Riding Alone

It is evident to me that I'm way too used to riding my slow steady guys and getting on Booker scares me a bit.  He moves so much faster and I'm just not used to it. So I decided I need a lot more saddle time to just get used to him and he used to me.  So my first lunch ride alone  we went down the drive way. He wanted to go left.  So we went left for a few steps then turned around and went right.  Walked for quite a ways.  Had a little trot (seemed crooked), walk some more, trot some more-snuck in a canter I didn't ask for but it was a left lead so I went for it, walk some more.  Was thinking about turning right at the town hall but the wind was pretty bad and I didn't want it up our butts when we turned around to come home so we just turned around and went back.  More trotting - okay super crooked, stirrups must be uneven, little canter, walking - swearing at drivers going by at 60mph thought Booker hardly noticed, more trotting and a final canter up to the driveway we usually start/end our runs at.  Can't remember what lead that last canter was, I asked for right but with the saddle crooked who knows what I got, I was busy concentrating on my position and trying to get him to lift his front and use his back.

Did some bending while mounted in the driveway, took a few tries to get him to stop spinning but he finally got it.  Untacked, inspected the saddle again (wishing I had thought of putting yours back on and pushing it back further - doh).  Did some stretches with treats and back out to the paddock.

He was a good boy, nice and calm.  Need a few more rides like that and I think I'll start feeling pretty good.  His canter wasn't horrible, he doesn't like to downshift so that takes some nagging but it's never an "OMGWE'RE GONNA DIE!" type of thing.  Just a few extra reminders to finally get down to a walk.  I think the more transitions I did the more he got it.

OH and verdict on the crookedness, holy cats the saddle was crooked, I must not have looked at it after I cinched it up or something.  Whoops.

We're working on finding a saddle that fits him so we've spent a lot of time putting saddles on and off and whatnot.  Nothing perfect yet but