I sat on Dahli today

3 times, sat on her, got off, got on, got off. She is stubborn. She knew what was coming when I set up the hay bales to use as a mounting block. I had leaned across the saddle a couple weeks ago, and let her walk around with me laying across the saddle. I bruised my ribs doing that, and then it rained for a week, so she had some time to think things over.

So today, as soon as I climbed on the bales, she smartly swung her butt away so I couldn't reach. We had a discussion about that, and after several re-tries and follow-on discussions, she finally stayed put and let me lay across the saddle and then swing my leg over.

Everything has been totally different With Dahli than with Algiers. They have totally, totally different karma. Algiers wanted to please, knew everything way in advance, but was anxious and afraid because of his foal abuse. We had as good a setup as I could afford -- small, level paddock, safely fenced, adjacent to barn (where he felt safe). At the end of a dead-end road, on a warm, school day when there shouldn't have been anybody around. The 3rd time I sat on him, 3 motor scooters started up behind some bushes across the street, and 3 boys playing hooky roared off. Algiers panicked, reared straight up, fell forward to his knees. I slid down his neck and broke my finger.

Dahli could not care less. She doesn't care to please me or not, and is not afraid. She just wants to eat. Lazy, spoiled princess! But we don't have a small, safely fenced paddock, but a 2 acre pasture with not great fencing for a rider. I am starting her by the barn, but it is also by a busy road. At least she is used to traffic of all kinds, lol. And at least nobody set off any firecrackers or gunshots.

Hopefully someday she'll learn to think of riding as something positive and fun, versus an interruption to her unending feast....