Riding Prep

I've been working on getting Pistol ready to ride lately, because I really would like to ride him before we travel to Florida. I'm not making it a goal, because I dont want to put unreasonable pressure on us, but I would like it if we could practice some freestyle before arriving at the ranch. So, I've been researching as much as possible, and I have finally decided on a plan. Pistol was saddle-broke before I bought him, he spent months at a trainer's barn, and then all last summer being ridden by the barn owner of the boarding stable he was at. However, from the things theyve told me, I'm not sure he was actually ok with being saddled. Actually, I KNOW he wasn't ok with it, but because I didnt see it, I dont know if it was left brain "you cant make me" or right brain "oh NO!". I have saddled him a few times, and he did just fine with being saddled, but once he went to move he started bucking. The barn owner told me he did that, so I'm not sure if it is a learned behaviour, or actual fear. I'm taking things much slower with him, using a 22 ft professional line to simulate a girth/saddle and playing with tightening and loosening it, and then moving him around. So far, he's been doing really well. I start out tossing the rope over his back, and then running the rope through the ring and doing some approach and retreat with tightening. Once its tight enough to be there, but not pinching, I loop it around so that I can toss the end over his head, and daisy chain it through the ring just like you would with a mecate. That way, he has the "girth" around his middle, the "breast collar" to hold the "girth" in place so it doesnt fall down to his hips, and the "mecate" so he gets used to having that rope bouncing there. He's been doing a great job, really thinking about it, not panicking anymore. He trotted today, and even did a couple steps of a canter without panicking. I'm so proud of him!