'The Squirt' was in a remarkably good mood recently, so we decided to try introducing him to a few new things. He won't be backed for awhile yet, but we figured that it was time to introduce him to the concept of tack. We slipped a nice light synthetic endurance saddle onto his back... nary a flinch. We cooed what a good boy he was and he just looked at us quizzically, wondering why we were making such a fuss about him. I'm sure once we try it with a girth, it will be a quite different story. ;) All of that sacking out with saddle pads, jackets etc. worked... the saddle was just another thing on his back!

Since the saddle was a non-event, we grabbed a straight rubber loose-ring snaffle... and wiped it with a peppermint bit-wipe for good measure (I love those things, they are like wet wipes for cleaning bits, and they leave a minty taste that the horses love). We slipped the bit into his mouth (just holding it) and he just chewed and tossed his head a little... not too stressed at all, hmmm.... so then we snapped the bit onto a headstall and slipped it on him. Other than chewing madly and wondering why he couldn't manage to eat the thing that was in his mouth, he wasn't too fazed by it... simply puzzled by the fact that his attempts to eat it were not working. We left the bridle on for a couple of minutes then slipped it off, and he was still cuddly and playful, so we lunged for a bit and he was stellar. Woo!

Now I just have to remember this day the next time that he is being a total brat! *lol*