Bestest Bravest Baby Horse EVER!

Danny was SOOOOOOO good today!!! Amazingly good. I'm so proud of the little squirt! And a little proud of myself too, for doing such a good job bringing him up. :) 

Today was day 3 of back in work. (well, day four, but the third ride). I really wanted to trail ride him so I asked Missy to babysit us. She said she would! However, it did create a slight issue. Missy was at Halfshire and I wasn't sure I wanted to haul Danny there since he's been used to long lining and even being ridden at Ashland from the parking lot. So instead of potentially freaking him out by bringing him to a new place, I decided to freak him out by having to meet Missy and Zhar on the XC field. :) Which meant Danny had to go out alone at first.

But never fear. He did great! I was actually a little surprised at how well him and Fleck did when we pulled out of the farm. Dan loaded right up and Fleck was right at the gate with Roany. No one really cared. I left and Dan was fine, Fleck was fine, and Roany was fine. Well okay then! We got to Ashland and he tacked up great. I started to lunge him just as Frodo and the Arabian were coming out of the woods from the stadium ring. Dan was distracted so I let him see who it was. Then I lunged him about two circles and decided to just get on. He wasn't excited or wild. So I did... and off we went! We trekked off towards the XC field, leaving Frodo and the other horse at the trailer behind. He was great. He didn't stall at all or try to turn around. We got to the XC field and he kept on going. He was perfect!!! 

Then we headed into the woods and he just kept on going. He barely glanced at the bridge as he went over it and then he wanted to trot even. So we did. Just a little. :) Then we caught up to Missy and he and Zhar said hi. He was a bit over eager to meet Zhar but was fine. Just wanted to be right up near him. So we headed up the hill and through the woods and into the open field. We then walked over a log twice. Hee hee. No excitement, no jumping. Just walked over it. 

Then we went back to the wooded trails. I let Zhar go first and Danny was NOT happy about it. He wasn't horrible... just up Zhar's butt and fussy in his head. He even tossed in a teensy little rear. Goober. I made him stay back there for a bit and as soon as he settled, I got back in front. He was definitely happier in front. He trekked on out! We had a nice little graze in the field behind Halfshire in the sun while we walked and talked.

Then it was time for Missy to leave. I asked Dan to head on out to the people lake trail and he did. He left Zhar and was fine going out on his own. Once we got a little ways down, he realized it. He stopped a few times and neighed a few times but really was quite good considering. We even did more trotting!!! Yay!!! We crossed the bridge again without a second thought and headed home.

SUCCESS!!! I'm so proud of him. He accomplished so much today. And his brain is WONDERFUL. Oh, and he spooked twice at legitimate things and he spooks just like Fleck!! He kind of flinches and jumps in place and then carries on. AWWWWWW... LOVE HIM!!!!


Videos here....
My first trail ride! 
Trail riding Fun
Danny wants to be in the lead 
Our first "jump" on the trail. :) 
More trails 
Trotting and heading home by ourselves! 

Drunk Baby Rides

Hee hee... Not me!!! Him!

Danny was good today too! I lunged him just for a few minutes and then got on. We walked all around the parking lot and into the arena. We even did some trot circles in the arena. Drunken circles!! ha ha. BUT... we accomplished it. There was a few little mini temper tantrums of him wanting to go one way and me insisting, but I kept winning. At one point, in an effort to win, we had to "jump" the dressage arena. Hee hee. It "bit" him on the back legs but he didn't freak out. We even walked down centerline. :) hee hee. He wasn't scared of the judges booth either.

Then we walked up the hill and around the little tree grove and then around the other tree grove and over a log. Yay!!

 ha ha.... NO!!! I will NOT walk!

And today his trot was bigger! Not mincy. It was great.

I'm getting so excited about him!!!

Helmet cam videos...
Silly baby

Back in the saddle!!

 

I LOVE this baby!!! Seriously... today was such a fun day. Fleck was a total spazzy goober and basically just ran away with me. Which is a-ok, because I love when he's frisky. It makes me feel better about riding him still and competing him. And then Danny was sooo good. Better behaved than the 17 year old ;) 

So I know I said that I wouldn't ride Danny again until he was 3. But....I just really wanted to. And he will be 3 in 10 days. So... I did. 

 So before I get into details.. it really probably wasn't the best idea to ride him today. Again, I had wanted to wait until he was 3. And it stormed last night. Like hard core stormed. So it was awfully chilly and windy out. So yeah... let's get on the unbacked since last Summer almost 3 year old. Ha! I was at least smart enough to lunge him first. As soon as I put him out on the circle, he was a wild man. Bucking, snorting, and tearing off. Hee hee. I was thinking "Yep... no way I'm getting on this beast!" So we worked and did our stuff - crouching tiger, upwards, downwards, changes of directions. And he settled. And was actually quite good. I even got a few steps of canter both ways repeatedly.

 So... I reconsidered. :) Kelli and Kaitlyn were off trail riding and were heading back. So I thought, well... I'll get on when they get back. I was afraid if I was on, and they came out of the woods,.... it would be bad. So I had him go all around the mounting block and then even laid on top of him. He was fine. So they got back and sat there while I got on. He was fine. He didn't do anything. So we walked around. And he was fine. He wanted to go see Arwyn, but he listened to my steering aids and we were able to walk all around them. We walked away from them. We even walked up the hill and he was all game to head on out to go for a solo trail ride. Ha ha! Not yet Dan, not yet. And I even trotted a bit. Yay! He was really good. His trot is still teeny tiny baby trot steps, but he hasn't figured out how to balance me too I'm sure. Plus I am not sure I want him doing a big trot just yet! Not too much excitement at first.

 He still remembers his aids and still halts with just squeezing on the reins. Yay!!! So I got off. I was probably on for about 10 minutes and there was only one little head flinging episode.

I'm so excited!!! I'm hoping to ride him again tomorrow. I'll ride Fleck in our lesson and then pony Dan off Fleck for our cool off ride. Then once Dan has gotten his brain in the right place and had a bit of fun, I'll get on him again. I might even be brave and take him on a short trail ride if Kelli can babysit us. :) 

Can't wait! I just need to keep reminding myself (and having my friends remind me too) that I need to take it slow and easy with him. Just because he's fun and easy doesn't mean I can move too quick. So...take it easy! I want him to last forever... and be the same horse that runs away with me at 17 years old. :) 

Water baby

Oh my... I think I've created a monster!!! Danny is like a little kid at the pool. You can't get him out!

I took Fleck for some fitness work and decided I might as well bring Dan along. After the fitness with Fleck, I grabbed Dan and we headed out. He was a bit spunky so poor Fleck had to do another little loop with some trotting. But they were both well behaved. Then we headed to the lake. I figured Danny could play while Fleck soaked. And Danny played and played and played!!! He was hilarious. He was splashing like a fiend. Then he tried to roll. Then he went for a swim. Then he splashed some more. Then went for another swim. Then another. Then splashed some more. Then came up to Fleck and tried to get as close as he could, splashing away, trying to see how far he could push Fleck. hee hee. brat!

I basically dropped his lead rope and just let him play for 20 minutes. He never thought about taking off. He just wanted to play. Goof!!
 Fun in the lake
More fun in the lake
Still more fun in the lake
and it keeps going....
and more...

Such a goober.... love this guy!