I was definitely curious to see Brian ride in the bear trap again and Friday is lesson day, so even though I was battling the yawns this afternoon, I rallied and we headed out. Bear was in a funny mood to start. They’d put out new bales yesterday and Bear had clearly been gorging himself silly for the last 12 hours or so. We brought him in and he was at first distracted and gassy. He pooped twice during groundwork alone (twice more under saddle). He also wasn’t paying attention to Brian super well, but Brian preserved and Bear began to come around.
When Brian got on, things improved considerably. I think Bear really likes his new saddle. He was about the best I’ve ever seen him. Walking, turning, stopping, standing, all looking just super relaxed. They even had a nice long trotting session, which Bear actually seemed to enjoy. There is no denying Bear is still prone to a tightish hind end, and his right turns are not as good as his left turns, but I really think that saddle was causing most of his little issues. Live and learn, I suppose. I’m glad we discovered it now and not in another six months, but it does make you feel a little foolish when you sort of overlook something that seems so obvious once you’ve figured it out.
