Riding Time

For the past three days we have been busy with Christmas festivities. For three days I wasn't even really aware whether my horses still exist. But today I go out into the amphetheatre paddock and call out "Come on up!". The horses, eventually, trot into the red rum paddock and I go in to catch Gally.

Uh uh. Nope. He trots off. I do the Monty Roberts thing, and soon enough he stops and lets me approach. I can pat him, but the minute I try to touch his neck, he tries to bite, and trots off. Eventually I do catch him, but I realise that I have a serious problem. My horse is not happy about something.

He doesn't seem happy during brushing. He doesn't seem happy during saddling. He seems unhappy when having the girth done up. He does walk forward when I try to mount, but the riding goes well. And after the riding he is as happy as larry. He follows me around, he is relaxed. He still puts his ears back when I undo the girth, but everything else is good.

I leave the headstall on him, and put him out in the paddock.