Hi, I’m back again and Happy Holidays. So, I told you I would tell you about my first ride on Punky. It was a sunny day and I was ecstatic to get on Punky and go riding for the first time.  I was about three years old. My mom was leading Punky and my dad was on his bike. I was sitting on the western saddle that had come with him.  Of course, my mom had forgotten to tighten the cinch, or at least not enough.  Punky must have been pushing his stomach out.  But, that is what she says. Needless to say, the saddle went sideways after only going a short distance.  My foot got hung up in the stirrup, and then Punky started bucking, to top it all off.  I got my foot out of the stirrup and my dad shouted, “Roll over here”.  He freaked out while my mom was trying to keep Punky under control.  Pretty soon, she was on the ground too. Thank goodness, my mom never let go or Punky would have been in Canada by now. All in all, my first ride didn’t exactly make me want to have another one, but things improved as we went on.  In the past few years I have been tossed a lot, but, as a philosopher once said, you learn better when you fail. Until next time…I’ll fill you in on how we did clicker training with Punky. {Mom’s note: perfect example of how important saddle fit is!)

Back to top