Well, Dan was back to his normal self today. :) We rode at home because it was getting too late by the time I got home from jump judging at Pine Top. We just rode in the front field but he was good. :)
I'm so blessed to have such cute wonderful ponies!
Danimal was EXPLOSIVE today!!! Rawr!! He was a bit bouncy on Thursday but today was way worse! Luckily I rode Fleck first with Peri and George. And even Fleck was a bit rowdy. So then Kelli joined me with Dan. He was bouncing straight up in the air from about 6 strides into the ride til about 15 minutes in. I thought for a few minutes I was going to have to abandon the trails and hit the arena to avoid hitting the dirt. But finally he settled, took a breath, and moved forward instead of up and down and we were able to take a nice hack. He even relaxed enough by the end to go on the buckle. Phew... I was not wanting to hit the arena. We needed some trails!
So... the planets aligned and I was able to buy a friends truck - a 2003 Ford 350 Dually Diesel!! With the good 7.3L engine. :) I was able to buy it outright, so no payments, which means... I could then finance a new trailer. So.... I did it! I bought a 2+1 and plan to use the +1 part as my tack room. I had them insulate it and add air and heat and a cowboy shower. I'm so excited. Now I can stay in my trailer and not have to get a hotel room. It's so exciting!!
I ended up having to go Wednesday to pick it up in Virginia. Which is way better than Delaware which is where it was originally. They shipped it to Virginia for the additions so I only have to get it from there. It was a 5.5 hour drive there, so really not too bad. However, I was supposed to be there at 1, but when I got there at 12:30, they said it would be a few more hours. Ugh... So I hung out, visited a park, shopped at the amish store, and then did some work scheduling people while I waited. It wasn't too bad. And it was worth it. It's so cool!!! The drive home was worse.... in the dark with the new trailer. And it took me a little closer to 6 plus hours. I left my house at 5:45 am, drove from Georgia to North Carolina, to Tennessee, then to Virginia, then back to Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and finally back to Georgia. 715 miles total. But I was able to get the trailer down the driveway.
Turning it around is another story. It's going to take me a few tries to figure out the best way to do it. Doh! But we took it on the maiden voyage today!!! Yay! It was so good to be back at Ashland.
Although dingbat.... was only in there by himself for about 12 minutes total while I rode Fleck... and he chewed up the breast bar already. Seriously DAN?!!!!!! Ugh... such a brat!
He was feisty today too! He may have reared up about 7 times but behaved and didn't do anything more than bounce up. :)
Regardless of his antics and shenanigans I am forever thankful for this crazy kid. Today is Thanksgiving Day so I suppose I shall do a sappy thankful post. :) I'm so blessed... so very blessed. I really am grateful for all that God has given me and blessed me with. Dan is such a fun, goofy, quirky, silly, happy kid and I just adore him. I hope that we will have many more years of fun!
Well... it took 3 months of restricted exercise/stall rest/hand walking/walking rehab riding before it happened, but it happened. Dan broke free. :( I decided to take just him to Ashland to ride because I didn't have time to ride both and they need to get used to it again because Dan's appointment was in two days and Fleck and him would be separated all day. So I turned Fleck into the front field and politely asked him to keep it calm, even though I knew I had been asking a lot of him lately and not giving him any rewards for it. Yeah.. he said "screw that, you're right... I'm getting screwed!". And was a little bit rowdy. He wasn't terrible, but he was running a little bit. Dan did pretty good with it and wasn't that crazy but he got only halfway into the trailer before he came back out. He came out quick and I couldn't hold him. He went flying off and then galloped down to the front field gate. Ugh... then he went galloping to the old barn and then luckily into the arena/round pen, so I was able to trap him. And then he was fine and let me grab him and then politely loaded into the trailer. 
