First saddle mount & first ride under saddle - Cinnamon - 15 May 2023

Cinnamon the 3yr old Gypsy-Shire filly arrived Thursday evening. Friday I used my Start Right!! process to prepare her and mount her bareback from both sides a number of times - in about an hour start to finish. Saturday in under five minutes from right up close and really fast I did a Start Right!! review and then mounted her from both sides bareback. Monday with no review I mounted her bareback from the near side only. I had planned to ride her bareback a few days before saddling her but she was too "dead sided" - too unresponsive - did not want to move. So knowing that I might possibly have to get after her quite a bit to get her to move I knew that might result in explosive motion when she finally did move - so I opted to saddle up, just in case. I apologize that I didn't get the first two times the saddle was put on her on film. But you get to see how I get her used to being saddled via the Rancher Toss Up method - which uses your body momentum to get the stirrup to clear the horse and then ease it down on the horse. You then get to see how uneventful the first saddle mount is on a horse that is started using my Start Right!! training process. And you get to see how I work to get Cinnamon to begin to recognize that leg pressure means to move and do circles. You also get to see how to do a tighter still gentle circle to get the horse to begin to learn to stop when requested. Everything at a walk this first time moving under saddle or bareback. Just working to get them acclimated to all this new stuff without giving them reason to be stressed out.

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

Remember to read, study, and ponder upon God's word each day and also pray each day to find out what God needs you to do today and then do it. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
Certified Farrier accepting new clients in my core area https://griffes.tripod.com/farrier.html
Colt Starting Trainer with a waiting list
https://griffes.tripod.com/startright.html
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Freedom is the cure - Learn, Love, Live the Principles of Liberty https://griffes.tripod.com/Learn-Founding-Principles.html .