Cheyenne!

Everyone at the barn has an opinion on Cheyenne. I've heard that she was always allowed to get away with everything thus turned into a horrible mount, she was overbitted and it wasn't her fault, she'll pull her head in the air and do nothing you ask, she is a complete sweetheart and don't believe anything that anyone tells us, and that she's dangerous to ride and has landed at least one person in the hospital.

Today we decided to see what she would do with some weight on her back. As we were adjusting her tack, one boarder arrived and asked, "who's riding the horse from hell?" She later added that, if we planned to ride her in the ring, we damn well better lunge her first. We knew that her husband had been taken for a wild ride in the ring on her and was eventually thrown into the fence (or something like that).

So, yeah, we didn't lunge her. We took everything very slowly, as if approaching a horse being saddle started. Of course, since she already knew how to ride, it proceeded quickly.

Does this look like the horse from hell?

That's how the ride went. Quiet, her head was down, and she was licking much of the time. The tack is all mine. Need a saddle guaranteed not to pinch? Cashel soft saddle (with my english leathers and stirrups attached, and one of Peanut's old girths). Heard that the horse possibly had bit issues? Pony Boy bitless bridle.

We started very slowly, with just weight in the stirrup. No big deal. Anne then lay across her back, it was fine. However, it was impossible for me to move Cheyenne (she was in her halter with just a lead), and we figured that it was because Cheyenne felt that Anne was off-balance and did not want to walk in order to protect her. We thought that was great, but I demanded and finally got a few halting steps out of her. Anne then properly mounted, still with me ponying, and Chey walked out without hesitation. She was calm as can be and her head was so far down that the Western influence definitely showed. We then hooked up leads to the halter and I let Anne go. She tried to neck rein (a bunch of dressage folk trying to figure out neck reining on a strange horse? Funny!), and found her responsive. Direct reining seemed to confuse her, but she was still in the halter.

Anne got off, I put the Pony Boy on her, and she mounted again. Anne tried some combo direct and indirect reining, and I think just settled for direct. Chey responded beautifully...

...but she really doesn't have brakes. Or at least we haven't discovered the pedal yet.

Anne found her to be incredibly sensitive to legs and an emotional mount. She kept checking in with Anne for reassurance, and since Anne is a damn Zen-like rider she was able to give it. She's convinced that a nervous rider would have the horrible kinds of rides she heard described. But for Anne? She was sweet, sensitive, and careful. Also, very patient as we tried to figure out what language she speaks, and you could tell that she was trying her best to figure out what the hell was being asked of her. She took it all calmly.

Anne loved the ride, and found riding her to be quite similar to riding Mona (which is of course perfection in her book.) They need to work on their communication under saddle and their trust, but it was a darling beginning.

The ride was entirely at a walk, and will remain so until brakes can be discovered. Plus, the pigeon toes are still a worry. Anne is planning a pre-purchase, so hopefully the vet will be able to give some insight into her future.

We later walked everyone out into the park (on leads, no riding Chey outside of the ring without brakes), and Peanut still hates her. He absolutely despises her and lunged at her a few times until I could reel him back in. Dumbass.

PS: why does formatting go to hell when I insert a picture? Argh.