My Hero

Well, I got "Tristan" last week, and he is slick. However, I needed a different girth becuase the one we use now was too short. So for the past few days I just stared at the saddle and polished it up with some mink oil. I ordered a new girth, trying to find the best compromise size that would fit both Kitten and Major.

Today I got the girth. I had a sinking feeling before I even put it on him that it would be too long (Kitten is much bigger around than Major). It just fit and I thought it was actually a bit too loose, but I decided to ride him anyway. I am dying to feel that saddle!!

I tried to mount in the pasture, but I can never get my leg over, mounting from the ground. He's a Morgan, and small, but I am too old, too fat and too short to mount without a leg up. So I led him back to the barn where I used a cinder block (B was not home from work yet for me to use his leg). All was good until the cinder block got squished down in the mud. I lost my footing, but grabbed onto Major for dear life, and the saddle slid sideways. I shoved it back on him and tried again. This time I was successful, and nearly had my leg over when the saddle really slid sideways again.

This entire time he stood as still as a statue. It was amazing. This is a stallion, the one who bites, who sasses me at every turn, who normally takes off while I am still mounting, who spooks at his own shadow. He must have known what was going on.

So there he stood, with the saddle on his side, with me exasperated, spitting mad, cussing through my teeth. He never once lost his cool, even when I took the saddle off the wrong side, etc. He was such a gentleman. I was so proud of him, I gushed. It overpowered my anger about the saddle.

I gave him a lot of candy. : )