First XC School!!!

Wheeee!!!! It wasn't meant to be as exciting as it was. ;) 

Danny and I had another lesson with Beth at Ashland. I jumped Fleck first and Danny was a gentleman hanging out on the trailer eating his hay. He didn't fuss at all when Fleck and I went up to jump. Then it was Dan's turn. Fleck was not quite the gentleman when Danny left. ;) Poor Uncle Fleck.

We got Danny tacked up and I lunged him briefly. He was very playful. We added the side reins and he didn't care. We even tightened them up a hole or two and he was fine with it. (They were still pretty loose). Danny is developed quite a lovely canter!!! We were trying to trot ;) We realized he was just bored and playing. He's a smarty pants. He will remember something he's learned once and then he's "got it" and tries to play instead. So I went ahead and got again and he was good but obviously being silly and wanting to play. Beth decided to test the smarty pants theory. So, while I was still on the lunge line but on Dan, we walked out to the cross country field.

Oh my!!! This guy was BORN for XC. He puffed up and got all dancy on his tippy toes. We marched right into the water, no hesitation at all and he took a big long drink. Then he started to play so out when we went. It was a bit too chilly to be going for a dunk. Then we went back in and he immediately starting pawing, so out when went. We walked over to the ditch and asked him to walk quietly through the half ditch. He sort of bounced through it but on the second attempt when I slowed him down more he walked through it. Both directions twice each. Then Beth told me to walk him through the BN ditch. WHAT?!?! I said "Really? You're sure that's not the training level ditch?" Hee hee. She did tell me BN would start to look really big. :) So we walk up to it and Danny LEAPS over it like it's a 4' trakehner! Holy Smokes Danny boy... we're WALKING!!! Not jumping.. .not until you're 4 Ding bat!! Doh!!So on landing he was all proud of himself and starting getting humpy. I got him moving along and we came back to it. I do think I tried to get him to walk it more this time and again he leapt over it and this time he bucked out while doing it. Once Beth could pick herself up off the ground from laughing at me, we tried again. :) I did manage to stay on. Go me! So this time I walked him towards it, stopped him. Walked him to it and stopped him. Then he calmly walked over it. Phew! No more jumping with me on board for another year and a half! We made him walk over it a few more times and then we headed to the banks.

Well, Mr. Hot Stuff was all snorty and prancy and proud of himself. :) I was too, but made him settle down. We got to the bank and this time I was smart and stopped him in front of it. He calmly walked up. Then we walked down and I stopped him again. He sort of slid down it and got mad. Luckily I was a little out of the saddle because he let out a ferocious buck upon landing. Oh wow!! He's gonna be FUN!!! So up and down again we went and then I hopped off and told him how marvelous he was. We made him walk up and down once or twice more without me to secure it in his brain. Then we headed back up and he was done.

I so love this guy. He's going to be sooooo much fun. His personality is so big and his bravery button is WAY bigger than mine. ;)
Now to force myself to take it slow with him. :)

And poo... NO pictures :( I'm not sure why I didn't think to use my helmet cam either. That would have been awesome. Drats!