I did it! I sat on the pony!!!!!

Tuesday I got on the pony!!!!!

It wasn't planned. I started off by doing a little lunge session with her, mostly working on getting square halts and making nice circles at the trot without tossing her head around (which she only does in the corner closest to the barn, sometimes with a squeal thrown in for good measure). We split the work with the first 10 minutes leading and halting and squaring up in the indoor arena, then another 10 minutes of w-t-w transitions in the outdoor arena. I had saddled her for her schooling session and she wasn't acting spooked by the flopping stirrups. I felt like her head was in the game and she was being really good so I took her inside, got my helmet, went to the arena and put reins on her bridle (she was wearing a lunging cavesson and bridle/bit) and walked over to the mounting block. Heretofore we've been working on rein aids with me walking next to her holding the reins and doing basic flexions, turns, and walk-halt-walk transitions. I think I wrote about her disliking an earlier bit, and so I tried a couple others; the current one which she seems to like is a Myler eggbut wide barrel comfort snaffle.

So back to my story. I brought her to the mounting block which is in front of the mirrors (a tip from someone) and squared her up. She wanted to take a step forward and a little "no" with the reins and she stood perfectly still. I put a foot in the stirrup and put pressure on it. Did that a few times. Then foot in the stirrup and stood up and patted her neck; did that a few times and she was still. Then foot in the stirrup, stood up, and leaned over her back a few times. No reaction. Then foot in the stirrup, stood up, leaned over her back and swung my other leg halfway up. No reaction.

Took a little break and walked around the arena with much praise and then back to the mounting block.

I went for it.

Foot in the stirrup, stood up, leaned over to pat her all over, swung my leg over, sat my butt down, put my other foot in the stirrup, sat up. Not a twitch from the pony. She stood there. I sat for maybe 10 seconds, dismounted, gave her much, much, much, much praise and good girls and then put her back and groomed her and gave her a bunch of cookies. I think she was quite pleased with herself!

I've been working with a trainer and we've talked about working toward this and ideally it probably would have been smart to have a ground person, but I was just in the moment and she felt like she was quiet and steady and could handle it.
OMG, I am so happy and proud of my little pony!!!!!!!

I wasn't planning on doing this on that day so didn't have a camera set up to take any video, unfortunately. I tell you, for that 10 second of sitting on the pony for the first time, I was on cloud nine the whole day!