Saafada Photos

We used to go up to see Walter about twice a year so I knew Ibby from the time he was a wee little one and I had a special bond with him. We visited for a long weekend when he was 3 and decided that since I had a little more time it was a good time to start riding Ibby. I started out bridling him because of course he had never even seen a bridle before, and since I was going to have to ride him in a pasture full of mares, I wanted a bridle rather than a halter on him. There was NO level ground anywhere else......no round pen, or small flat paddock, so I decided to just do it in the pasture.

		I bridled him one morning and led him around showing him what the bridle felt like by holding the reins with my right arm over his back in the riding position. He was completely ok with everything I did, so that afternoon I asked Don Austin to hold him, and Cyann gave me a leg up. I was riding bareback and had shorts on which is not the way I usually start horses, but oh well......

When I sat up on him he noticed, but did not react, and he was fine with my weight. I sat there, then got on and off several times, and then got on and had Don lead me around for a little while. I held the reins and used rein signals to indicate direction and stop. Ibby was just fine with that.

The next morning we had another session and repeated all we had done, and that time Don just walked next to me while I showed Ibby what the signals meant. At no point did he buck, jump, startle or argue with me. I ended that lesson and that afternoon we had another session and that time I just rode him. We walked all over, made circles in both directions, halted, and just got to know each other. He really liked the idea of "good boy" and the carrot that goes with it. It took him no time to understand that if he figured out what I meant and did it, he got a bite of carrot. By the time we were ready to go home I had even trotted him a little bit. At no point did he offer to do anything rude!

I did not get to spend any more quality time with Ibby until he ended up here in Texas with Rita Dobson at which time I started riding him regularly and proceeded to get him working in training level dressage. I worked with him one summer.......I believe we worked twice a week some weeks, and only once a week others, and in that short time he was going very nicely and was on his way to being a performer! We also spent time riding around the farm, which is huge, with lovely fields, woods, creeks, lakes and ravines. Ibby went on these trails like a trooper. ~ Susan Mayo

Kamal Ibn Fabo #381189 Black Bay 04/12/1987	Fabo #22998 Black 08/01/1962	Fabah #6264 Bay 05/09/1950	*Fadl #897 Grey 06/17/1930
			*Bint Bint Sabbah #894 Bay 5/19/1930
		Misimma #12158 Black 04/07/1957	Fa-Serr #4482 Black 07/1947
			Fay Khedena #7693 Grey 06/15/1952
	Serr Beth #125446 Bay 07/11/1975	Ibn Fa-Serr #17189 Grey 04/1960	Fa-Serr #4482 Black 07/1947
			Fa Deene #1431 Grey 08/1937
		Sera Beth #31706 Black 04/1968	Fa-Serr #4482 Black 07/1947
			Serabah #19243 Black 04/1961