SCARY day!!

Well...today didn't go quite as planned. But it was a good day. I took both boys to Ashland, anticipating riding Danny first on a trail ride... and maybe even cantering!! Then I was going to get on Fleck. 

I got Dan tacked up and even put Fleck's breastplate on him. And it fit!!! Without having to adjust it. Eeeks!! Though it probably could have used minor adjustments. But still. Anyways, it was rather busy at Ashland today. So I got on and headed towards the back lake with the scary dam. Then decided I wanted to do some ring work, so headed towards the ring. I got him in and we started to work. We got halfway down the long side and Danny noticed the pony clubbers jumping up in the upper arena. OHMYGODWHATISTHAT?!?!? Poor guy spun and stared... head up, tail up, and on high alert!! Then his heart started pounding in his chest!! Poor guy was terrified. I decided my best bet was to get off, so I did. Good thing because he spooked hard. I held on and put him to work doing our circles and haunch yielding/crouching tiger. He paid attention but was doing the warning snorts and had his tail up. But he listened. :) Then he settled down enough that I took him out of the ring and got back on. 

Rather than fight it, I decided to go on a trail ride. So we head out to XC. As we are about to go through the gate to where it opens up, I heard a tractor. Sigh... so I lined Dan up to see it and let him look. And the tractor comes through... pulling a hay wagon FULL of people! Oh great... I'm going to get dumped in front of all these people... Lucy included! Great! But Dan was good. He kept his cool and didn't panic. Phew! So we headed out into the woods and got a little ways and... OHMYWHATISTHAT?!?! I look... it's a cat Dan. A cat. You have those at home. He was super freaked though. Of course it moved behind the tree, so once I got Dan moving again, he saw it again and stopped, heart pounding. Before I could get off, he spun, cantered two steps, then heard me and came back to the trot, then piaffed and passaged before finally stopping. Heart still pounding. So I jumped off again. But man.. that boy can COLLECT!! And I don't think I was really yanking on him either. I may have been pulling more than I wanted, but he collected really nicely! So hen I walked him past where the cat was and got him past it. Got back on again (convenient with that mounting block right there!) and we headed off down the woods again. He walked right over the creek, no problem and then we even picked up the trot. 
I decided to go back behind the lake behind trailer parking as I was running out of time before meeting Kelli and Judy and Peri. So we headed that way and... that darn cat was there again!! This time Dan didn't spook and we even "chased" it on the trail a little ways. So we're carrying along happily for a bit and then we get to the dam. Which is scary. But even worse, there's a NEW pile of dirt off to the side. Danny was NOT going near it. Sigh... I got him going forward, then he'd plant, back up, try to run me into the trees... Finally, as I was starting to lose my temper, I got off. I hand walked him past the dirt clump, through the dam and then.. back through the dam. Then back again, and again, and again, and again. Then, I got back on and he walked bravely through the dam. 
Told you I always win baby horse! ;) 

It was a pretty good day though. I did get to canter - two steps! And considering that he's only 3, we were by ourselves, and even the big horses sometimes spook at the horse heads bobbing in the upper arena... I'd say he did pretty darn good. :) 

After I rode Fleck, we grabbed Danny and headed back to the lake. They had a good time. Danny was hilarious. He kept trying to get Cash to play with him and Cash just ignored him. Danny even rubbed his head on his butt. But then Cash tried to rub his head on Danny, and Fleck said "HELLZNO!" and made a big lunge dragon face at Cash. Hee hee.. Such a protective older brother! It was fun having another pool party!