unicycles and sunken roads

Wheeee!!! Fun day today :)

Fleck Danny and I met up with Peri and George and their ponies for an evening trail ride. I got there early, so Fleck and Dan and I warmed up. We did some trotting, which went well, and attempted to get Dan into a puddle. He did the first time... then skirted around it each subsequent time. Oh well. We'll try again later in hand.. It's too hard to coordinate Fleck and Danny and the puddle. So then we did some hills up and down and worked on turning. And... because it was such a pretty day, there was a ton of traffic. Dan was introduced to bikes, runners, dog walkers, AND a guy on a unicycle!!! I think he's going to be pretty darn bomb proof by the time he's backed! Then Peri and George were ready so we headed back that way. AND.... we saw the ditch! They had put in a new drainage pipe, and the mud looked a little too fresh to risk walking over the pipe. But... next to the pipe was a mini sunken road. It was a down bank with a stride or two, then an up bank. Not riveted or anything, but it wasn't just like a small ditch or just a hill.. it was an actual bank. So... all three of us trotted down and up and it went well. Well then.... I tried it the other way... downhill. That didn't go so well. I think they were distracted by the other horses, but... Fleck balked and then finally did it. Meanwhile Danny stood rooted to the spot. So.... I tried to salvage it.... but it was like the olden days and being stretched between horses. I was half hanging off Flecks side... still had Danny's lead... and finally just had to give up. I fell off. Dropped Danny.... crud! Luckily this time he only trotted a few steps to George's mare. So... I got back on... and we continued on. We saved the sunken road til later.
So... we had a good ride. Danny wasn't as naughty as last time and kept up for the most part. He was a little awed by LE and Sunny... they're pretty big! We did see a bunny, but no deer. Guess it was too busy for the deer. So we had fun!
Then on the way back I decided to attempt the sunken road again! This time... success!!! Both directions :) Yay....

I love that little squirt!! And I love the big ol' goober that puts up with the little squirt.. he's such a good bumper pony!

 

Oh dear!!!!

Well... I can say I don't want that to ever happen again!!! But... alls well that ends well, so yippee!! I am a lucky lucky girl.

We had quite the excitement on our trail ride today. It was just Fleck, Danny and me again. We hit the usual spot because I wanted to use the wooded hill section. Things started just fine though Danny was being a bit of a ... well, a kid. He kept trying to chew on Fleck, but this time.. I came prepared. I had my jump bat so I would give him a soft pop when he got too friendly. And then once or twice, Fleck had to threaten to kick him. But in general, he was just being a goofy baby trying to play. We went down to the canoe launch area and had a good time. Then we headed back to the swamp/pond/lake area and as we were walking by, a heron took off. Apparently they screech! And sound like a pterydactyl. It was quite comical. Both boys were like "WTF?"! Neither one really spooked, just... looked confused. hee hee. Well, then we crossed the little flat bridge twice. It wasn't an issue with either horse. Then we started back up the hill. At this point Danny started to get a little rambunctious. I don't think he was scared... more just bored. He kept trying to get ahead. Well, the trails are kinda narrow there and Fleck was going first, so... they both ended up trotting up the last little bit. Fleck went to the right of the tree and Danny went to the left. No biggie.... they both stopped and I thought I'd drop the lead rope and pick him back up. Yes... you heard me. I purposedly dropped the lead rope. Sigh..... Won't do that again!! Although previous times where I have lost the lead rope... he's let me catch him right up. NOT this time! The little turkey decided to off up the trail. Okay... don't panic Holly.. just call him. He'll come back. He's alone in the woods... he'll come back to Fleck. Then he goes a little farther...Okay.... well don't chase him and scare him.. keep calling him and whistling... Then suddenly he's cantering up the trail. Well crud... maybe he's not coming back. Then he's out of sight. Okay... um CRAP!!! GO Flecky Go!!!! Let's go get him!! So Fleck and I tahe off at a trot.. then realize he's nowhere to be seen, so we canter.. .then we're galloping up the trail. Still no Danny. Oh crud..... so then I get to the fork... and can sorta see leaves moved so I figure he went that way. Even if not... I decide to head back to the trailer because if he's there, I want to get there as quick as possible. If he's not.... I can double back and find him. So Fleck and I go galloping up.... come out of the woods by the trailer parking lot and THANK GOD!! He's there.... on OUR side of the barbed wire fence... of which on the other side is the road. Phew..... He comes trotting up to us with his tail over his hiney all fancy prancy "look at me Mom"! Argh... You little twit!! You just gave me a heart attack!!! Well, I jump off, catch him and then hop back on. Then some nice lady pulls into the parking lot and yells out to see if I need help. No, thank you!!! Not anymore thank God! :)
So, having quite the Appaloosa personality myself.... instead of just being grateful and putting them in the trailer and taking them back home... I decide.. nope. We need to pony some more.. make sure he knows he can't do that! So... we go back to walking...  And then... this is where I really push my luck, but... I also know that he didn't bolt.. I just let go! So, we walk over the two logs that are like jumps... no problem. So then I circle and we trot over them. :) Yay!! He jumped both and got a little frisky, but no big deal. So then we trot up the hill, walk a bit, and then I let them graze. THEN we go back to the trailer and load up and go home.

Phew...... I would prefer to NOT go through that again..... And I thanked God the whole way home and am still thanking Him that nothing bad happened.

I hope Danny and I can survive each other!!!

PS...this was the look he gave me when I told him he was a naughty boy today!!

Who Moi?!? Never!

Well... I did name him HOT Dan ;)

He lived up to his name today. What a little spitfire! :)

Tonight we did some trotting in hand, which he was great at. Then I thought I'd go down the driveway to look for puddles. Of course there weren't any, but since the trailer was hitched, we practiced loading and unloading. He's not great about it when Fleck isn't with him, but... we got on and off three times without too much trouble. Then we decided to go down to the front field and jump over the cross rail. We got through the gate and Danny tried to take off! I don't know if it finally dawned on him that he was far away from the other guys or he just thought I was turning him out. So I reeled him in and then spent the next 10 minutes with him dancing on the end of the lead. Wild baby! But... he managed to stay with me and pay attention and we ended up going away farther, then coming back, then going away, and coming back. And we even jumped the cross rail once. I didn't want to push it. :) But he was so cute. He stops, looks at it... then sits back and jumps! Hee heee. So then we went back out and he started to speed up to get back to the big horses. So... of course, we had to turn and go farther up the driveway. But I tried to make it happy and let him graze. Then we headed back and I made him walk like a gentleman. (He definitely did NOT have the pokey walk he does on trails!). Then we rejoined the big ponies and I made him trot in hand again for a quick lap. And he was great. :)

So yep... I'm glad he's got some spirit to him. I like them a little rowdy. But I'm also very glad I'm starting young. While I can still reel him in and teach him how to behave like a big horse. He's very smart..... and a little bit ..... dennis the menace-y. :) But I love the fact that despite being upset that he left the big horses... he was able to focus and behave himself mostly. :)

So...tomorrow he gets to go on a trail ride to blow off some energy and fill his little brain :)

Spots in the brain

How come the Indians rode Appaloosas to war?

So they'd be fighting mad when they got there! ha ha...

How did the Appies get their spots?
From people poking them with ten foot poles! Hardy har har...

But seriously.. you do need a sense of humor to own an App. Here is my proof...

Oh, and it's not just Flecky.. Danny is JUST as bad...

And more proof for your pudding...

They are just big giant goofballs! And I wouldn't want it any other way!

Someone once told me that Fleck was crazy cause he had spots on the brain. ;)

I love those spotted brains though!

Funny guy...

I love this little guy! He's such a goober!

So today... we worked on tying, getting groomed, and picking feet again. He was a good boy. And Flecky felt left out, so.. he had to hang out too!

Then we worked on leading and the FEH triangle stuff. Danny's a goon! He was pretty smart and figured out that whoa means whoa, one cluck and walk on means walk, two or more clucks and  "aaaaannnddd trot" means trot. But he kept trying to eat the lead rope. Like a dog walking himself by carrying the leash. Goofy...  And then he got a little excited and started dancing, which progressed to rearing and bolting. Then he ran around like a goof for a few minutes.. then let me catch him and back to walking and trotting in hand we went. Goofball... Oh well.

So then afterwards, I fed dinner. And... I always soak their feed in hot water to make them oatmeal. Well, Danny likes to slurp down the leftover hot water so I fill him a small bucket. He slurps it up and he's happy. Well, today... I was picking up the other buckets and Danny took a good big slurp, then proceeded to turn and come see what I was doing. Which meant that he drooled hot feed water all down on me. And.. because I was bent over, and wearing jeans that are a smidge too tight... basically he drooled it right down my butt. Nice... That'll wake you back up!!

Oh, and the other day I got this cute video of him playing with the feed bags.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIOsvd5po7c&feature=g-upl&context=G2012149AUAAAAAAAAAA

So anyways... nothing exciting, but.. cute babyness :)