Appreciating what I've got...

So I was naughty last week, and didn't ride him at all between Tuesdays. I didn't even take him out to see the show like I planned. But none of it mattered, he was just as well behaved when I got on him Tuesday night.

He was super calm lunging, which I guess isn't surprising based on the wild bronc show I was treated to out in the pasture! The dogs set him off while I was busy hitching up and he was still turned out in pasture. While the dogs all high tailed it out asap, he continued to charge and whirl and generally dance about, and he definitely got all his bucks out! It still amazes me how unbelievably athletic he is. Stops and starts and flying lead changes all show how great he'll do in the future. However, I don't appreciate how well he can buck and then kick higher than his head at a gallop, or hop up and down bucking from a stand still, or strike out while rearing. All that reminds me that if at any point he decided he didn't want me on his back, I wouldn't be on his back! Which is why I never, EVER want to sour him to riding.

After a brief lunge (since he was being so relaxed) I got on and rode walk, trot both directions, and worked on circles in the corners, and turns against the wall. We stopped and backed a few times at the end, and called it good! He maintained his trot a little better this time, and I encouraged him to keep moving forward by posting, which I look ridiculous doing in the western saddle, but it kept him in a rhythm.

He's still a star, and I'm still terrified that we'll hit that wall. So far he's been perfect at everything, even when he's not supposed to know what he's doing at all. I'm afraid that when we find the thing that's not easy, it will be as amazingly terrible as the rest has been amazingly great. I'm probably being silly, but I feel like I've had it so easy that I'm going to get all the bad all at once or something. Silliness. I'm going to stop talking about it before I jinx myself. First time cantering comes next week!