KNOCK KNOCK....

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WHO'S THERE?

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IGOTTAHAIRYRUMP....

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IGOTTAHAIRYRUMP WHO?....

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I GOTTAHAIRYRUMP BECAUSE I SAT ON COPPER! YEEEE HAWWWW!!!!

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Yep, we did it! Actually we did it a couple of times, then I went to get Brian and the camera! :-)

It all started with a nice little talk. He looks very accommodating, eh?



It was just another evening, it had dried out quite a bit, and I was going to go over everything we have already done to see what kind of reactions I was going to get, then it came time for the 'sack of taters' game.



He did great with that, then I decided to try my more than graceful athletic maneuvers and attempted to put a leg up on him. I did this several times - got myself up on his neck and the leg mostly up, rubbed it, then slid down. I used his front leg as a guide on my way down, and he did not move. Yay!
All the trainers talk about the horse reacting and you can just slide off...well, I have visions of me starting up and over, the horse moving the direction I am working from, which means I sort of slip over the other side, and possibly land on my head. So I am very cautious when I first try to get on bareback. I did find it was easier to get on Copper bareback than it was Tripp, and I think that is because Copper is so big, he has a lot of neck for me to use as support.



Almost there.....but still giving myself some room to get off if I need to.
He started moving but I was not worried because he did not show any signs of being in 'freak out' mode. When I was playing the 'sack of taters' game, he walked a little bit until I slipped off.



Even more almost there! And still giving myself some room in case he had a change of heart. He did not even mind me on his neck, so that is good...never know when you will need that neck! :-)



When I got on, I stayed low on his neck and kept rubbing him. He was very aware I was there and was questioning it, but not trying to escape it. I did a lot of talking and rubbing...
A couple of the times I got on, I stayed low on the neck, rubbed a lot, then slid off. I was not sure how he was going to be with me over his head, even tho I have stood on large rocks even taller than I would be sitting. You know how everything looks different to them. I don't have to understand it - I just have to understand that they see it differently, and I need to make decisions based on that. Hopefully they are good decisions.



I finally made it all the way up, and he is so worried and stressed - I mean look at that back foot! He is getting ready to take off any moment, and like a track star he has that toe planted!! And the expression on his face, he is making sure the film is rolling for the great escape! Ha ha ha!!!!
I love this! I love that he was relaxed and did not feel the need to get away from that big thing on his back. I moved a little bit, but did not totally get myself comfy because I did not want to ruin a good thing. I sat there quite a while and rubbed on him, then slid off and called it a day.



I still don't know if I will be able to ride him at the EMM, and to be honest, I am not as stressed about it as I was. If I do, great, if not, great too. I know I keep saying this, but I want him to get a patient adopter who realizes his potential. He is going to be such a wonderful horse for someone! If he can only do 3 or 4 things without being stressed out, that is great! He can only get better. He has been my biggest challenge so far because I did not understand how to make it easier on him...then I find out about the thinking and reacting side of the brain and the introvert/extrover part, and now I understand it more than before. He needs time - plain and simple. He is very social, loves to hang out with us, and wants to please us so bad. He is very gentle and kind, and he has eyes that are so soft when he is relaxed. He is just scared of new things and sometimes old things. The best way for his brain to process things is constant repetition and frequency. The frequency part is hard when you work a full time job and the evenings get darker quicker, but I will do what I can. I hope he gets a very patient adopter who realizes his potential.
Has anybody seen the movie '50 First Dates' with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler? One of my favorite movies! There is a character called 10 Second Tom, and sometimes that is what I feel like with Copper. The thing is, Copper gets it and it takes a shorter amount of time to realize that he really does remember the saddle, he just forgot he remembered it.

Okay, gotta go now. I took my Mom to the airport today so got home early, which means I have plenty of daylight! I am hoping for the same results that I had a couple evenings ago. :-)

Until later...Karen and Tripp who says Copper will be just fine!