Naughty Sage ! Bad Steven!

Steven wants to go for a ride....We decide to take Caly and I arrive outside to find both Sage and Caly in the crossties. We prepared them for the ride, Steven finishing tacking Sage just before me. As I was putting on the tie down, I suggested that he use the stump for mounting today, and he headed over, behind me, to it. As I was about to place the bit in Caly's mouth...I hear "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" from Steven.

By the time I turned around, Steven was sitting on her rump, completely behind the saddle, leaning up and over the saddle, hand extended to the reins, and Sage hunching madly, not really bucking, but certainly not a normal gait.....quickly down the pathway to the barn.....Ooooh, I know that postion...."Jump!" I said. He actually looked at me, and then, after freeing his feet from the stirrups, he launched himself to the left, narrowly missing a tree. Nice tumble Stevie!

Sage proceeded to the front of the barn, turned right and ended up in a dead end, facing electric fence straight ahead, and to her right, the barn to her left, and she lowered her head for some nice tall grass that grows there.

I abandoned Caly in the crossties clipped to his noseband. After I was sure Steven was ok, we proceeded to collect Sage, who was slightly unnerved, looking at us like: " Uh, oh......Where did he go? Did I do something bad?"

She settled down easily and I asked Steven what happened.

I want to apologize for no pictures today.....If you turned up the volume when viewing the first ride video, just before it ends....you will know why I am particularly annoyed with myself for not setting up the camera today.........

Apparently, Sage had not positioned herself perfectly at the stump, and I think Steven forgot momentarily, that it was not Dazzle or Caly he was getting on, and reached for the stirrup/saddle to land in the seat, missing, when she moved off slightly.....What I had missed, was, Steven had originally landed in FRONT of the saddle, which obviously upset Sage.....I can't imagine anyone had ever landed there! She had bucked, at least once, maybe more, which launched Steven to the backseat.....another place that no one had ever landed on Sage, thus the tantrum and her attempt to go to her room!

It was rather obvious that we had some corrective work to be done, Caly was getting a bit animated in the crossties and I think he was only slightly disappointed that his ride was over before it was started.

We spent a LONG time that afternoon teaching Sage that the bad stump was not so bad afterall, and it was expected that she stand quietly next to it when asked. After she was able to maintain proper position at the stump, we worked on standing for mounting.....placing a hand for weight in the stirrup, praising when she did not move off, repositioning and trying again when she did move. Then a foot, then a leg up and finally with a rider up. Mount, dismount, mount, dismount.....she must think we are horribly indescisive!

We rewarded her with trips around the back yard....she likes just ambling around the trees, in full wiew of her Boyz. Steven wove her around the trees, the stump, to the trailer and back, she occasionally would just stop, become balky, and refuse to move....he'd wait, re cue with a 'walk on', squeeze the seat, repeat both adding a couple heels to her side....for the most part that would work.....but there was once it was pretty obvious to me that she would move on HER time. Not ok.

When it's time to make a point with Sage, it is usally me that tries it first....I recall Robin telling me that Mustangs can harbor grudges, and I would much prefer to have Sage not happy with me for a bit, than with Steven. Steven is her person.

I got on. She stood still, just like we had just worked on: good girl....I asked for a walk on....she did. We walked to the front of the barn, and turned towards the rear of the house.....she stopped.

Walk on.....nothing.
Walk on, with the seat and leg pressure......nothing.
Walk on, with the seat and leg pressure, adding a couple heels.....nothing
Walk on, seat/leg pressure, couple heels and a good slap on the rump....she walked.
She started off a bit abruptly....I am quite sure she was a bit startled....but she was ok.'Good Girl'

We walked along, til the next time....repeat....right up to the slap on the butt....then she moved.

One more time, she responded to the command, seat and legs....good girl!

I explained escalation to Steven, his turn to try. She tested him, only a couple times and then, as she had done for me, responded well before the heel and slap application. She gets it.....Will try that again.....but next ride.

He practiced turns, and whoas for a bit more. One more revisit to the 'stand' for mount and dismount: success. She's solid on that....for now.