gotta keep cool now, gotta take care

I groomed Pie and tacked him up this afternoon. I put his Bitless Bridle on and his girth loose so we could walk around the ring together. I am not a fan of lunging so my groundwork consists of walking with the horse in tack allowing him to get comfortable in the space without a rider. I have been working with both horses this way for a few weeks, so they are used to this routine. Pie had been fairly antsy earlier in the day, so I didn't intend to ride him. During our walk, though, he relaxed his neck and lowered his head. He gave the telltale sneeze/snort/sigh of calmness. His natural curiosity and good nature took over and we "investigated" the step-stool. With him in such a good humor, I tightened his girth a tiny bit and put a small bit of weight on the saddle. He seemed fine, so I gently mounted. Pie walked on a loose rein (of course, he doesn't have a bit in his mouth anyway) for a few laps of the ring. A car raced by on the road and Sovereign was trotting a little in the nearby paddock, but Pie did not get flustered at all. He was so wonderful! I wondered what he would do when I used my seat and legs to ask for a figure-eight. He bent right around perfectly. This did not surprise me. I believe that all horses know how to bend properly. We, as riders, just have to learn how to ask properly! We walked for a few minutes and I dismounted. He walked forward a little when I kicked my leg over, but it wasn't too bad. We will work more on the dismount later. I was thrilled that he did so well. Sovereign was nodding his head with approval while I grazed Pie after our "ride". I hope Sovey does as well when it is his turn.