[Arrows]

My training log with my mustang, #865292, Blair.

The Mustang

Show Name: Haunted Documentary
Barn Name: Blair
Gender: Gelding [1 breeding]
Age: 8
Breed: Mustang
Color: Buckskin Roan
Height: 15.0hh
Vice/Fear/Special: He will buck whenever and at whoever he feels he wants to. He is not playing around either!

The Trainer

Name: Ally Madison Archer O'Reilly
Nickname: Arrows
Gender: Female
Age: 39
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Green
Skin Tone: Semi-pale
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145
Body Type: Slim, fit
Birthmarks/Blemishes/Etc.: Many freckles, jagged birthmark on collarbone, long scar across upper arm
Personality: Quick-witted, stubborn, stern, considerate, listener, leader
Relations/Experience: Owner of Long Valley Stables, long time supporter or CWHR; wife of Mitchell O'Reilly and mother to Anna O'Reilly; has had horse experience since she was 5

Mustang(s) from previous year(s): Wildfire

Training
-First Encounter
- Coming Home
- Preparations & Adjustments
- Cleaning Up (Pt. 1) (Pt. 2)
- Becoming Beautiful
- Learning About Blair
Weekly Update 1
- Companionship - Horses
- Companionship - Other Animals
- All About Trust
- Vet Visits
- Ground Work
- Weekly Update 2
- Short Shopping Spree
- Saddling Up & Down
- Bridle Basics
- Letting Out Frustrations
- Memories of 2014
- Weekly Update 3
- Who Doesn't Love Lunging?
- The Despised Bridle
- First Ride
- The Second Ride
- Weekly Update 4
- Deciding on Disciplines
- Practice, Practice, Practice
- Having Some Fun
- Trailering & Trail Riding
- Weekly Update 5
- Weekly Update 6
- Going Bareback
- Dabbling in Different Things
- The Haircut
- Day in Nature
- Weekly Update 7
- Weekly Update 8
- Out of the Woods
- Weekly Update 9
- Bare-Backed & Bridleless Blair
- First Competition
- For the Future
- Conclusions/Weekly Update 10

{Afterword}

Extra Art:
by Fyrvi
by tcddc4

[Arrows]

Learning About Blair
It's almost the end of the first week with Blair. I feel a disconnection with him, although I'm sure that's a sensible thought since it really has been less than a week. True training still hasn't started yet, and I've given him a week to get used to everything. On the coming Monday, I will put him out in the pasture with some horses. I've carefully selected 3 different horses to interact with him, and a 4th if everything goes well, but I'll discuss them later. I figure it'll be another week before I will feel completely ready to jump into the core training. I find it a very good idea to allow Blair the time to mentally adjust.
I took a day to simply watch and interact with Blair, so that I can formulate an idea of his personality and his past. I started the morning at 9:00 AM, giving the gelding his grain and some extra hay, and then refilling his bucket. I fed some of the other horses around him, but kept an eye on him. While other horses, like Wildfire, would gleefully wolf down their grain, Blair appeared to take his time. He would eat moderately, and about halfway through his meal the gelding took some sips of water. He also took a few bites of hay before returning to the bucket to finish his grain. It was similar to the way humans might eat, almost. I tended to some more horses and allowed him time to graze his hay.
After feeding all the horses in the isle, I returned to Blair's stall with a lawn chair. I sat myself down with a book and open the gelding's stall window and started reading. I payed attention to his movements and behavior with some glances to the side. Many horses would poke their heads out the window, look around, possibly nudge me, and maybe try to steal some extra hay, but Blair did none of that to start. For a while he stood close to the back wall of his stall and kept to himself. Slowly, he moved closer to the window after that. First, Blair stood beside the wall he shared with Wildfire, tapping her shoulder with his nose through the bars. He let out a small nicker, and then turned away.
Finally, the gelding poked his muzzle through the window. Some shuffling. The rest of his head appeared, and he looked directly at me. I inched my chair closer, and at first he backed away from the window. In a minute, he returned, and sniffed at the book in my hands. Blair soon moved away from me, and simply watched the other horses. He turned his head towards the open barn doors and moved his nose up and down. Then he was gone, apparently finished with window time.
After this I haltered him up and released him into the round pen. Oft times a horse would race around, skidding to a stop to look across the land. Once again, Blair was more tentative. He sniffed along the ground, every now and then taking time to look up and scan the area. Soon enough the gelding lowered himself to the dirt and rolled about, taking his time to properly dust himself down on each side. He then gracefully stood. In easy, gentle movements Blair picked up a trot, and then gradually a slow lope. It was not in a wild fashion, but a quiet way where he fully took in his surroundings. Eventually, he stopped, and rested beside the gate.
About this time, I headed inside to eat lunch and give the mustang some time on his own. I left him with his water bucket and extra hay.
- - -

The rest of the day was pretty simple. More round pen time, some alone time in his stall where he took a light nap, and then dinnertime. I feel that I really got a good idea of the kind of horse Blair is. In addition, I think my presence allowed him to get a better sense of me and find some small trust to give.
So what kind of hose is Blair?
Well, he's quiet. He's wary and careful. I know there's something that has made him this way. Nothing absolutely awful, but something that is a constant reminder to him and something that makes him think. I know Blair is an intelligent horse. He considers things before acting, and stays away from things he has reason to see as a hazard or not worth his time. I think the gelding has a wild side that he does not unleash often, possibly unless forced. I think that links to his habit of bucking at random times at anything - it is his 'burst' in a sense. Otherwise, he is an even-tempered horse. I think about Blair, and then Wildfire. They are incredibly different mustangs. I suppose I was in the mindset for something overbearing and wild, but the gelding does not show signs of that in his personality. However, I believe he will show stubbornness and rebellion when we reach training, but at the moment he does not see that as necessary.
This is bound to be an interesting year.

[Arrows]

Weekly Update - Week One
I didn't see this week as one very eventful, so this will be a short entry. I gave Blair this week to settle in. I took a week for myself to take notes on my new mustang. This week, I brought him home, gave him a wash, and groomed him all up. The gelding was allowed time in the round pen and interacted with his stall neighbor and my mustang from last year, Wildfire. I have gotten a decent feel for his personality and mannerisms. In the next week, I plan to introduce Blair to other horses and get him into a herd mindset. He will have some pasture time. I would also like to find a companion for him that is a non-horse and non-human animal. I've scheduled a visit with the vet for sometime next week. I know he has decent health and his shots are up to date, as that is all taken care of before the mustangs are allowed to be taken for training. I figure it can't hurt for my vet to take a quick look at Blair and have the gelding get used to being touched and inspected, as it will certainly not be the first time. I suppose those are the main things on the agenda.
Despite it being a simple week, I found it very smooth and successful. My main goal was to correctly adjust the mustang to his home, which appears to be achieved to me. I couldn't ask for more, right?

[Arrows]

Companionship - Horses
I walked towards the barn with a happy breath and a smile. It was the start of a new week, and it was time for Blair's first big 'test' of sorts. Today, I would place him in a pasture with 3 other males, and a 4th if he did well enough. I had Mitchell, Anna, and 2 other ranch hands on deck to help if things went sour. The chosen males were Ichabod, Lionheart, and Felony. Three horses with very different personalities to interact with Blair.
Ichabod - Ichabod is a fearless giant. He can be excitable, but typically keeps his cool. He's usually a 'middle man' in the herd, meaning he's not the top or the bottom of the hierarchy.
Lionheart - My prized horse. All of my equines are extremely important to me, but Lionheart has always held a special place in my heart. He is a neat and brave stallion, often an automatic leader and friendly stallion. I actually think he and Blair could be wonderful companions.
Felony - A wild and tricky soul. He's an unruly stallion who needs to be put in check. I'm hoping that not only will his craziness bring some bring some more confidence into Blair, but in turn the mustang can bring some balance to Felony's wildness.
- - -

The time had come. The first to be lead in was Lionheart, who's lead rope was in Anna's hands. We figured he was probably the calmest of the bunch besides Blair, so he might be able to keep the peace. Ichabod followed and then Felony. These 3 males were often in pasture together, but here the pastures were so large that they usually had multiple other friends with them. They greeted one another briefly. Lionheart grazed while Ichabod and Felony quickly romped about. Soon, Felony was the only one not grazing - he was trotting about.
I led Blair outside, pausing to let him look at the three horses milling around. Felony quickly noticed the newcomer, and came to stand by the fence, staring. Ichabod took a few slow steps towards the gate, and Lionheart watched before resignatedly walking up and well. I led Blair in, with Mitchell holding the gate. "Be nice, everyone." I said sternly, before removing the mustang's halter and exiting the pasture.
Felony was the first one to Blair. He ran over, stopping just momentarily to avoid running straight into the gelding. Blair stood rigidly, eyeing the stallion unflinchingly as Ichabod and Lionheart made their way over. The stood in silence for a while, until Felony grew impatient and pushy, nipping at the newcomer's skin. In a swift movement, Blair gave him a sharp nip back, hard enough to get him to back off. The gelding kicked out quickly, bucking randomly. Felony flattened his ears momentarily, then settled with grazing while keeping an eye on Blair.
Ichabod nosed him, but quickly seemed to reach a civilized relationship with him. Lionheart and Blair first just looked at each other. Lionheart edged himself closer, and Blair was not about to back away. He nosed the gelding, making the nudges more and more insistent. Eventually, Blair returned the action. Lionheart nipped the mustang's ears, telling him that he was leader, and no one else. Blair flattened his ears slightly, but the two reached a mutual respect, and were soon grazing side by side.
I watched the horses long after my helpers left. I was happy to see them get along. Felony came over to bother Blair a couple times, but otherwise things went well. The mustang bucked randomly 3 times I saw, but that was all.
After a couple hours, I even added Flicker into the mix. They all seemed to get along, and Blair was happy to have time to graze and stretch his legs. He adapted well to the herd.
It was a decent day.
- - -

The day after I placed Blair in a pasture with males, I decided to attempt to put females into the mix. He was a gelding, and seemed like he would not be inappropriate around mares. So, I quickly thought of some suitable gals to have some fun with the mustang. I immediately placed 4 mares in a pasture - Millaray, Symphony, Quinn, and Wildfire. I found that Blair responded somewhat different with the mares. He was easygoing with them, and rather kind. Some would be dominating and aggressive, but he remained protective and kindly. The time went nicely, and Blair seemed to especially take to Symphony. They grazed side by side and were often rather close. I smile at the thought of a cute little horse crush. Blair seemed to fit in very well, and there were not real scuffles within the pasture. He was much softer with the mares, which I found a bit odd.
So I believe the companionship with horses is a very good subject for Blair, except when he just likes to kick out randomly.

[Arrows]

Companionship - Other Animals
As much as I thought Blair's relationship with the other horses in the pasture was great, and I saw him grow, I wanted him to have a non-horse furry friend. After some consideration, I chose to pair him up with one of my cats, Ellis. Ellis was sweet old female grey tabby cat. I had rescued her many years ago. She had a kind and gentle disposition, never easily provoked or annoyed. Very tolerant. I didn't bring her down to the barn much anymore, as she had been aging, but in her younger days especially, she was the best mouser and a friend to half the horses on the ranch. Everyone loved her, too. And I thought a sweetheart like Ellis could give Blair a softer mind and heart.
With a sleepy Ellis tucked under my arm, I made my way to the mustang's stall. She gave a little meow and I noticed a couple horses pop their heads up and peer out. She shifted around and snuggled into my side. Nearing Blair, I saw his head rise to the stall bars. I gently set Ellis down, and she stayed by my side. I haltered up Blair with ease and clipped on his lead, but left him in the stall. I returned Ellis to my arms and kept a tight grip on Blair's lead - I figured if something went wrong it would help.
I was careful, and kept from shoving Ellis into Blair's face. I instead allowed him to lower his head to her. He sniffed at the cat, and she raised her head and stared at Blair. He seemed surprised and recoiled, and I immediately released his lead. Quietly, he edged forward again and sniffed at dear Ellis. She purred gently and reached her head up to rub Blair's nose. He was surprised, but stayed rigid until she stopped.
Then, Blair inhaled a long and loud breath, practically taking Ellis with it. He exhaled just as loudly, blowing the cat's fur apart. He nudged her roughly, to which Ellis emitted a discontented meow. He nudged her softer the next time, and she seemed happier with that. I smiled softly, thinking the two had made an acquaintance. Blair, although friendly with Ellis, seemed a bit standoffish towards her still. So, sure that he would not hurt her, I led him to the indoor arena and sat with Ellis in my lap and Blair at my side. He continued to sniff at and softly nudge her, and in return she would rub up against his nose.
In a turn of events, Ellis latched onto Blair's muzzle and he pulled her up with his face. He went cross-eyed trying to see her, and she stayed there in place. I moved quickly, reaching for her before Blair freaked out. Ellis, however, climbed up and over his head, down his neck, and onto his back until she found a comfortable spot. Then she spread herself out and lied down. And Blair just stood there. He nuzzled that little cat and was kinder to her than he was to any other creature! It was my turn to just stand there, as well as stare. I snapped some pictures with my phone and then let the two of them simply interact together.
Eventually, I removed my grey tabby from Blair's back and set her on the chair. When I led Blair back into his stall, she followed at my heels, and nearly slipped inside the gelding's stall. "Ellis!" I cried, gently pushing her back and scooping her up. She started purring. Blair let out a soft nicker to the cat as we left, and I rolled my eyes. "What lovebirds. Who would've thought."

[Arrows]

All About Trust
I decided today that I needed some simple time with Blair. I figured before true training could even start I needed to build a true foundation with my mustang. I worked with him on the most basic of ground works. The week is rapidly diminishing and it's surprising how quickly time will go by. I pulled Blair in from the pasture and tied him up in his stall. I pulled out all of my best grooming and cleaning supplies and arranged them carefully. I started out with the curry comb and massaged Blair in long, circular motions. All the loose fur began to collect on the brush until I had to stop and remove it all. "My my, Blair! You're furrier than I thought!" After a full-body massage with the curry comb, a followed up with a stiff bristle brush and then a soft one. I gently rubbed everything down with a rag to give him a show-ready shine. Everything was coming together, but his mane and tail remained a mess.
I doused the tangled hair with a heavy-duty spray. I allowed it a minute to seep into his mane and tail before taking out my brush and, starting at the base of the tail, began brushing. I don't know how I had managed to neglect it so much. It took me a while, but Blair's mane and tail was sleek and shiny after everything was done. I lead him by his rope outside, and noticed Anna with one of her horses. She smiled to me. Recently, she had backed off of me and Blair, giving us room for training. "He looks gorgeous, Mom." I thanked her and walked to the outdoor arena. It gave the mustang and I plenty of room.
We started off slow, not doing too much. I led him around the dirt arena calmly, making long circles in the ground. After a long time, Blair seemed very calm and relaxed. I stopped him in the middle of the arena, and started slightly varied work. I backed him up with gentle hands, harder tugs when he did not respond as I asked. I wriggled the rope, slowly to rapidly, asking him to back in a different way. He did not understand at first, but soon caught on as to what he needed to do. And then, an excellent moment - Blair licked his lips as they worked. A sign of respect. I called him closer and gently stroked his face. I scratched near his ear and gave him a reassuring pat on the neck before continuing. I pushed him into a trot, jogging around the arena beside him. I stopped quickly, tugging at his halter to signal the halt.
After our short bout of groundwork/showmanship, I un-clipped his rope and allowed him freedom. I was going to allow him to run around a little bit, but I wanted to see if the trust was there yet, even if just a little bit. I casually pet him, before turning and walking off. I did not look at him, instead kept my head high and walked here and there. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Blair's movements. For a while he did not budge, but soon enough he took interest. He began to turn to watch me as I moved. When I paused for the slightest movement, he gradually lurched forward and took small steps in my direction.
I turned to the gelding and smiled, walking to him and greeting. "You are something special, Blair." I laid my forehead between his eyes and softly kissed his muzzle. We stood for a while, until he seemed to grow impatient and bobbed his head around. I laughed and walked towards the fence. "Go on, boy. Have a little fun." I watched him romp, run, roll, graze, and do anything he had the freedom to do. My confidence in Blair and in myself flourished - this year was going very well.
It was evening when I returned Blair to his stall. He nudged me gently, as he might do to Ellis the cat. I smiled to him and pulled treats from my pocket, feeding him absentmindedly. Without me watching, he started nibbling at my sleeves playfully. I rolled my eyes upon noticing and shoved him off, stroking his cheek. "Alright there, Blair. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the day!" I shut his stall door and walked from the barn, a smile never leaving my face.

[Arrows]

Vet Visits
"Thanks, Dr. Reynes!" I tapped the 'end call' button on my phone and grabbed my keys. In a last minute decision, I scheduled a veterinary check-up for Blair - he wasn't sick or anything of the matter, but I felt it would be excellent trailer practice and a good experience for him. He would have plenty of visits from Dr. Reynes in the future, so he might as well get used to it now. I drove my truck, already hitched up to the trailer, to the barn entrance and announced my presence to the horses when I walked in.
I walked right to Blair's stall, and he pulled his nose out of his long-empty grain bucket. "Oh, quit. You got your breakfast this morning. We're going on a trip!" I took him out of the stall with his halter securely fixed on his face. This would be the first time Blair had trailered since I got him. I was nervous, but did my best to hide it. Everything had been going well - I shouldn't worry.
I recruited Anna and Mitchell for help in case it was needed. Anna had a whip, not to hit Blair but simply to give him a gentle urging in case it was needed. Mitchell held the door. I told them to be cautious, near the gelding's hind end like that. Blair stared at those open trailer doors. I felt him tense and grow ancy. I took time to calm him and walk him around. Then, we gave it our best shot.
I guess it was better than expected - it went smoother than the first time, but Blair was uncharacteristically moody. On our first try, I got excited - within a few minutes, Blair was standing on the trailer. I felt accomplished. But he was uneasy, upset. As Anna made a move to close up the trailer, Blair freaked and backed out, nearly slamming his head on the too of the trailer. He was breathing quickly and eyed the trailer - I knew we would have to wait to get him back on. I took ten minutes, and walked him all around the property to let his mind settle. And we were back at it again.
I was optimistic - I felt Blair had just been a bit frightened last time, and this time would go better. I was right this time around. It took him a bit, but Blair was soon standing comfortably on the trailer. He seemed content enough, and I made sure to treat him for a job well done. Taking Anna with me, I got in the truck and we were on our way.
- - -

Getting Blair off the trailer went much more smoothly - obviously, he was much more eager to get off then get on. He backed with ease, never having a problem. And Dr. Reyes was there to greet us. "Hello Ally! I see you've brought your daughter along as well - nice to see you again Anna. Ah, and is this the newest addition?" I smiled softly and patted his neck. "Yup, this is Blair. I thought we'd come see you today so he can get used to it all."
"Perfect, sounds great. Let's take him over there, shall we?" Dr. Reynes motioned to an area below an overhang. Blair was walked onto large mats with lots of space. The vet office was huge - stables for recovering horses, large rooms for check-ups and treatment, an ICU area, and even some pastures and round pens. It was a beautiful establishment and the work the team of doctors and nurses did was very good.
Blair looked around the area with curiosity. I held onto his rope as Dr. Reynes inspected him just briefly, walking around, and scribbling down things on a notebook. "Well, just looking at him he's a beautiful horse. Decent conformation, nice coat, strong muscles. You've got yourself a nice one here Ally."
I grinned, "Thanks, Dr. I'm really happy to have him." Dr. Reynes nodded and started looking a bit closer. He picked up all of Blair's legs, pressed firmly on certain body parts, looking at his ears, eyes, and teeth. All the while he made small notes. For the most part the gelding was cooperative, occasionally twitching and yanking away when especially annoyed. Dr. Reynes was patient. When he finished, he tapped some things into his computer and then turned to me.
"Everything looks great mostly, Ally. Nothing to be of major concern. The one thing I noticed is possibly a bit of soreness in his back legs? Around the hocks. I wouldn't be alarmed, he's not too old and it's likely to be an old wound that flares up sometimes. Fixable, for sure. It shouldn't affect much. I'm going to give you something that should help with it." Dr. Reynes handed me a sheet of paper with his notes and signature on it.
I nodded slowly, absorbing that information. "Alright, that's not bad. I'm glad nothing too serious." I thought about possible times I might've noticed something like that - maybe his bucking problem had something to do with that? I thanked Dr. Reynes and led Blair back to the trailer. With some help from Anna and a couple tries, he got on the trailer and we were back to the barn. Everything seemed to be going nicely.

[Arrows]

Ground Work
Not the best of day, I'd say. Or couple of days. Blair has been doing very well lately, so I figured we'd hit a bump sooner or later. Here we've hit one. He was very uncooperative today, obstinate and blatantly refusing to do much. It's been hard to get much done. I took him outside today, as it was nice and the arena was soft on his legs. Blair had seemed agitated most of the day, not quite like himself - I figured maybe he was sore or something.
Ground work started out easily enough - recently I had been working with the gelding on showmanship skills, and he had been doing well, except he had issues with his pivot. I planned to work on that and do a bit of more strenuous work while lunging Blair. Recently I had worked on planning out a specific training outline for us. I wanted to follow it as closely as possible. To start, I wanted to give him good time to stretch out his legs, so I walked him a while that day.
When we got on with our session, I started out with showmanship. I went through all the skills a couple times until we reached the pivot. I thought Blair was ready, so I set him up and gently clicked at him, then applied pressure to his shoulder. It was nothing more than a soft push, yet Blair freaked. He bucked out violently, and I recalled what I was told when I first picked him up - he was a wild one sometimes, bucking out just like that and not messing around. Thus far, I hadn't noticed it very much - but now that we buckled down on training, it came out in him more and more. He did it around horses and people, and I worried.
I snapped his lead, just in a way to reprimand him. Blair stomped and stopped, flared out his nostrils, and blew a gust of air my way. "That's how I feel too, boy." I took a hold of his lead again and walked, practicing other skills to get his mind off the pivot. Finally, I returned to it. Then, gently, I pushed him into the maneuver. Slowly, but surely, Blair moved ninety degrees clockwise. I stopped him and patted his neck comfortingly. "Good boy," I cooed softly. I took him away from showmanship as a reward.
I decided it would be a good time to give him a rinse off, as it wasa hotter day and Blair had started sweating. Tied up firmly to the wash rack, I turned on the water and hosed the gelding off. He seemed to enjoy the cool running down his back. Blair happily let out loud neighs to any horse around, appearing content. After he was fully rinsed off, I dried his coat and walked him back to his stall.
"I'll come back tonight and put you out in the pasture with the boys tonight, alright Blair?" I kissed him in the nose, and he looked as though offended. I laughed aloud. I would have to watch him this evening, though - I didn't want him kicking at my other horses, obviously. With a soft sigh that Blair returned with a snort, I walked out of the barn in my hands in my pockets.

[Arrows]

Weekly Update - Week Two
This was a good week overall, I think. I feel like we got a lot done, actually. Blair was introduced and accepted into two groups of horses, which will be excellent for him. He made a close relationship with Ellis the cat. We have improved our own relationship and our trust in each other is much better. I am most excited about us getting closer to each other and forming a deeper connection, as that is very important to me.
Blair did excellent with the veterinarian, Dr. Reynes. We put a lot into ground work this week, which wasn't a bad thing. I think ground work has created a respect between us. I have noticed him grow slightly more unpredictable at times, which concerns me, but I think it is fixable. I'll just have to be careful.
In the week to come I want to focus a lot on saddling and preparing for riding. I think we can work up to lunging as well, which will be great exercise for Blair. I'd like to treat the gelding to more personalized tack, so I'll work on that too. Perhaps I can reflect on Wildfire's training and apply it to Blair's as well. However, yes - not too bad a week.

[Arrows]

Short Shopping Spree
I want to little wild today. Remembered that I had to get something special for Blair. I always get my horse is something that is their very own and particular to them. Sure, they have their halters and everything like that but they need something more. Some horses have simple little charms and others have full blown tack sets. So, I spent the day going around from store to store looking for something perfect. The first store I went to, one of my favorite filled with horse paraphernalia, drawn instantly to the beautiful halter charms near the front door. It was a perfect start to a very nice day. I went a little wild with a halter charms. Not only did I find one for Blair, but I also found ones for many of my other horses. However, I spent the most time looking for one for Blair. After a long while of waffling between two different charms, I chose an adorable little black and white cartoon ghost. It was fitting, and I loved it. I walked out of that store with a happy smile, looking at my treasures.
I ended up going to two more stores. At the second store, I didn't find anything particularly eye-catching, at least not for Blair. However, I found the best prize at the third store. When I started walking around, in an almost full round around the store I didn't manage to find anything that screamed Blair. Then, there, near the western jewelry cases hung the most beautiful bridle. Typically I would use the same bridles for horses if I could, as I had collected so many over the years, but it was too lovely to pass up. I didn't know how long it would take us to even get to the bridle in our training; I had to have it.
After I had purchased it and walked back to my pickup, I took time to admire it. It was primarily made of dark, smooth, strong leather. It shined like new, yet had the worn feel that said it had been used thoroughly. Bridles like that one were often hard to come by. Expertly carved into the leather were deep, clean lines that created an elegant symmetrical design on both sides. It was none too flashy but still gave a little extra. Small, tasteful silver studs added the slightest shimmer to the bridle at the points where the leather pieces met. It had one loop where the right ear would fit. It was one of my greatest finds - and I was extremely excited.
Upon arriving at home, I fitted the ghost charm onto Blair's halter, and it looked adorable. Obviously I could not put a bridle on him, but I held it near his face and knew it was a perfect fit for the gelding. As I fawned over him and my proud purchases, Blair stood still, tolerant, although he looked at me like I was possibly crazy.