[JER]

It took him to the end of the month -- right down to the very last day -- but my fat bucking pony Ace went all PBR today and left me lying in the dirt. And laughing, too.

It was not the first buck of the day, so he'd been fair about giving me a good warm-up, and I almost managed to stay aboard. I missed my take on the reins between bucks two and three, and I'd been hoping the quickly-approaching jump standard would help get his head up, but that didn't happen either.

So, ejected.

The good news is: Ace goes to the jumps very willingly and he clears them by miles. Afterwards, hang on.

Next time, I won't forget my standing martingale so I have something else to grab. And I'm not quite sure why I was jumping in my dressage saddle, although I have a tendency to not pay much attention to what saddle I'm using. The main difficulty, however, is the lack of space on Ace's back. He's 14hh and short-coupled, so there's not a lot of room to maneuver.

But I'm full of optimism for next month. February only has 28 days.

[subk]

My recommendation:
http://www.bitofbritain.com/Nunn_Fin...rap_p/3612.htm
Hang it with your bridle and use it every ride.

[scubed]

I too love my BoB leather neck strap, although you can just take apart a martingale or use a stirrup leather if you don't want to invest.

[frugalannie]

Oh my, JER. Seems to me that the score is Ace:1, JER: 30!

[kcmel]

I know that look on his face--just like my naughty boy!

[JER]

I use the standing martingale as my neckstrap. I just didn't have it with me today.

The standing also helps with his head flipping. Despite all evidence to the contrary, poor little Ace is sensitive and doesn't like to be pulled in the mouth; the standing on his noseband has a good effect.

As for the score-keeping, Ace is a pony, so he only counts the big ones. I can't let him know that I really might be winning.

Also, in the battle of the belly, Ace is getting less fat over the winter months through the combination of little grass and no blanket. It's still hard to tell under the long shaggy coat, but I do think he's looking more svelte.

[enjoytheride]

Shoulders back becomes crucial on the short ones!

[retreadeventer]

I hold my breath every week when I check the board to see if JER stayed on Ace this week....

[IFG]

Ponies are hard to stay on. I still remember getting on a naughty pony that my daughter was riding to school him. He started to buck, and there was no neck, so I was ejected. My daughters loved watching mom land in the mud. It was their birthday too. Some gifts come cheap LOL!

[Winding Down]

ack! At least the ground wasn't so far away. These ponies are so quick and so balanced. They can get us whenever they wish!

Glad you are okay.

[JER]

Ace is an amateur, at least in terms of my horses. In the 90s, I had a mare that bucked me off four times in half an hour. She was about 16.2hh. That mare taught me to sit up and stay in the center, especially because if you tried to tighten the girth while you were on her, she would calmly and cleanly deposit you on the ground. So I rode with a loose girth much of the time. Not recommended.

retread, Ace hasn't dumped me since June.

[Winding Down]

JER! You are a better man than I! FOUR times in a 1/2 hour???

[Martha Drum]

I am fairly new, so when I saw the thread title, I thought JER had stuck himself with a syringe of ace and ... well ... lost

[Wee Dee Trrr]

Ponies are the best. And the worst.

[JER]

JER! You are a better man than I! FOUR times in a 1/2 hour???

Yes. There were witnesses. I was wearing a Tipperary vest and got back up after every fall.

I had excellent guidance at the time and the consensus was that I'd learn a lot and work it out with this mare. For a year, I worked hard, fell often and confronted a lot of fear. It wasn't easy, but things came together satisfyingly well. Almost a year to the day after I got her, she got kicked in the hunt field and her leg was shattered.

I am fairly new, so when I saw the thread title, I thought JER had stuck himself with a syringe of ace and ... well ... lost

That might have been the better course of action. Less soreness now, anyway.

In case anyone is wondering, Acepromazine is not his show name. He doesn't have one, although if he did it would be more like 'Ace of Base' because if Ace were human, he'd be a 90s Swedish disco supergroup.

[fooler]

Sorry to hear about your mare, to finally get things going and have that happen sigh.

As to the pony - hang in there. I had a similar thought to Martha Drum but after reading your post I immediately thought of Ace Frehley of KISS

[JER]

after reading your post I immediately thought of Ace Frehley of KISS

Now I'm having visions of my pony in this makeup.

And now I'm thinking, what a great Halloween costume for horses. Horses' manes can be easily teased into Kiss hairdos, the makeup is very distinctive. If you could find four who don't mind grouping together for photos, you could have the whole band.

[fooler]

Now I'm having visions of my pony in this makeup.

And now I'm thinking, what a great Halloween costume for horses. Horses' manes can be easily teased into Kiss hairdos, the makeup is very distinctive. If you could find four who don't mind grouping together for photos, you could have the whole band.

Sounds like a great ATC plan for this fall!

[ACMEeventing]

Now I'm having visions of my pony in this makeup.

Then is Mick going to wear this?

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...aby/Jagger.jpg

[JER]

Then is Mick going to wear this?

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...aby/Jagger.jpg

Mick is a chestnut. Red is most certainly not his color. And vertical-ish stripes? The slimming effect is one thing he doesn't need.

(The next time you visit Mick, you should go for a test ride. You'd never believe that a horse who resembles a stick insect can move like that. )