Working at the Rescue and Trying an Australian Saddle

 Today I went to the horse rescue to help out, something I've been doing weekly now. A seven-year-old boy I know named James also went because he takes lessons with Patricia, who works with the horses several times a week. After opening Patricia's trailer and unloading two horses, a bay mustang named Tank and a red roan with a blanket marking on her rump, Tessa, Patricia and I went into the pasture to get one of the horses for James to ride. We brought a bucket of grain and called the horses. I haltered one a dark bay Arabian named Chip and led him to the barn. Chip was throwing his head up in the air as I led him an started screaming when we got to far from the herd, so James didn't ride him. Instead, he rode Tank.

 He didn't ride very long so Patricia let another young boy ride Tank in the round pen and mucked a couple stalls while I watched the boy. Afterward, she tacked up Tessa and put an Australian saddle on Tank. An Australian saddle looks like a cross between a dressage saddle and a western saddle, with a horn, western stirrups, and a higher cantle than a typical dressage saddle. Patricia let me ride Tank in a small arena while she rode Tessa. Tessa is a rescue who has mostly been ponied(led my someone on another horse), so Patricia wanted the horse to follow Tank and I to gain confidence. Tank seems to be a kind, easygoing horse, just like Reno.

 We worked mostly at the walk, but did a little trotting as well. After about twenty minutes or so, we dismounted and Patricia began working with Serene. While she did that, I moved Ricko to another stall so I could muck his, then put him back. Patricia worked with putting a halter on and off Serene, then worked with picking up the young horse's hooves. When she was done, she returned the young horse to her stall.

 By that time it was late in the afternoon, so both of us put everything back and went home. It was fun being able to work around the rescue and I liked being able to ride. It was interesting riding in an Australian saddle, too. It was a good day.