my saddle

I got a good start with both horses today. Moon stood real good while I put my saddle on him. It is much different than the other one. I moved him around to make sure he will stand. Then sacked him out with pad and saddle and it went well. He didn't have a problem with the flank cinch or breast collar. I put him through his paces and then started to work on YH with my thumb where my heal would be. It took a while but he finally got it. Then I moved him to a trot and then tried again with YH and it went well. Did both sides to my satisfaction. Then I did some stirrup driving and that went so well I decided to work on getting on him. So a few minutes later I was throwing a leg over and sitting on his back. He was relaxed pretty much. I did this from both sides several times. Then took the saddle off and moved him around some. So Grand didn't do as well. But I knew he was a bit jumpier with something around his flank. He actually stood real well to be saddled, but that flank cinch tickled abit and so he went to bucking. I switched directions and he bucked some more. I just sped him up or changed directions when he went to doing that. He settled down to where I could go through the exercises with him. He got a little bumpy a few times later, but that was no problem. He will get used to it. I did some stirrup driving with him too. He didn't have a problem with it at all. Then I worked on getting on his back. He didn't have a problem with that. I sat on him several times. One time I was just standing in one stirrup and he wanted to move I just stayed with him til he stopped. When I took the saddle off him I worked him some more too. You know what is funny. I have had trouble with him following me real good. So I usually have to make him move a lap or two before he will follow a couple steps. Well, today I went to take some pictures with the saddle on his back. Do you think I could get him to stay put? No way. He wanted to be right next to me. Anyway here are some pics. the first one is Moon with the star on his forehead. The second one is So Grand. I also rode Callie today. He did good for me. I got him out and did some circles at the walk then down the trail and did some more circles at a Trot. Then down the power line and did some more circles at the lope. He was pretty much done in by that time. We went down to the curve, 1/12 miles down the road and back. He did ok. He is starting to stay where I put him when we are moving out rather than walking like a drunk every which way. He only has three gears and none of them has fast in them. So most of the time we did jogging trot. He seems to like that the best. His walk is so slow I can crawl faster. But he is a good solid horse.