Eeyore is back to his normal goofy, completely uncoordinated, forgets he has feet on terrain self. I love watching him run in for dinner as he inevitably trips over nothing and then flings his head looking around for someone to blame. He will learn with time. Or kill himself trying. Either way, it will resolve.
I had to take his water bucket out of his stall. The horse is in the stall for maybe 15 minutes at a time. He is the last one to come in and the firs tone back out so all we wait for is for him to finish eating. Yet he still manages to get bored and rip at his water bucket. The last day he had a bucket in his stall, I watched as he nearly ripped the wood boards out of the wall. If you are going to be a freak, you don’t get water bucket privileges.
No riding has taken place yet and really the only reason is that I am avoiding it. I don’t know why. Well, I do know why. I test rode him and he was great. In fact I felt bolder, braver and safer on him than any other horse I had ridden and certainly more than on Gem. There is this nagging fear in the back of my mind that maybe he won’t be that way. Maybe he will be a raging lunatic for me and I’ll regret everything. Or I’ll go to a lesson and Trainer will call me a moron for buying this horse and tell me he moves like a camel.
The reason I am avoiding riding is because my little dream bubble remains fully intact right now and I don’t want it to burst.
I am expecting some rough times to start while we get to know each other. My rough times with Gem lasted 3 years, so hopefully we won’t reach that peak wonderfulness. But I am also not expecting everything to be perfect as I learn to ride a new horse and he learns to deal with me and his new life.
Honestly I had planned to lunge him last night and then hop on if he continued to look sound, but then I got home from work at 7:30 pm after having left for work at 6:45 am and just wasn’t feeling it. Actually first I need to figure out his bridle situation and hope that I have a girth that will fit him.
Eeyore is a lot of things, but fancy and well put together isn’t really one of them. Which is fine. Fancy was not on my list of needs. His head though is a very odd size. His brow and throat latch are full horse sized, but his cheek and nose are cob. A full sized bridle is too big on the smallest settings and likewise the cob is too small on the largest settings. I have the cob bridle I bought off Michelle and never took out of the box plus the new full sized bridle I bought for Eeyore when I was up at TIEC, so in theory I should be able to frankenbridle something together for him. He will have to deal with Gem’s baucher although I was told by the seller he prefers a myler full cheek. I haven’t gotten around to getting one yet as I want to see if he will go in anything I have first.
So I have a plan. I just need to execute it and actually ride the horse I bought as my next riding horse. Even thinking about it makes me a bit nervous. He was so so so good when I tested him out but he was at his home then, got ridden by someone he knew first and well you just never know. I’ve changed his entire life and maybe I will have unleashed a dragon.
The Roaming Rider 
Sounds like its time for a fraken bridle and to get your bosslady pants on 😛
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Yeah. Big girl panties need to be found
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You’ve got this!
And also, I wish we had couch cushions as large as that fort-roof cushion when I was a kid. That thing is awesome!
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It was fun to build it with him. Made me feel like a kid again
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Amber has a head just like his so I feel you! Her PS of Sweden bridle I got the extra full, but not oversize headpiece, full browband, cob noseband with full strap and cob cheeks lol. Talk about a weird fit! haha I think he’ll work out okay. You’ve given him time to settle, and I think just from his personality he’s happy to be in your place. Good luck riding!
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That is an artwork bridle. Wow.
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yup, definitely time to saddle up! the only way to clear up the uncertainty and first-ride nerves is to put the first ride behind you 🙂 have fun!!!
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I should have just done it Tuesday after I had hell ride on Gem. Nothing could have been less fun at that point
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Lol I think we all have that fearbird nagging us that maybe the horse changed once they get home. Remember the longer he goes without riding, the more you will have a self-fulfilling prophecy. 😉
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You are right. Argh. Now I have to ride or he will be bad because he had so much time off. Though really I don’t think Eeyore can be bad. We will find out tonight
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GET ON THE DAMN HORSE (i may or may not have already texted her this BEFORE I even read this post) HA HA HA
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You know I think I’m glad you didn’t move down here HA!!! You’d probable physically force me in him!
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ha ha ha yes 🙂 I would ( I can be a wimp you can’t be thems the rules) HA!
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Well if it makes you feel better Maestro waited to pop his perfect pony bubble for quite a while, lol. Definitely time to get on and see what you have, I bet he will be just as fun as you remember.
I have a Myler level 1 D ring I need to sell if you want to try that versus full cheek. My friend misunderstood me and got me that instead of the level 2 I was looking for. I think I paid $35 for it and it’s new.
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Thank you for the offer. I think level 1 would be too strong for him. He is a pretty chill guy (I think anyway!) and a level 2 would be better.
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Oh man, I get you.
I think I wrote this exact blog post when it came to getting on Bumper for the first time.
Until I got on, I could assume he would be the same lovely, quiet horse under saddle that he was on the ground (seeing as I had never ridden him, or seen anyone ride him – I just took him home).
Getting on was the best thing ever though, and you’re miles ahead of me – you know he is a lovely horse!
But if you’re concerned can you ask your trainer to be there for the first ride to make sure you’ve got ground crew?
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I tried but she is booked up and then the rain is coming back so it’s now or never!
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True. Give him a chance I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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I get the whole ‘don’t burst my bubble thing’. Take it easy and do what you feel.
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The anticipation is killing me and he won’t get better with more time off so I need to get to it
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It is definitely good to take your time BUT not put things off too long. You’ve got this! Give yourself permission to small with just a short lunge and then tack walking if it helps you get your mind in the game. Do that as many days as you need and soon you will be trotting and cantering and having a blast! 😉
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I rode last night!! And I didn’t die!!!
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YAYAYAYAYAYA!!! Good for you! 😀
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Give yourself permission to *START* small….8am brain not fully awake haha.
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