Saturday I rode Shade in the late afternoon after I put my new S-hack on her headstall. I've been using an ancient long shank mechanical hackamore for rides where I might need power brakes and a sidepull at home, but I was wanting more brakes sometimes at home and didn't need at much brake even when she was excited at a ride and wanted a hack with a smaller noseband and a grazing shank. Well I let Shade run up the hill a the end of the ride and stood in the stirrups in case the brakes weren't enough as we approached the turn. DOH, Shade did one of her bouncy stops and maybe a very mild duck and I popped right over her head. I 'know' to sit deep on this horse and sitting deep is better body language for I want you to slow down and stop soon. But nothing like hitting the ground to reinforce the lesson.
Today went much better. We didin't canter. Shade was so trembly at the end of the ride yesterday and I wasn't sure if it was all nerves or she over taxed her hind tendon that got bruised a few weeks ago when Razz and her were kicking at each other. So we went slow, I sat deep and centered and that with the slower pace meant my seat stayed solid as Shade spooked at some tumbleweeds caught in fences. I guess they look like mountian lions at first glance. Especially when you've never seen an actual mountain lion to get specifics. Then when we got home the wind was picking up so I turned the her and Sadie and the 4 horses in the bigger paddock out into the weedy 'pasture' to play and browse. Everybody ran full tilt so Shade gave the tendon a hard workout after all.
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