Hi there!
Oh your pics and messages have been wonderful! Thankyou to everyone who has written. And I know you are waiting for pics of Ben. I will get them on here. Can someone tell me how? I have never done that before and don't have a clue as how to start. Please bear with me.

Yesterday was the fall fair parade in our town and I decided to put him in it even tho' I don't know if he has ever been in one. Well, leading him...........very good but so wild eyed about some things and always had to have his shoulder on me. That is if he wasn't trying to jump on me and wrap his little arms and legs around me. Balloons popping, no problem. He even inadverently popped one himself. Little cars zooming around his feet, no problem. Lead him, no problem. Just don't get on him. I tried a few times throughout the parade and he was trying to knock me out with his head and"oh my god, oh my god, I don't know what to do!" reaction. So I'd get off and lead him, he was fine. I got so tired of walking I sat on the back of a float on a bale of straw, held his lead rope and he just walked behind like an old plug. After the parade, a very good friend of mine that has probably forgotten more about horses than I'll ever know came over and wanted to see why I was so upset. So she got on him. Same thing, head tossing, not going to listen. So she loosened the saddle looked for something under the blanket, rearranged everything, string girth and all, loosened off his bit so it would fit better, and ta-dah! he was his old self again.
So last night I went a bought a neoprene girth, and a jointed copper rollerball snaffle bit instead of the copper low port non-jointed curb bit that he was chewing on and clanking his teeth on all day. But the people that used to own him said he did that as a nervous thing so I didn't really give that much thought. So I tacked him up last night with all his new toys and he was a dream. Doesn't give as easy to this bit, but with practice doing serpentines? and such I hope this will come. Anyone have any ideas on to help him be more responsive to the bit? And any ideas on how to make him not want to run when he is on the lawn? I ride in my yard and on the lawn. When he gets good footing like the lawn, easy on his feet, he wants to run. Put him on the laneway of course slows right down because it is gravel.
Whew! I am so sorry for the long letter, but any and all replies would be wonderful. I just want to ride. I want to make him comfortable. I want him to love me and take care of me as well as I take care of him. I don't want to run. I want him to be VERY careful and responsive to me. Maybe we just don't know each other well enough yet. But he does lean his shoulder on to mine, as long as we are touching, when he is feeling a little unsure of things. I think that is a good sign?

Take care and thanks for listening.
Jer

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