It is not breaking the rules...it is changing goals...

Okay, here is the deal...you all know I am finally able to get on Wyoming, thanks to weather that is cooperating more, and today I wanted to get on him bareback. Tiger was not ready yet, blah blah blah. I am not graceful and what better way to get him used to movements all over him than for me to crawl up there? I do use the bucket as a step to hop on to guarantee me the success of actually getting up there!

He did great! We walked around while he got used to the feel of me up there, he stopped and gazed around at the others on the outside of his pen, and he even got tense a couple of times. Once when I laughed and the other when I coughed. I got to thinking it is because he is feeling me differently too! He can feel me better just like I can feel him better...neat!
Brian was moving hay bales around with the tractor and saw me up on him and ran over to take a couple of pictures. Thanks baby!

Here is Wyoming and I...



And here we are again...



This is where "it is not breaking the rules, it is changing goals" comes in to play...
After I was done playing with Wyoming, I let him out of the pen and was going to let everyone out into the yard to munch grass. When I came back out of the barn Tiger was standing in his pen next to the mounting bucket and just looked at me. Our eyes met, we communicated...he gave me the sign. I needed to hop on that bad boy! :-)

So I did!!!



He was relaxed enough to drop his head and scratch it on his foot...



And to let me swing my legs all over the place and lean over his neck...



It was fantastic! The last time I layed over him he started to walk and he got very concerned that I was still moving with him and he skaddled away from me while I slid off. He did not have a problem me laying over him again, he just wasn't sure about moving or seeing me on the other side too much.
This time he was 100% different! I layed across his back, got my leg up and over him in case he had issues, I slid off and hopped back on (thanks to the mounting bucket), I finally put my leg all the way over him and slid off the other side, hopped back on, and then JUST SAT THERE! Upright, while petting him. We stood there a long time before he started to walk...no problems at all! In fact, I was getting more movement out of him by the time I was done than I was with Wyoming.
WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!

Funny thing...Brian was still moving bales and we have both talked about it - I was not going to get on Tiger until he reacted less to scary stuff. Period! He was across the yard and had moved a few bales when he finally looked my direction. He looked - he looked again, then looked off to the side because he saw Wyoming and then you could see the recognition in Brian's eyes when he looked back and his eyes were like saucers! He just laughed and shook his head! He moved a couple more bales then came over to take pictures. He said once he realized what brown horse I was on, he should have known because of the big cheese eating grin I had on my face! Hee hee!

Batman is getting his top teeth and he is trying to show them off...if you look real close you can see them.



We have 4 panels set up in the yard on the grass for Batman and Robin. We have to carry Batman to the pen because he is a little too independent, and when he wanders the others chase him and he freaks out and takes off. I don't want him running into a fence or into something and hurting himself beyond repair. It really is a challenge to have a 'little' and so many 'bigs' that just want to run when he runs. :-)



No story here...I just thought it was neat to have such a great reflection...so I guess that really is a story, eh? ;-)



There is a big garden at the place I work, and it is a great place to hang out and eat lunch, or just go walking. Flowers are blooming all the time, so I took a few pictures. I was playing with the Macro (close up) settings again.







It was a fun day!

Until later...Karen and Tripp