My mother has this 22-year-old registered QH gelding named Jazz, whom she's had since he was 2. The plan was to, y'know, train him, as one does with a 2yo, but then she had kids, and Jazz got put on the backburner and she couldn't afford to send him to a trainer.
So, fast forward to now, he'd just a big ol' lovebug and a pasture pet. It is my new year's resolution to get him rideable by the end of 2025, and I'll be tracking his progress in this thread :D
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The milestone goals:
Get a surcingle on him by April
Sit on him by August
Actually ride him by the end of 2025.
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What he does know:
Basic groundwork
The flag
Gobbling
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What he doesn't know:
Things above him won't eat him
My saddlepad is not evil
Excersise won't kill him
Weight on his back isn't scary
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So, to start us off, I'm getting a few weeks headstart and was working with him today. I rubbed the flag all over him to make sure he still understood that(he did), and found he's okay with it on his back so long as it's moving. Once it just sits there, god help him. He was better this time than the last time he was worked with(which was probably a year ago😬) and didn't go rodeo bronc on me. He just clenched his butt and quivered a little before calming down and giving a good lick 'n chew.
Once he was okay with the flag on him, I used my horse, a bombproof ranch+trail boy, to show him that my navajo saddle blanket wasn't gonna kill him. Now, he's been worked with on and off over the years, so none of this was new, per se, he just needs a refresher course and consistency. I flapped the blanket over Big Tractor, who stood there like the angel he is, then it was Jazz's turn. Surprisingly, he hardly flinched as I flapped it on and around him, letting it lay across his back before pulling it down and doing it again. Slowly I started leaving it longer, then put it on him and left it entirely. We followed Big Tractor around a little with the blanket over Jazz's back and he hardly batted an eye. Then we started walking around without Tractor, and he was wonderful, kept his focus on me and didn't mind the pad.
Then Tractor came over and started scratching at Jazz's withers and grooming him, and he grabbed the blanket and ever so slowly pulled it off of Jazz. This made him nervous, but he stood still as inch by inch, Tractor freed him from the blanket. Since he did so well and we worked for a good half hour, I figured that was a good time to finish- on a high note. So Jazz got his grain and got over some of his fear of things on his back.
I have a feeling I'll be ponying him off Tractor for some time so he sees his buddy being ridden and he gets it without sending me to the hospital, given he's a 15.1hh 11-1200lb wooly mammoth👍
Overcast and Humid, Clearing Overnight
