I RODE MY HORSE BAREBACK! (And Spirit is HOME!!)

Tonight was an excited day. Stayed at the barn for quite a few hours while we waited for Spirit to be delivered...While we waited I got Red out and groomed him for about 30 minutes, sprayed him with Avon Skin-so-soft and water, which is a natural form of fly spray and really seems to be working well with him, and caught sight of my bridle.

Oh, I wanted to ride.

But alas, it was far too hot to put his heavy wool pad, big saddle and etc on him, then, I got a crazy idea.

Looking to my mom, I said, "Mom, I wanna ride." Mom said: "It's too hot." I said: "I know, I want to ride bareback!" she stared at me, remembering the last time I rode bareback, slid off due to clumsyness and was terrified of falling the whole time. Plus my mounts/dismounts are horrible. I stayed in one place and never moved. The time before that, I got on, sat on him for a picture, and got back off. No riding.. I consider today the first time I rode bareback. So, after insisting that I wouldn't shriek in terror if he moved or did anything for that matter, I got my bridle, put it on, got a mounting block because I'm 5'2 ish and he's like, 15+ hands and wide, and hopped on. It was clumsy, but it only took one try, and I normally take about ten tries before I either give up or something literally PICKS ME UP and puts me on my horse. I stood still for a minute, then got brave and moved.

Oh my goodness, I let Red move.

We walked around the driveway, just in a circle for the first minute, then I got even BRAVER, amazing, I know, and I took him all around the front of the barn. I let him say hi to Raven, who was currently grazing in the front, and I even let him trot for a quick second before I pulled back on the reins and forced him into a walk. Went back and forth around the grass for awhile and rode about 25 minutes. It was so hot and he was starting to sweat, so I hopped off, gave him treats, cuddled, brushed his mane out again because I HATE tangles, and put him in the stall.

I love this horse with the strength of a thousand suns. (Totally just quoted a movie, can you name it?)

Notice the doggy in the front. :)

Going down a hill...AHH!

Red: "I want treats now lady..First riding, then pictures?? I deserve like ten treats."

PS: He got the ten treats.

 He did SOOOO amazing. We didn't use the rubber nosed hack like we tend to use more often because he does so much worse with the leather, but he did 100% PERFECT.I think he knew I was nervous and took it really slow, plus I think having a fly spray again will improve his moods. I'd hate to have flies all over me. ;) ;) He seriously did the best he's done in awhile, he listened, was patient, went slow and just did so fantastic. I love this horse!!

Onto Spirit.
HE WAS FINALLY DELIVERED. They were still a little late, but that's okay. Once he arrived, he was pretty sweaty from being in the trailer, so we walked him around for a minute. All of the horses were stalled up, so we were free to roam around with him. We took him to the four acres, where Red stayed for the first few weeks of being at the barn. We were deciding on which horses to pick to be Spirit's company for those weeks before we let them all out together. We picked five horses. First, we put Red in.

"Are you SURE this horse won't bite me? I don't have good experiences with Appaloosa's, lady!"

Red did FANTASTIC, walked up to Spirit, sniffed, Spirit tried to bite, Red pinned his ears back and did a little rear and Spirit backed off. Red started grazing. Soon, they were running together and having fun, no violence or blood. ;) Every now and then Red would nip or do a mini rear if Spirit put his ears back, but they did great. Next came Bay, Red's girlfriend:

"I am the princess. No one bites me!"

Red and Bay-Bay went to each other straight away and she barely even noticed Spirit, just sniffed and walked back to Red. Spirit tried to bite, but Red came running and bucked about an inch away from Spirit and Spirit was a gentleman to Bay-Bay after that!! They did very good and went off to play. Next came Tucker:

"I'm just the perfect black horse. What more could you want??"

Tucker. Is. Amazing. Never even walked to Spirit, just went running to the back pasture and started grazing. I don't have much to say because he literally just acted like nothing was different! Now, this is where we got NERVOUS!! Here comes Bella!


Bella was in the pasture with two yearlings-Two studs, might I add, and they are getting to the age of frisky-ness. No. Way. No breeding for these guys. It was time to move Bell to the bigger pastures and we knew this would be the best time because the other horses would be focused on Spirit since they are already used to seeing Bella in the barn and other pasture next to them.

We were all freaking out. Bella is tiny, what if something happens?? Bella walked through slowly, and Tucker came running. Tucker sat by her side for a few minutes and they began walking together. Every time a horse would get too close to Bella, Tucker would get them away. Tucker is in the stall next to the babies stall connected to the pasture, and we knew he'd be okay with her, but he was just fantastic. He protected her and stayed right by her. She stood still, he stood still, she walked, he walked, she ran, he ran, she grazed, he grazed. Tucker. Is. Amazing.

Now we had 5 horses in that pasture and they were all doing amazing. So. Pleased!!! The other horses are running "free" in the rest of the 20 or so acres+trails at the moment, those horses that are apart from this five are a little meaner and so we want to transition everyone into this.

We watched for an hour or so then went on home, it started to rain really lightly, plus we had been there for quite a few hours and we were all hungry. John who lives there stayed home to watch them and make sure they were alright. He'll call if anything goes awry.

 I am so proud of Red..He is so great! :D

Now, picture time! (My, this is a hefty post.)

Mom and John walking Spirit to the 4 acres.

Spirit, Bay and Red in the back.

I have WAY more pictures that I will post tonight if they get to my email so I can edit them..Took these on mom's phone and I have to send them to my email in order to have them on my computer. :P So, hopefully I will post them tonight, if not, they'll be up early tomorrow morning.