Lazy and Sassy

That's Dan. And it's a tough combination. We had a good lesson today. He was actually pretty chill considering the cold, wet, nasty weather. Granted, we were in the indoor, but still.

He's just tough to get in front of the leg. I can't balance not asking every step with still getting a reaction. It's very hard to work on getting him reactive to the leg with working on other things. But I'm trying. It doesn't help that my legs were pretty tired after 20 miles of trails over the weekend. ;)

Cindy had us working on the canter. He really had to collect that right side, which means that I had to hold the right side by keeping my elbows at my side. (which is interesting because with Fleck I always feel like it's my left rein, so.. hey! Maybe they'll even me out!). I can't throw it away in the upward or during. Only when I ask him to soften on that rein while collecting that side (or maybe not collecting, just not strung out), he says it's hard and he doesn't want to do it. So then I have to really keep him going, which makes it hard to maintain my position. Very frustrating.

Maybe this is where I should decide to send him off to boot camp for a few weeks to get the forward instilled in him. But I just don't know if I can. I'm more stubborn than him. But it would really behoove me I think. Sigh.

But we did have some good canters. And he only swapped from the right to left once or twice and held it the rest of the time. I think that when I keep my shoulders turned to the inside a little it helps because it's not sending him to the left. And when I think of riding the shoulders straight, that also helps because... hello, I'm not jack knifing him. 






It was funny though because Dan has decided that he really doesn't like Tommy. Cindy said it's because Tommys' canter is so animated, but I think Dan has just decided to do it to anyone. Because he also went after the other horse in the arena. I really hate when he does that. It's just rude. He pins his ears and snakes his head. So he gets a smack from me. But today, both he and Tommy were cantering towards each other and they both went to bucking. It almost felt like Dan jumped in front of Tommy on purpose, but it's hard to say. So afterwards, while we were untacking, Zanne was joking about kicking us out of her arena. (I hope she was joking anyways!). Dan had clipped himself on the coronary band so I was trying to hose it off. He kept dancing and backed himself into the corner where her plastic cupboard is. He backed right up to it and then stopped and let me hose his wound. So yay! Perfect. And then.. he pooped. Right on top of the cabinet!!! Dan!!! You did that on purpose! I laughed and decided that Zanne really was going to kick us out. Sigh.. goofy horse.

And then after I sponged him off, I put Fleck's scrim on him. And he kept grabbing it in his teeth and pulling. NO!! Bad baby horse! Sigh...

It's a good thing he's pretty. :)