Better Pictures . . .or not?

I put the saddle on Gambler for the second time on Thursday. He wasn't as happy with it as he was the first time, but he only a bucked a few times when I first asked him to canter. I think there are many factors that came into play. I tried the saddle with the saddle blanket for the first time, which altered the fit a little (more about that later), and it was a stormy day.

SHNUGGLES!

When I put the saddle blanket on Gambler, he grunted, and my heart sank. He had stopped putting up a huge fuss about saddling and I had hoped that it was no big deal. Immediately I was imagining worse case scenario vet bills and unridableness (although he hasn't ever grunted while I was riding). I pulled the saddle pad off and pet him all over, poking and prodding and pinching. No response. Gambler just licked and chewed. I threw the saddle blanket back on, cue the grunting. I pulled it off again and repeated the process. Still no reaction from Gambler. I walked back over to the saddle pad, picked it up off of the barrel - and Gambler grunted. Aha! Nice try buddy. Last I checked saddles and saddle blankets do not have telepathic or telekinetic powers. So on went the saddle and saddle pad. Once he realized that grunting wasn't a get-out-of-work-free card, the grunting stopped.

"This saddle . . . is it going to be a regular thing?"

"Okay, I guess it's not that bad."

Looking at the photography but listening to the trees. I'm pulling off the jeans half-in half-out of boots look. 

I decided not to try out the back cinch because I could tell that Gambler was going to have more of a problem than he did last time and I wanted to set him up for success. I can always try it another time. Looking at pictures, the saddle seems too far forward, but I compared these pictures to the videos taken on Sunday and it only looks more forward because of the saddle pad. Regarding the saddle pad, it did change the fit a little, but it didn't seem like enough that the saddle didn't fit. The sweat marks weren't prominent, so that didn't give any clues. The only suspicion I have is that it might pinch/rub the shoulders a tiny bit. I have another saddle pad that I'm going to try, just to see if it fits any better.

Gambler uses his head and neck better everyday.

"I. Cannot. Possibly walk over that pole. I've never ever walked over a pole before. Actually, all the other poles are fine, but not this one. I can't walk over this one. This one is a wall. There is obviously an invisible wall. You don't understand."

"I told you about this one!"

"No, I can't. I told you. Invisible wall ring any bells?"

"I will show you the invisible wall. See? Right here."

"I put my foot on it. Is that good enough?"

Cantering through trot poles. *sigh*

He did eventually walk and trot over the invisible wall, I just don't have any pictures of it. He also trotted over the trot poles before he decided to canter through them. I realized that he was using the trees as an excuse to be a turd, so we spent some time circling under the trees until he would walk calmly in both directions. I was impressed because even when he was bolting away from the trees at the canter or gallop, he didn't buck once. In fact, he totally ignored the saddle.

Practicing the stick-to-me game and leading etiquette 

Asking him to match my speed.

I'm starting to teach him to trot in-hand. Right now he is pulling all the tricks he used to pull leading at a walk - pinning his ears, shouldering into me, and trying to fall back behind me.

From looking at these pictures, I think that I need to hold my carrot stick in the hand close to him to push his shoulder away and ask him to trot by my side instead of behind. I also need to look straight and keep better posture.

I really love this picture, the focus is on his dapples.

A hungry and tired Gambler.

Bopping his nose to get him to release the carrot stick.

More Shnuggles!

Chin is itchy

"Grooming" my hat

"Grooming" my hair

Just sooo itchy!

I was hoping to ride, but Gambler obviously isn't comfortable enough with the saddle yet. There is no hurry, I can always hop on bareback every now and then until the saddle becomes a non-issue. I'm just glad that there is a saddle that fits him.

For comparison purposes, here is the saddle that is too narrow for him.

And the saddle I'm currently using.