I mount without the mounting block!!!!!

Wooo Hoooo It was a Red Letter Day for me. I got home from work and no one was here. Barry called me and said he was riding in the back pasture!

"On my horse?" I asked.

"Yeah!" he answered.

I said I was coming out and he said I should be able to drive down to the back pasture. I drove out to PNR and to the back pasture bumping slowly down the farm road. There was Barry and Red standing at the start of the open pastures. Red was sweating and Barry worked him in reining right there so I could watch him. I said I wanted to ride and Barry said he would walk Red into the slight ditch so it might be easier to get on.

I said no that I would try from right there and for him to help me if necessary but not to help me so much he pushed my big hinney over!! I hitched up my new jeans and was able to get my foot firmly in the stirrup. I stood there for a second and got a good grip on the cantle and pommel and pushed up with my left foot and sprung up on the right and pulled with both arms. Voila! I did it. Barry helped very little. Really just to spot me to make sure I didn't bust my backside!

Woo hooooooooooo I made it!!! I was shocked! LOL Red is right at 16 hh! He is not a tiny horse by any means. I rode him and he was swerving all over - tossing his head and shaking his head and being a semi-pill - well, a pill for him anyway. We trotted a little and stopped, backed up which he tried to turn around! No...I said back up. We turned around and he suddenly was READY TO GO. No...we will walk and stop when commanded. We walked out in the pasture away from the road and he was good but he was a little racheted up.

I told Barry he might be running him too much. Barry said no that it was dinner time and he was ready to eat! LOL could be. I walked him all the way back to the barn and he was good.

We rinsed him off and about the time I got through rinsing him off someone opened the icebox door! Good grief...a cool spell rolled in FAST. Barry put him on the walker and he cut up some but started walking. I put his suppliment and alfalfa in his stall. Barry was staying until he was dry and I left to go start dinner.

I am going to try to mount every time without a mounting block until I can mount everytime by myself. Then I will be really ready for trail riding.