he would start building up his muscles. The training was underway with Rhonda's help.
I also taught him to lunge and he became very good at listening to my voice and learning the four most important words in a horse's vocabulary. They were walk, trot, canter and halt. I had to be careful how I said each word. When I wanted him to walk I would always say AND walk, stretching out the word wa-aa-aa--aa--al--k and a final emphasis on the "k". The word "AND" taught him that something was about to change, so I also said AND trot, AND canter, AND halt. I started teaching him the words by calling out to him as he did the walk so it confirmed that he was, in fact walking. Then when he broke into the trot I would say AND trot.
After he heard me calling out the words and confirming what he was doing many times I then suggested to him the actions of the walk, the trot, the canter and the halt. If he wasn't responding I would shake the rope a bit so he would feel a vibration on the cavesson on his nose. When he responded with the appropriate action, I would call out. "Good boy, Desi"
Eventually he learned to do each of the gaits on command and I was very proud of him. We were learning together. What a smart horse I had bought! I thought I had made a very good choice! Good for me too!
Then Rhonda said it was time to start teaching him how to go under saddle. We first put a pad on him and shook it and rubbed it all over his body. I stood above him on Ben's mounting block in the middle of the ring. This was done so he wouldn't be afraid when I did get on him. Horses are naturally afraid of anything above them because they are prey animals. That is how they are genetically wired. There are many predator animals who would attack a horse from above by jumping down onto their backs and then the horse would run for its life. This type of reactive engineering has undoubtedly saved many horses. So when humans interfered and domesticated horses, some of the old wiring had to be retaught.
The horse can now be taught to accept someone higher than they are, once they understand it is a friend and not an enemy. While on the mounting block I rubbed his neck on both sides to calm him, talking to him the whole time. I would say "It's Okay, good boy, Desi, I'm your friend. I won't hurt you." Once he was relaxed about that it was time for the saddle. We gently put it on his back and tightened the girth. Desi just stood there with his eyes bulging out. He looked afraid to move. We started to walk him forward and just as he took his first step he exploded like a fire cracker up into the air with a very large buck. His head was down between his feet. As he did this he let out a huge groan, as if to say "Get this thing off me!". I scrambled out of the way.
"What was that?" I asked Rhonda.
"I don't know. I never saw anything like it before."
"Maybe he doesn't like the saddle." I countered.
We were both puzzled. But then we continued to walk him around and he settled into the walk and he seem relaxed, like nothing had happened.
We walked him over to the mounting block again. I picked up the reins and put my weight into one of the stirrups on the near side. I pressed down hard and held all of my weight in the stirrup. This time Desi gave no reaction. Then ever so gently I slipped my foot into the stirrup and swung my right foot over onto the other side, sat down very lightly and took a deep breathe. I was very careful not to kick him with my foot as I slid into the stirrups.
Then Rhonda led Desi and I around a bit and I dismounted. I wanted him to have a very pleasant first experience so we made the session quite short.
I did it. I rode my horse for the very first time. The only thing that worried me was the bucking, but I was hopeful that it was just a fluke reaction to the feeling of the saddle and that it would be a one time occurrence. I was very optimistic.
