Adopting Arthuray !

Went out to see Arthuray a second time this evening.  I told his owners on the phone that I wanted to see him ridden, then try riding him myself.  Unfortunately, they sold the saddle he had when he was ridden every day up at Brushy Creek Guest Ranch over in Gloster, Mississippi.  His owner's job was to lead guests out over the trails there.  Everyone else who worked there rode a horse, but he found Arthuray much easier to deal with. 

But that job ended about a year ago, and Arthuray hasn't been ridden in more than six months.  So he saddled him up for the first time in all that time just before we got there and he was just standing there in the barn aisle when we arrived.  Didn't seem the least bit upset. 

They thought I wanted to get on and try riding him and were a bit surprised when I requested that HE ride him first.  But no problem.  He just led him out to the paddock, got on and, well . . . here's his owner riding him around for the first time in over six months.  (All that racket is a tiller digging up the garden just a few yards away.)

Obviously, his owner riding him around was absolutely NO problem.  Then it was my turn.  So here is our first ride!  I'm testing to see what it takes to get him to turn  and that was NO problem.  He would go wherever I wanted him to using the very slightest cues!   But Debbie thought it was HIS idea to keep turning in all directions so in the video she's telling me not to let him do that.  But in fact, it was me using mostly leg cues that was getting him to turn all the time.  Very easy.    

And here the ride continues - he was so easy.  Of course, I didn't try riding him at a trot or faster.  All things in time.  And I LOVE the fact that unless he's requested to go fast, he really prefers to just amble along.  Love it!  What I DIDN'T love was the feel of that saddle.  It was very uncomfortable to me.  It felt like I was going down hill.  And it didn't fit Arthuray either.  It would have rested directly on his spine if it weren't for the saddle pad.  It was way too big for him.  But he still behaved perfectly.  What a good boy! 

So a decent saddle will be my next big challenge.  No idea where the best place to get a mule saddle might be.  Debbie had a really special girth that I'd really like to have, but that one is no longer made.  It's essentially two cinches that are joined in the center.  Jan has one that's kind of an "X" but this one that Debbie had is more like two cinches that have been laid next to each other instead of across each other, and sewn together for about 3 or 4 inches at the center.  Then the four ends are pulled apart and fastened to double girth fasteners.  She said it's something like a "Y" girth??  I can't remember exactly.  When I go pick up Arthuray I'll take a picture of the thing so I can show people what the heck I'm looking for!  I figure once I find him a saddle, I can have a saddle maker add a second girth attachment and use that kind of cinch.  Should work really well.

But one step at a time.  I told Debbie that SHE should set up a time for our vet to come out, then let me know when it's scheduled and I'll just take off work and go out there.  I'm really anxious to hear what the vet finds when she checks on him.  I DO know that he has terrible hoofs.  They haven't been kept trimmed correctly.  But that we can fix.  Just hope there's nothing else. 

Oh - and Debbie had just gotten herself a new horse that Arthuray had never been near.  I was asking a lot of questions about how he gets along with horses so Debbie's husband just took him out and turned him out with that new horses and a few others.  NO problem.  I loved that.  He and Duke might need to work things out, but I'm sure it'll turn out fine.

Can't WAIT to get him home.