I sat on her! :)

Over the past few days, I have continued to saddle Love after nearly every meal. We go out and practice leading, turning, moving her haunches away, halts, and backing. I finally put the rubber snaffle on the cob bridle and it fits just right - and I was delighted with a "trick" someone mentioned recently - I put just a drop of molasses on the bit, and Love smelled it, and she put the bit right in her mouth herself! That was SO much easier than her lifting her head up as high as she could (pointing her nose up, too) while I opened her mouth with my thumb in the side! So we have kept doing that - and every time she puts her head right into the headstall and brings the bit right into her mouth. She is still chewing on it pretty constantly, but she is not anxious about it. It's just something new and she's getting used to it still.

I have been flapping the saddle flaps around and took the stirrups down (I'm riding english) and her reaction to all that has quickly become little to none. It really surprised her the first few times I did that - her body quivered each time the flap came down on her side, but we've kept doing it and now she understands it's not going to hurt her. She still turns her head around to see what I'm doing all the time, but she isn't anxious anymore (it's only been 4 days!). I keep doing the "tail test" to see whether her tail is clamped down or not, and I have continued to find it relaxed.

Yesterday, I took her into the ring (after leading her around in the field) and put some pressure on each stirrup to see how she would respond - she turned her head to look at me, but was not concerned about it at all. So I led her up to the mounting block, and climbed up there. I put my hands at her withers & on the cantle of the saddle and bounced up and down a few times. She stayed calm, so I took a chance and pushed myself up on to my belly on the saddle - I didn't want to sit on her quite yet. Love turned towards my feet and mouthed my foot, then turned to look at my head/body hanging on the other side. She took one step back to steady herself, but otherwise was not worried, so I stayed that way for 20 seconds or so before getting down and doing it again.

This morning, I fed the horses and then came in to the house for a bit to let the horses digest a bit. When I got back to the barn, Love was laying down in her stall. I had come there to work with her, and was thinking about trying to sit on her, but I didn't think it would be polite to force her to get up to work - it's part of her routine to take a nap in her stall after breakfast. I waited a few minutes, and then opened her stall door and went in - and I sat down on her hay while she napped a few minutes, and rubbed her forehead a little. She is so sweet. After a few more minutes, she got up on her own, and I stepped out of her stall towards the grooming area, and she followed me (like she has been doing for the last month or so to be groomed before turnout) without a halter. I did go ahead and put the halter on since it was work time, and when she would move her feet, I would gently remind her to go back to where she was by putting my hand on her chest and gently pushing back. She really understands that well. She got carrots for being so good. And then molasses on her bit again! :)

We did our normal ground routine in the field and went into the ring. I tightened the girth a hole. She didn't move her feet for that but still turns to look at me. We went over to the mounting block and I flapped the saddle flaps, pulled down the stirrups and gently tossed the doubled lead over her back/saddle to continue desensitizing. She seemed relaxed about everything - tail check was good, so I put my foot in the stirrup and leaned over her back. She took a step for balance, and then stood well, so I brought my other leg over and sat up in the saddle! :) Yay! She stood well and then I said "whoa" and wiggled in the saddle and then dismounted. I can't remember who taught me to do that as a signal for dismounting, but it seems to work well. I got on her again and she stepped back once and stood well again - and I took a picture of her while riding! (Ok, not the smartest, but she was being really good!) I dismounted again, and then got up on her again, and this time she stood perfectly, and I hugged her neck and rubbed her all over wherever I could reach, and finally gave a super good scratching to her withers. That was so good she was stretching out her upper lip so far and wanted to turn around and scratch me back. :) I said "whoa," wiggled back and forth in the saddle, dismounted and gave her lots more scratches and a bath before turnout.

Love has become so affectionate - well, she always has been, but even moreso now that I am working with her so much. She always looks at me with these big eyes, "Come play with me! Scratch me!" and willingly tries whatever I ask of her. I wouldn't normally get on a green horse quite so quickly, but she has continued to show me that she was ready and willing to try.

I connected with Love the first day I saw her at a dental clinic in April, but have tried to not get too attached because I have not been sure whether she would work out for Sammie. But working with Love every day, I find myself in the midst of a wonderful connection with this horse, and she has firmly planted her hoofprint in my heart. I don't know what the future will bring, but I do love this little mare more than I'm willing to admit to myself sometimes...