Zen is officially undersaddle and did great/Photo op

[sporthorse]

Zen was really good :sleep :angel :surrender :love for Lindsay and did pose very well (horse well is he waited to flick ears any direction but what we wanted and made us out to be dorks as photographers and riders) but when the photo op was over and we actually asked him to go he did great. He was slow, easy and deliberate for Lindsay and energetic and athletic for me . Like his uncle Obi, he knew what we wanted and adjusted and did so on his first time mounted undersaddle. :shock: Wow he blows me awaythe way he livesw up to his nick name =Zen.,I had bellied up and jumped on him and laid on his back bareback and did what it took to prepare him for riders and saddles and even ground dove him on long lines & it paid off. We did transitions games online to show Lindsay and he was good since it was warm and windy.I could not be prouder and look forward to each ride. oh BTW Lindsay must have been so pleased since she was not going to let me ride him since she wants to ready her own horse. But she gave me the go ahead. :bad bannana :bolts :prancer :crazy bannana let me ride him and we did twice around at request each direction with impulsion of his choice. She did her routine first and let him wander and choose. He did what it took to find balance and walked with pride and dignity. He would freeze up a couple of times but not out of fear or willfullness but just to digest the request of having a rider. He is a natural. i would have taken pics while he was gaiting and walking but he and Lindsay needed my full attention so we could do this without incident and not have a horse started to early too fast.We will have some new photos maybe sunday when we get a chance we plan to "pony" ride or buddy ride along side Leo with him . It has worked well.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/2007Zen006.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/2007Zen013.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/2007Zen007.jpg

[Linda Y]

Great job! He doesn't look the least bit concerned.

[Terri]

ALL RIGHT!!! WAY TO GO!!
http://bestsmileys.com/cheering/5.gif

[Mellifluous]

WONDERFUL!!!!

[Barbwire]

WOW! WOW! WOW! That's some hoss! *drools on self*

[Kerry W]

:mad: How come Lindsay is smiling, and Ed is giving orders? :lol: He looks great! Congrats on your accomplishments! :D

[ErinC]

congrats :crazy bannana
cool ;-) cousins are started at the same time now we can watch and see how they grow.
;-)
Ed are you just packing that bit, and riding off the rope halter?
and question, what is the rag looking thing hanging over your left knee?

[sporthorse]

Erin that is Yoda's teleprompter/crop with flag.I borrowed it off Yoda saddle when we found out that Zen would have to be begged to go forward .weird he is wild and fast all day long non stop playing in pasture chases anything and plays with anything but when working he is all biz.He is good at standing ,his enrty level lesson he teaches humans until they graduate (they train us)and did not want to go for lindsay unless I walked around like monty roberts. and he would go nowhere for me up with lindsay asking him to go or follow. we even put leg but he just decided it was safer to stay put( smart= left brain horses, rather than panic= right brain, get a feel for balance first. and we wanted him to move some in gait or what he would offer beyond walk with me up. He actuallly gaited first then walked once he was around the pen once. when we about faced/rolled back he did the same.
Oh and Kerry , you ought to know by now Lindsay gives the orders around here. Yes maa'm the helmet is too tight :evil: but I wore yours anyway to save footsteps :mad: and the camera is hard to see without glasses on. :razz: I will try to smile more. :roll:

[CarolU]

Looks GREAT Ed and Lindsay! Nothing like the feeling you get starting one of your babies!!! He's awesome. I think he and Lindsay will make an awesome team!

[sporthorse]

Erin, Congrats on your horse doing so well, too. He is a neat looking fellow. Ed has a large circumference snaffle in Zen's mouth. But no reins on it. Just the halter is used for riding at this time. I will get him on a COL jaquima soon and leave the bit in but not use it when riding for awhile. My horses usually "tell" me when they are ready to go on the bit.
Kerry, Ed is very fond of giving orders and demanding things be done his way because his way is better :roll: I think he was grumping at me because I didn't have my reading glasses on and I couldn't see the on/off button for the digital camera. He was getting ticked off. Of course, I still managed to smile in my picture even though I had to sit there on Zen for about 10 minutes while he went to get a new battery for the camera; he didn't check until we were ready for the photo shoot whether the camera was actually working or not. Now, if I'd done that he would STILL be complaining about it :smile:
I do appreciate him getting Zen ready to ride. 'Course, there's never too much prep needed with our guys I've found. They just love people and being ridden and worked.

Lindsay

[SandyMM]

Have fun.... It won't be too much longer before Emi's 'Boogie' can join his 'cousins' under saddle. He'll probably be too tall for me - without a 3-step mounting block.... :roll: but he should be fun... We don't call him 'Boogie' for nothin'... ;-)

[Kerry W]

:lmao Y'all crack me up! Congrats again...he's a beautiful boy...looks like that cross worked wonderfully well, and you two brought him along just right. Look forward to hearing of his escapades on the LD circuit! 8-)

[B Hall]

Look at that beautiful smile Lindsay is wearing! And she held it for TEN minutes!

Congratulations on the first ride guys! Keep up the excellant work!

:smile:

[Carol Nelson]

Pretty pony!!! Isn't it exciting when they first go under saddle???

Now what did you breed to what to get that color???? ;-)

[sporthorse]

Corals Alejandro de Vez(liver chestnut)X Pocita de Cosa Dulce( buckskin or dunskin) ZEN'S DADhttp://www.pasoregistry.com/db/Profile.asp?ID=84567
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/coralsali1.jpg
http://www.pasoregistry.com/db/Tree.asp?ID=95735
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/CCI00017.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/vistalargo2000/2005winterpics031.jpg
Zahen CorALeo Sinsonte's (zen's )momma
Notice no markings(white on Pocita at all) & small coronet only on Big Al,I imagine Leo / Coral LaCE have stamped that blaze well.Pocita is the only Leo offspring with no white.Don"t know about Ibis Al's dam," The Monarca " daughter just she was a tall palomino,but
http://www.pasoregistry.com/db/Profile.asp?ID=69245 Pocita's dam was liver chestnut too with a dark red almost brown mane. Zen has three white stockings and that rare gold stocking on his left foreleg, too.

[LynnG]

He looks very solid and content! Many happy trails ahead!

[Carol Nelson]

Ah, yes, I know of Big Al...one of my favorites. I've yet to have any Coral offspring on my place...but as soon as I find some extra cash laying around... ;-)

I love that beautiful golden photograph... :smile:

[sporthorse]

:D thank you everybody Zen did great last night we did his second rides , first in the round pen while he got his saddle legs unmounted so Lindsay could be safe, then I brought Obi and we rdoe on outside of round pen while she?Zen were working on inside of roundpen on cues and transitions. whne he got the idea we went to arena /no pics sorry but we worked played and rode obi around and rode close while he did great with Lindsay up. She is very conseravtive and safety oriented for her and horses sake but Zen took so well I had to go check fence line in one of the six acre pastures so they rode with me and he was very good and walked safe and calm in a big big pasture. You have to understand this youngster runs full gallop or gaits everywhere he goes and did do transitions and stops and yields so well Lindsay felt confident so off we went to the big pastures where he and Jedi used to race when he was a weanling. He was so good. Took care of himself andLindsay. He was quiet and contented to do what was asked and offered no misbehavior or challenges or confusion. Great for a energetic young stud colt in the spring. He merely gaited collected (proud)quiet corto or walked and did so when asked all on a string halter while packing a three piece snaffle no reins on the bit until this june when he gets his teeth floated.He will be three on May 9th.Thank you Big Al! Jud and Helen Box of Alrena Meadows who I am sure is as proud as we are.