Over the past week and a half, 15.3ish hh 4yo bay roan Stewart Creek WY Mustang gelding Spur has started his journey towards becoming a riding horse.
“Let me make sure he’s ready to start before he goes anywhere” turned into “I wonder if I can start him”. “I’m sitting up here and I didn’t die” became the first few steps.
Those led to wandering around the walking pen, trotting in the round pen and, with basic body control established, and both of us getting bored of having nowhere to go, venturing out into the real world
He has maybe 17 rides on him now, most of those out and about. He’s gone out alone a bit and with others, carried me in the high country and through the mountains close to home, leads or follows and ponies Lacy. He’s unconcerned about the dogs.
Yesterday during our ride a hopeful Denali jumped up on my leg, wanting to see if I could spare an alfalfa pellet, while I was on Spur. Nothing. My vest got hung up on a branch (sometimes I forget that I’m not on much shorter Lacy) and I had to hit the brakes so I wouldn’t get pulled off of him. Also nothing.
Out of the colts I’ve started over the years, he’s by far the one I was the most nervous about. Spur started out being a … complicated horse. Quirky. Sensitive. Athletic. Affectionate yet unforgiving. You get one chance to show him right. If that goes well, he’s great. If it doesn’t, you spend months undoing your mess-up.
He likes everything to be just so (I relate) and he knows his person. He merely tolerates most other adults but he loves kids.
When something isn’t the way he was taught, he lets me know or he fixes it himself. He knows that the ponied horse usually goes on the right. When I’m riding him, he puts Lacy on his right. When I’m switching and he’s standing on her left, he walks around her on his own and puts himself in the “right” spot.
When he’s nervous, touch helps him calm down, always has. So we joke that he’s happiest being ridden because he can wear his emotional support human as a blankie. He often lurks around the house looking for a bit more riding time while everyone else is content to be out grazing.
Taylor was mad at him (again) a couple of weeks ago. She went to catch him in the pasture. He gave her a scathing look and took off in a cloud of dust glistening in the early morning sun. Only to march up to me, stick his head in the halter and sigh a “Can you believe I just almost got horsenapped?!” into my coat. He’s special, that one.
I’m glad I took the time and 195 small steps to prepare this big delicate guy for where we’re at now. And to have faced the fear and started him anyway. He’s so content under a rider, eagerly walking out with a relaxed head set and on a loose rein. I’m proud of him and I feel encouraged for his future, wherever that will be.
