Shhhh.....we must be very quiet, Ed is here and today is the second time that my husband attempts to sit on Ollie's back! (Ollie is our little one- and- a- half year old gelding. Ed is the lovely man who is training him-the horse, that is). I am very nervous because I know nothing about training horses, but it seems to me that attempting to get on the back of a young horse is best left to experts or absolutely crazy people who are adrenaline junkies. So I guess my hubby the farmboy fits the bill, and I don't mean in the horse expert department. Let's tiptoe closer, and make sure the flash is off....
I hear some nervous laughter.... Ed is getting Ollie all tacked up and ready....
Hubby gradually puts weight on the saddle and gets on and off a few times. It's o.k, we can come closer now, but we musn't startle the horse....
Mission accomplished! Ollie the horse is very very slowly getting used to having someone on his back. But it's only the beginning, and he's not too sure about this whole procedure!
We are so lucky to have Ed helping us- he's a bit of a horse whisperer, has been around them all his life. His techniques are based on kindness and patience. He was pretty disappointed that he would not be the first one riding Ollie, but he's getting on in years (I think he's 78 or so) so it's probably a wise decision, though I don't doubt that he would do it in a pinch- the man rides every day, and training just comes naturally to him.
I myself won't be riding Ollie for a while. I think in about ten years or so, I'll give it a try.