Under Saddle

We've managed to string together 4 days of training in a row on Brother. 

 He has been doing super.  I've ridden him bareback in the round pen a couple of times.  Now we are putting the western saddle on him.  We call this saddle "Old Squeaky"  because it is the loudest, squeakiest saddle ever made.  I have been pulling him up to the fence to get on.

 Then rubbing,

 and patting all over.  So far he has been great about standing still.  None of the flapping, squeaking or shifting around bothers him at all.   I'm still just using the halter.  J is wanting  to ride with a bosal hackamore but I don't have one so I will probably just move him up to a snaffle bit before too long.

 He has even been keeping his head down.   I think having the barn to ride in helps tremendously   There are really so few distractions, Emma being the major one, and we can just train without worrying about what's going on outside the ring.

He has some big expectations following behind Otoelene, but he's holding his own.  I think it's time for J to start riding him or else I've got myself another one.  (His excuse has been that he has had his coveralls on and  they are too bulky to ride in.)