>>>. The reason I believe the Bob Marshall will be the right saddle is that it is treeless and is supposed to conform to his body and make him feel like he is being ridden bareback. Whatever I can do to make him and I both as comfortable as possible is my goal. You would think he would be sore, but there seems to be no pain on his back or sides.
Judy, I apologize, but I think I may have missed a couple of posts. Didn't I see something about him bucking at the canter, and how you say one might assume he's sore...? I've had a few rehabs here with bucking/bolting problems. One turned out to have an old castration scar as well as an old soft-tissue injury near the withers. Another had ulcers. And we never knew exactly what the other mare's problem was, but she responded dramatically to acupuncture. Anyway, if your gut tells you that the horse is uncomfortable in some way, don't ignore it. At least keep it at the back of your mind. Ailments of these kinds can be difficult for even good vets, chiropractors and professionals to isolate sometimes. >>>The farrier and vet have both checked him out so there is no health issues thank God. I have done some clicker training but the people at the barn laugh until they see some of the tricks he can do. I have gotten him to stand at the mounting block and come when I call. I am going back to clicker training though. I have all the books. Again, if anyone has any other suggestions, I am taking them all. Have you tried some of the natural horsemanship exercises? I really like the Parelli Seven Games. I started dabbling in NH before Parelli was such a big name, so I sort of have my own blend of methods now, not "pure" Parelli, but for someone starting out, the Seven Games are wonderful - very simple and step-by-step, but powerful...and FUN. Or they should be fun - that's why they are called GAMES. :) The coolest thing is that you can work on your relationship with ground exercises - where it's much harder for you to get injured - while developing your relationship with your horse. It's the best of both, building a relationship while staying safe. The exercises and trust continues on into your riding time too. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.2/1272 - Release Date: 2/11/2008 5:28 PM
