Driftin' through Christmas week

Drifter made great progress over Christmas week! The story in photos.
After getting ridden saddled for the first time on the 24th, next day was ground work followed by ground driving and then mounting and riding.

Trotting

Good boy, Drifter!

That was a great way to spend Christmas day! Boxing Day was a write off, just stayed snugged up in the house and didn't do much. Friday Shayla trimmed Drifter's feet and then got on him bareback. I led them around the yard for a bit, his first time with a rider not in the round pen.

 He was feeling a bit fresh so it was back to the round pen for another session.

All those changes of direction got him thinking about working again . Once he was paying attention and not being an adolescent goofball....

he learned to stand at the fence for mounting, and Shayla rode him solo around the pen. He did quite well, not really any different from being saddled and in a bridle. He did reach around and try to chomp her boots a couple of times. There was one point when something spooked him, and his reaction was to grab his butt and lope forward 3 jumps then stop when Shayla pulled and we both yelled Whoa! So first spook is over with, and it wasn't bad!



Pretty proud of this colt! And Shayla is doing a good job with him. We should get one more ride on him today before she heads back and then he will have the next few months to just grow up some more.