I’ve been riding him bareback or in my bareback pad since I got him, while looking for just the right saddle.  I’ve loved the idea of a treeless saddle for Kai since I saw a Bob Marshall treeless endurance saddle at the Don Halladay Clinic last August. The idea of a treed saddle makes me a little bit uneasy because he’s still growing and gaining muscle. I wanted a saddle that could accommodate all his changes.

Even though I had my heart set on a Bob Marshall treeless endurance saddle, I couldn’t find a used one, which was all I could afford, anywhere near me.  When I saw a used Barefoot Nevada saddle for sale just an hour away from us, I decided to go and check it out. I sat in it at the seller’s and it was, in my opinion, the most comfortable saddle Ever. I could only hope Kai thought so too.  

The point of today’s session was to test out a new saddle.

I tacked him up and started with the pre-ride checks. I asked Kai to go on the circle and he took off running and doing the occasional buck. I put on more pressure when he bucked. Kai usually doesn't canter in the indoor arena because the space is so tight but today he felt spunky enough to canter.

The saddle kept sliding back on him, just like the bareback pad. I invited Kai in every couple of circles to readjust the saddle.

When he was circling lightly and responsively I decided we would work on jumping the cones to see if Kai felt comfortable jumping with the saddle on.

Kai followed me while I set up the pylon for him to jump. Next I sent him with energy to the obstacle and asked him to stop a stride before the jump. I then sent him the other way, this time asking him to go all the way over.

On the next circle I asked him to stop halfway over. Kai stopped so lightly and gracefully that I went over to him and gave him a cookie. Then I readjusted the girth and decided I would ride a little bit. I asked Kai for lateral flexion before and after mounting. Next I asked him to follow the rail and began to do some small circles at the walk and then the trot. Kai did not feel more stiff than usual even though he was wearing the saddle. I asked Kai to stop and then back up. What felt interesting was that Kai seemed to almost float backwards. What a good boy! I then asked him to trot on the rail and he did the most amazing thing! I felt him lift his back for a few steps! I have never felt him do that before! I asked him to stop and gave him a cookie before dismounting. I walked around the arena with him to cool him down before untacking him. I asked him to bow and gave him the last of my cookies before putting him back in the paddock.

Further thoughts on the Barefoot Nevada saddle:

My opinion is that it is the comfiest saddle I’ve ever ridden in, but I’ve only ridden in about 20 saddles during my various lessons before I had Kai. Keeping in mind that I am used to the freedom of riding bareback for the last 8 months, this saddle felt much less restrictive than a typical Western Saddle. I felt I could move with him a lot easier compared to a treed Western saddle.

Kai’s opinion is that he would have never lifted his back in a restricting saddle, so he definitely doesn’t hate it.

Today I had a lesson with Kaila, focusing on the lead by the tail, especially making turns.

We started by positioning Kai by the wall to set us up for success and getting him very light. Then I practiced putting the rope on the wall side rather then the inside where it was before. This is because if I want to ask him to make turns with his tail I can reinforce it with the rope. Kai kept turning to face me because he felt the rope on his bum. I played some friendly game so that he was no longer reacting to the rope and then we got right back to leading by the tail.

Then Kai pulled on the rope and  it slipped out of my fingers. Kai began to walk away and then I noticed that the arena door had been left open by another boarder. Kai noticed that too and he decided to make a dash for it. He had walked down all the way past the stud paddock before I got to him. I calmly backed him ALL the way back into the arena. And we began to work on the lead by the tail again.

I’ve been struggling with asking Kai again right after a correction. My take home message from the lesson is to get back to the task I was doing right away and not to stop to think things over. The important point is not to let Kai soak on the correction.

Today I had plan to work on longer distance circling game in the outdoor arena. To my disappointment, the outdoor arena was too wet and slippery. I found another way to challenge him by making the 12’ transitions much more precise and subtle.

Next I put on the driving lines and we began to work on zone 5 driving. First we played follow the rail just like in my previous lesson with Kaila.
Kai kept drifting off the rail about  6'. I then remembered the saying that it is better to do less sooner rather than more later and I corrected Kai as soon as I saw him look to the inside.

Kai sometimes braces on the halter when we play in zone 5 so we worked on getting the rein cues as soft as possible. What was interesting was that Kai got very sensitive and he began to toss his head when I put a light feel on the rein. He had never tossed his head before, and I am not particularly sure why he was doing it.

He was also moving forward pretty tentatively and he had no rhythm and flow to his walk because he was anticipating I would ask him to stop. I realized that I overdid the walk-to-halt transitions so I asked him to trot on the rail and do figure eights to balance his go and whoa. Soon Kai was confident going forwards but his downwards transitions remained light.

I then decided we would play the sideways  game. We had done sideways from zone five a few months earlier and it was very slow and unsure and we hadn’t practice it since. This time, however, it all came into place. Kai understood what I was asking him and he was moving sideways in both directions without a fence blocking him from walking forward. I was happy and excited and Kai understood that he was doing a very well.

We did a little more trotting and then ended the session.

Today I had a lesson with Kaila.
I wanted to work more on sideways and zone 5 driving.

First, I asked Kai to trot sideways like before but this time I kept asking him until we had a good rhythm before stopping my feet and asking him to go to the end of the rope on his own.

Then I put on driving lines and we played follow the rail from zone 5.

Whenever he went off the rail Kaila showed me to close the inside rein and open the outside one to guide Kai back on the rail.

Then Kai stepped over one of the lines. Kaila challenged me to get Kai to step back over the line.
After a lot of fumbling and multiple attempts Kai finally stepped back over the line.

Then Kaila set up a weave and had me direct Kai through the weave.

Kai was much lighter by the end of the session and I want to play a lot more with zone 5 driving.

Today we began our session by doing more sideways game. I asked Kai to trot on the circle and waited until  he was moving in a nice rhythmic, relaxed and responsive, to set him up success. Then I brought my energy up to let him know we were about to do something different and asked him to move sideways at the trot. Kai usually relaxes and connects after doing this the second or third time because he knows what to expect.

I then did the pre-ride checks and asked Kai to do lateral flexion.

I primed him in an earlier session by teaching him that if I put pressure on the place where my leg is when riding he needs to go sideways.  A little bit in front of that spot means to yield his FQ and a little bit behind means to yield his HQ.

I asked him to follow the rail for a few laps in each direction and then began to practice the yields. I started with the HQ yields because they are the easiest for Kai. Once he was very light and pivoting on the correct foot we did some FQ yields. I can easily feel when he is pivoting correctly most of the time but have trouble trusting myself so I asked my Mom to watch his feet and confirm when Kai was correct.

We did some sideways and then ended the session.

I did not ride Kai in a while and I was very proud of how light he was.

Today we worked on my level 3 online audition.

Kai was doing everything I asked him to do and being a very good boy.
We did all the required tasks and I really thought that we could film it today.
But the moment Mom began to film I got mental block. Kai felt it and was pushing through the pressure and was pulling on the rope trying to get away.

I sat down for a little while to calm down and we tried again but ended up not filming anything to send in. It was not a very eventful session but we ended on a good note.

Today we began right away with barrel jumping. At first Kai wasn't paying attention and he almost went through the gap but then he remembered that it is much less work if he just jumped it in the first place. He jumped once to the left and once to the right without hesitation.

Then we worked on bowing a little.

I then noticed the tarp on the ground and thought that it would be a good idea to play more extreme friendly game. I asked him to walk and then trot over it and then I put it on his back. I spread it out and pulled it all the way up his neck. I did everything I could think of with it: I jerked it suddenly between his legs and behind him, waved it over his head, I even asked him to back over it.


I realized that I had never asked him to go under a low hanging tarp before. Mostly because there was no good way to hang the the tarp up in a way that was secure enough so that it would not fall down on us while we playing. Soon I found that the tarp can be easily pulled between the arena roof and the metal frame. I stood on an upright barrel holding on to Kai's mane for balance while I hung the tarp. When it was secure I grabbed Kai's mane with both hands and jumped down.

I dragged the barrel into position and then I tied the other end of the tarp to the carrot stick and tried to prop the stick on the barrel. Then Mom suggested that I put a large cone on top of the barrel and then put the end of the carrot stick through the hole in the top of the cone.

This completed my castle and now It was ready to play! I let Kai investigate it and then asked him to go through. Kai ducked and walked under it.  I let him loose so that we could play without the ropes getting tangled. Kai got sassy and playful and he began to run around the arena. He ducked again and pranced through the squeeze before connecting again.

Since he was feeling confident I decided to challenge Kai and ask him to back up under the tarp. Kai was a little bit nervous but he decided to make an effort to do what I asked. Once we made it to the other side he had a big lick and chew and then I asked him again. We did this a few more times until Kai felt much more confident.
Then I asked him for some sideways once each way and then we ended the session.

Today I let Kai loose in the arena and we played with our draw. Kai was playfully prancing next to me. I put a rope around his back legs and asked him to follow a feel backwards. Kai lifted each of his legs and then softly backed up.

I then asked him to stop halfway over a barrel. I asked him a second too late and he jumped all the way over. He stopped and asked a question. I smiled and asked him again. Kai did a very nice jump halfway over and he asked another question as if to say: is this better? I gave him a cookie for being so light and willing.

I then put a small yellow ball with a cone on each side to keep it still. I asked Kai to sniff it and he offered to jump over it. I praised him and asked him to jump it again to encourage his idea. I then asked him for the first time to stop halfway over the ball.

Then it was time for my lesson with Kaila.

I wanted to work on jumping a single barrel without the help of a wall.

At first I asked Kai to jump the barrel on the wall and then Kaila put a small gap between the barrel and the wall that was big enough for Kai to fit through.

I sent Kai towards the barrel but he was thinking about the gap so I backed him up. He tried to go through the gap some more but then began to think about the barrel. Soon he was touching the barrel with his nose. I asked Kai to go towards the barrel to the left and when I asked him to back up because he was thinking about the gap he busted through the pressure and put his front feet in the gap. I corrected Kai very hard for busting through the pressure and then I asked him to go back to the barrel. Kai then jumped very nicely to the right. I let him have a  break and then asked him to jump to the left again. He jumped super lightly, softly and respectfully and we quit on that.

Kai had a big release by the barrel and he yawned and yawned.

I then asked Kaila to help me with sideways game. Kai gets bored and he disconnects and tries to escape.
He also tends to get emotional and press his nose on the wall.

Kaila had us do a trotting circle and then trot to the wall and go sideways keeping the momentum going. At first Kai pulled away from me and I tagged his bum hard (twice) and then invited him in and got back to it right away.

Soon I got better and Kai became more relaxed because he knew what to expect. Kai then offered the softest and most relaxed sideways trot with me on his right (his harder side) that he has ever offered. Of course I gave him a cookie and a huge break.

After that we worked with Misty again a little. Misty came up to Kai and sniffed his bum while Kai patiently stood and waited for her. Then Kaila walked Misty next to Kai and asked Misty to do figure eights right behind him.

This is very good for Kai to learn to tolerate pissed off mares when I ask him to. Misty once prepared to kick Kai and I smacked her butt with the stick as hard as I could at the same time Kaila began to correct her. It makes it safer for both of us if he stays calm even if another horse invades his space while I am working with him. It is also good that I am proving to him that I can protect him and that I will not let him be in trouble.
Kai had a big yawn afterwards as he finds Misty very tiring. I gave him some cookies for being such a good boy today.

Note: I turned Kai out with the new horse (Flyer) to get acquainted in  a separate paddock so that it is easier for Kai when Flyer gets turned out with the rest of the herd. I let Kai and Flyer visit over the fence a bunch of times before this.

Today we began  the session by working on bowing. I saw a video of Lindsey Partridge (https://youtu.be/N8K4MUsBdRk) teaching her horse to lay down from the bow and I was inspired to slowly teach Kai to lie down.

Kai is beginning to put weight on the knee that is touching the ground and is staying down long enough to eat some treats. He can physically get into the position very easily but he needs to learn to feel more confident to do it when I ask him.

Then we reviewed the barrel jumping. I asked him to jump the barrel to the left and then to the right and then stop halfway over the barrel. I am very happy that Kai is no longer impulsive over jumps and can alternate between jumping all the way and jumping halfway and even stopping just before.

I then introduced something new. I want Kai to jump a single barrel lying down and to do it willingly with slack in the line. So far I have always put the barrel on the wall so that I could eliminate one of the "wrong" answers  when teaching him to stop halfway over it. I moved the barrel off the wall and directed my energy at the barrel. Kai trotted off and went around the barrel. I kept resending him until he jumped it and then we went to relax a little while.

I wanted him to understand that jumping the barrel right away was a lot less work than trying to avoid it.
I then sent him towards the barrel again to see if he understood. Kai still attempted to avoid the barrel but this time he jumped it sooner. I gave him another break and I asked him again. Kai kept on trying to avoid the barrel and I calmly persisted. Kai got a little emotional so I toned it down a touch but I kept persisting. He then jumped it and I gave him a cookie and another break.

I then asked him to jump again and he walked up to it, thought about it, and jumped over. He clanked his hind legs on the barrel and he wasn't very graceful but he sweetly jumped, so I decided it was an awesome time to quit. I made a big fuss over his accomplishment because he likes it a lot when I do it. I have learned from previous sessions that he picks up on things much faster with lots of verbal praise along with a cookie and a rub.
It will be really fun to see what he understood from this session when I play with him again.