Day 3 of boot camp

To continue the boot camp, Danny got to come to high point today with Fleck. Fleck was a goober! Danny stayed calmly in the trailer, chomping on hay. Meanwhile, Fleck was inverted, braced, hollow, neighing, and silly for his lesson. Sigh. Gracious. After I finished with Fleck I pulled Dan out and got him ready to go. We went up to the outdoor arena again and he was much calmer this time. I lunged him for a bit as he was definitely fresher than yesterday. There was a fair amount of squirting off. Once he settled down, I got on and Peri lunged us. He's definitely one sided already. Going to the right he's very much falling in on his shoulder and counter bent. But we worked on it a little. He did well. Very little head tossing and he was pretty darn good. I decided to trot and he wasn't too bad. Until...he started tossing his head. And then the goober tripped on his feet and fell to his knees!!! I stayed on and almost bailed, but he managed to get himself up. Poor guy. Jeesh... he's EXACTLY like Fleck! We managed to stay upright the rest of the time. Hee hee. After another few circles I told Peri to take us off the lunge line. He was definitely a little worse as he kept trying to go back to Fleck and would bulge out that right shoulder. But I was able to keep him trotting and get him turned and keep him going. So yay!! 

Definitely a success today! I think another handful of rides and I can call it quits for the next year. :)

Redemption

Since Dan was so naughty the day before, I decided he needed another go. I should have been smart and gotten help. But there really wasn't anyone available. So I groomed him, tacked him up, and took him to the round pen. I lunged him first. I'm not totally stupid. :) He was pretty good. He did do a little squirt into the canter and bolt once or twice but other than that he was good. So I went ahead and got on. He was great. Not once did he do anything naughty. And if I just closed my fingers on the reins, he stopped. No need to pull back even. :) :) Since he was being good, I opted to try for a trot. He was great. No issues. We even did a figure 8. I stayed in the round pen, but he was lovely. 

Good boy!!

Bucking Spree

Duh duh duhhhhhh..... And there it is. Naughty baby! I sure did ask for it. Honestly though, he really wasn't that bad. Beth met us at Ashland and taught Christina and May first and then it was our turn. Christina and May did great. She even went out on the XC field on the lunge line and did some of the questions. Yeah.... Danny and I didn't make it out of the ring. In his defense, it was a really cold day considering recent weather. It was windy too and there was little eddies of wind blowing around. Of course May had the same weather... ;)

Anyways, I meant to lunge him first but didn't have time. And I really didn't need to the last time. So I thought it would be fine. I tacked him up and got on and we started off on the lunge with Beth in the middle. He was fussy with his head but not bad. We walked, we stopped, we turned. And then the wind picked up a bit. And there was trucks driving by. Danny used it all as excuses and started bucking some. Whee! At first I kept tipping forward and letting my heels come up. It's a shock I didn't come off. But like I said, they weren't that bad. And Beth had his head too, so she helped. We got him under control and then he started up again. This went on for about 10 minutes on and off. Then he reared up on me and I slid to the back of the saddle. But I stayed on. At that point, Beth told me to get off. He was starting to get worse and was going into full blown temper tantrum mode. Sigh.

So we lunged him. And lunged him. He had a few bucking sprees, but then settled down. And then politely asked to walk. Beth said no. She made him keep going. If he's going to be naughty, he's going to work. So finally it was time for me to get back on. That turd got fussy and wouldn't go the direction we wanted him to as soon as I got on, so we had to have another little discussion. We found that short little soft taps on the shoulder worked best. Taps on the hiney initiated bucks. :) 

The good news is that I managed to stay on and he finally settled down mostly. And I suppose to that if I have to admit it, I'm glad. I like them a little spunky. Of course that is until I end up on the ground. But I don't think he's malicious about it. Though this was as close to a temper tantrum as I've seen/felt. His back got all humpy and he got all mad and pissy. Twit.. But alls well that ended well. 

Trit trots... .solo!

I have the BEST BABY ever!! It's been....oh a week maybe since I have ridden Dan. Well, heck, a week since we've done anything more than groom. I've just been preoccupied with Fleck and AECs. But since it was such a gorgeous day and Fleck is shoeless... I HAD to ride! So Danny boy had to man up. :) 
I was short on time because of a staff meeting and a required nap, so I tacked him up and took him to the round pen. He lunged one circle at the walk each direction and then I just got on. He was great! We practiced walk on, turn right, turn left, and halt. And he was good. Aside from the usual chewing on the reins and trying to chew on my foot, he was good. So then I decided to try him out of the roundpen. I walked him up to the gate and pushed it open. He didn't care. :) (We're already practicing for our competitive trail). So out we went. He was really good. It was cute when we went up the hill and down the hill. Up was easier. Down was a little tricky learning how to balance Mom. So then we went back into the round pen and tried trotting. I left the gate open but we didn't bolt out. And he stopped well too. So then I got brave and took him out of the round pen and we trotted!! Wheeee!!! He's so much fun. He was great and stopped well and then we finished. :)

I love this kid. He really has such a good work ethic and such a good brain and he's just so pretty!. :)

Poor Flecky was jealous though. So they both got lots of love and cookies. 

Going Solo

I got a little frustrated with not having a helper (though I realize there are plenty who would easily come help and have offered but my stupid schedule kept getting in the way) so I made the rash decision to get on Dan without a lunger. Honestly though, he and I have done it before and it didn't go horribly, so... why not?! I wasn't entirely dumb and made Mike come out and watch me. And I lunged him first. And I stayed in the round pen. So, see... not too bad. :) 

He lunged well and was listening and responding to voice commands quite nicely. So I tacked him and back into the round pen we went. He stool while I got on and off we went. He was a little fussy with his head but not bad. A little difficult to turn, but again, not bad. And MUCH better about walking on. There was no need to kick or use the crop. Once or twice I had to bump him rather than just squeeze, but he's getting it!!!! 

And no naughtyness. I'm so proud of him. And man, he's so fun! It's going to be really hard to take it slow and easy with him.