Today Phoenix is 18 months old and I’ve been waiting a long time for this day. I had seen someone on YouTube start their young horse with a saddle several months before they could start riding them. The idea is to get the horse acquainted wearing the saddle and all its movement before introducing a rider.
Leading up to this I have been introducing her to various things that I felt would benefit her for this day. For instance, one day she was standing by while I unloaded Pine Shavings and so I put a bag on her back to mimic the weight and size of a rider. It’s been a lot of fun working with her and seeing how she reacts as I play with her with whatever is around at the time!