Now that i have desensitized River to touch, I am going to back her. I started by repeating the desensitizing process from last week, before introducing a saddle pad and rubbing that on her. i built up to setting it on her back, which she took okay. I then lead her around at a walk to make sure she got used to it. after about 5-10 minutes of walking I got an older saddle that i then set on her back. She did not like it and bucked away from me. I picked up the saddle and blanket, and slowly went back through the process, setting the blanket on her back, then the saddle. She accepted it this time, so i grabbed the cinch and gently tightened it. not enough to make full contact with her belly, but enough that it would stay on, and then walked her around some more. she was calmer than the first time, but a little jittery and focused on the saddle so much she nearly tripped a few times. so i just stopped and let it just sit. after that I lunged her around and tightened the cinch to it’s appropriate tightness every few minutes. after that was done, and she was well desensitized to the saddle, I just let her be after taking off the tack. and that’s pretty much what i did for several days, desensitizing her to the saddle and pad. she was very accepting by the end of the week
@Dontay13 for tack @Ghostsonqs for River @-TheConjuring for rider @MythopianPegasus for back ground
