Trust

So we had planed a ride for tonight, but when I got to the barn it was poring rain and blowing like crazy. I originally thought I should chicken out, but thought that if I did that it would just be another missed opportunity.

So I let him have some free time in the indoor to have a run (its much too muddy for them to do any actually riding outside) tacked him up and then lunged him. D came to the gate when I was putting his bridle on and I asked "am I chickening out if I ask you to get on him for a few minutes before I do?" D said yes, but that he would get on him first as he wanted to try something out.

So D got on him and just sat on his back for 5 minutes waiting for him to relax. Then he walked him around on a completely loose rein for another 10 and got off. The plan was to no put any pressure on him, and keep ourselves relaxed so that he could stay relaxed. So I got on I had a ton of slack on the reins and got told to keep my hand that wasn't holding the reins on the horn of the western saddle.

We did big 20 m circles and some figure 8's all at a walk and on an extremely loose rein, no leg except to steer. D's idea was that Lucas only got into panic mode (like when he reared the other night) was if he got his head up once we started 'working'. He then thought he was going to get punished so he was thinking about getting out of the beating before it even happened. (disclaimer: we know that Lucas was in an extremely hard training program before we got him, abuse of the show horses that didn't go as 'programed' happened)

So my whole objective was to bounce around in the saddle, pat his neck, pat his bum, do everything but grab the reins. Oh and stay relaxed, and not to panic about anything!

Lucas never picked his head up, didn't spook and certainly didn't even try to rear. We walked and trotted on a loose rein, with a big drape. I got worried occasionally about what might happen but I just grabbed onto the horn a little tighter! At one point I worried that he might not stop when we trotted off.... and the I remembered that he was spur broke (meaning if I apply my spurs together in one spot he will lift, and slow down, or stop if I continue to apply pressure)

It went really well. All of us were impressed with how well he was neck reining as he really isn't a western horse. He was the best he's ever been. I guess Ive been putting pressure on both of us that neither of us need, and I just need to trust him, and in our abilities.