Gone Riding

Just before it was time to do chores, I grabbed Lil' Richard and put him in the round pen where he proceeded to run, buck, and roll in the dry sand.

He 'self lunges' for a bit and then waits quietly for me to come in and work with him.

I let him run in the round pen, while I took Siera out and rode her for a while bareback in the meadow.  She did a great job and only gave me a bit of her 'typical' grief once.  She did a little hop with her hind end and I laughed.

Riding bareback is so much warmer than riding in a saddle when the temperatures are in the 20's.

I rode Siera to the ridge to get the mail.  Since there were no stumps around to get back on, I led her back home.

Next it was time for some work with Lil' Richard.  I went in the round pen and we worked on a 'kiss' for getting up and his whoa.  He nailed it quickly.
I made makeshift reins out of the lead rope and swung my leg over him.

He just did as before.  Stood there.  I thought about it for a moment then re-created the specific 'kiss' that had moved him before.

Suddenly we were in motion...and then he stopped.  I kissed again and we went into an extended trot which I just sat and rode out.  He was extremely smooth, incredibly smooth.
Since we were just working on the Go and Whoa, I let him pick the pace.  He did however follow my lead as I used the rope to guide him.

Win Win!

We kissed to go and Whoa to whoa.  After about 15 minutes we quit and I groomed him, then took him to his pen where dinner awaited him.

He is an incredibly smart pony/mini horse.

Of course he is mature and has age on him.  But who would have thought that you could train an animal who was somewhere between 16 and 19 yrs old?  True enough we stake him out in the summer and lead him from place to place and he stands well for the farrier.
But he never had any formal training.

Well, the saga continues.