Napoleon

I haven't figured out how to publicize this blog very well yet, so this writing is just for my own records! I have finally named my mustang today: "Napoleon".

Yesterday was our first ride. (I was gone all last week, so he missed 7 days!) I was hoping Zane would be the first one on. He is so much more graceful from ground to saddle, and the horse barely notices that he arrived, but since I have done most of the groundwork (Zane does have 21 horses to ride a day...and groundwork with the mustang has been averaging 3 hours.) Napoleon wasn't ready for Zane to mount, but he would let me stand at his side. Boy, was I nervous! I hadn't prepared myself mentally for the challenge, all along assuming that Zane would be the rider. I just don't do the first few rides. (Not since I was 18, anyway. ) Zane really had to coach me through it. He had the pony horse and kept reassuring me that the horse was ready and would let me on. I was practically hyperventilating, and glad no one but Zane knew. Of course, he has been ribbing me about it today ;)

Napoleon let me in the saddle and Zane held the line and ponied us around the arena. The biggest complication was that he kept banging into the pony horse and trying to almost "hide" against her. I had bitted him up a few times though, and he let me guide him so we didn't get as mashed against her as we could have. Both Zane's right knee, and my left knee are bruised today though!

(The first ride is usually much easier in the round pen, but since the mustang arrived, we have been drowned in rain! It has made his work more challenging but perhaps has been a blessing as well. I walk him up from his pen to the indoor arena and he lets me walk him through the barn to the saddling area. Riding in the indoor arena allows the mustang to move freely and seems to help the turning and impulsion learning exercises. Zane doesn't like to work in any makeshift panels, so it was just Napoleon and I and one big arena :)

Today was his second riding session. Napoleon was especially easy to catch today and he is learning to graze while on the leadline. (They really have to learn to relax in your presence to graze, so he is starting to let down. )I led him to the barn and saddled him easy. I am amazed that he lets me get that saddle on him without any tension or resistance. I am always a little clumsy getting everything settled in, so it says something about his disposition that he lets me be imperfect with it all. It still startles him a little when I carefully bring the front cinch up against his girth, but he is fine when it is tightened. He was good about the back cinch today. Monday-not so much!

He was a champ today about picking up his feet! Even being better about his hinds than his fronts! That is a good sign that he'll let me mount and dismount without much trouble today! Zane uses a different pony horse to get us started. Bobby Starlight did the honors and he doesn't let Napoleon push his shoulder into him. (I think my mustang was too familiar with the other mare and wanted to hide against her yesterday. )

One lap and Zane unhooks us. My mustang just trots around easily. He didn't bolt one time and I rode him in 4 different short sessions this afternoon. In each session I was able to mount and dismount without any outside assistance. I can tell he his going to have a very light mouth and he turns easily each direction and can easily do a 360 turn. Hallelujah! I am so happy with my choice of horses! I was also elated that he wants to back up easily. We have found in the past, that, at first, learning to back up can be a challenge for some mustangs-but Napoleon wants to. He also wants to stop which is something I noticed from the beginning groundwork, even on his sale video.

Today Napoleon also took the bridle without any trouble and he seems to have a quiet mouth. My last EMM horse "Chopper" had the busiest mouth imaginable, so I am happy with Naploeon's quietness.

Typical of the trusting bond a new mustang makes with the rider, today I stood in the arena with Napoleon as Zane worked cattle, the Reymanator and Zane took a cow down the fence right behind us and my horse just stood quietly on his lead. He's giving me the nod, that "if it's okay with you, it's okay with me." He also let the tractor go right by as well as the 4-wheeler. He let some other horses be led by unfamiliar people behind him too. Also, when we were done with our ride, I led him to the concrete wash rack and gave him his first warm bath.

I don't want to make it all sound easy or too "rosy" . He is a mustang still, and you always have to be cautious. They are lighting fast. I always make sure I have a good hold of him on a long lead, as I don't want him to bolt and get away if he is frightened. Especially since we are not in an enclosure. I want to help insure that each training session ends with him and me both calm and moving forward, not digressing. It takes careful planning each day. It also helps to have a husband who has trained several mustangs - some easy, some extremely challenging- to coach me and give me lesson plans each day. "Now do this, don't progress to this until you can accomplish "A", etc, etc. " I must say it is extremely gratifying to see excellent progress. I can't wait until tomorrow!