Well on tonights ride, I got to have a bit more of a challange then I expected.. I started out just fine with grooming, tacking and didn’t do much ground work, perhaps I should have but you see a storm was moving in and I didn’t have long for light anyway, all I wanted was a short ride and to do a few drills etc..

It started out great, until I thought, lets take that though gate, and she refused on the first pass, I pushed the issue and she was great, though the gate, though the correl and into the back corner, we were doing awesome and then we turned the corner of the big barn, sheep, big flappy blue tarp, huge gust of wind though the corn and pigeons went up and she spooked, and went sideways, I reacted and turned her to go behind the barn and out, she wanted to go the other way.

I said, no, she said yes, I said no, she crowhopped, I said no, she said, yes, I said no and she bucked, twice with a sliding crowhop and a butt turn, now I have been worried for as long as I have had her, what am I going to do if and when she decides its time to challange me and give a little buck, I was truly worried, did I still have the skills need, did I still have the balance, I could really hurt myself if I ended up on the ground..

First rule, as far as I was concerned was unless unsafe to do so.. stay on the horse!

So here is what I learned..

I won the battle, I didn’t even come close to getting bucked off (not that she was really trying, she was just testing me) I had the knowledge and skills and while we might have done a few more kiss your butt cicles then I want to admit to get control back and to get her back though the different pastures, I did keep control..

Second, when that happens and I was young, it was just funny or even a bit exciting, when it happen at 39, it gives you butterflies in the tummy, and for me at least, shaking hands and legs as I was trying to calm myself down, I rode her out till I got to where DH was and had him take the bridle, while I did breathing until both myself and brandy were centered and then I road her around the pasture and dismounted and worked her on the ground for awhile and then we just sat together

So that was written last night, this is a crossover post, I have had a bit of time to think about it, and I still can’t really seeing it going different then it did, I can work her more about the pigoens, I can proof her a bit more on the flapping tarps, and I can work on the fence line  with the corn, the great thing is, I don’t feel the need or urge to say, well, I could be more careful, that thought really is not there..  What is there is that we can get though it together.. we are a team and its all about leadership and trust.. I lead, she trusts me, I trust her that on movement, feet placement, that’s her job, working together we will keep each other safe and sound.

So if you ride, did you noticed a big difference in how your body reacted to a little buck?