We got back from Louisiana yesterday evening. JUST before sunset. And just close enough to sunset to not really have time to do anything. Sigh. Oh well. The good news is that Dan saw me and was waiting in his stall for me with his ears pricked!!! And then didn't snarl at me when I came in for snuggles! Granted, it was dinner time... and he did have a scab in his ear that was super itchy but still, I'll take it!
Anyways, after a little bit of sleep in this morning (Oh how I missed my bed!) I got the ponies fed. Then I had to drive Mike to the bank and then Mountain Motor Sports. He bought another bike. Then I barely had enough time to get back home, change, and grab Dan to meet Kelli. He was so dirty too!!! Like... crusted globs of dried mud on him. Gross! Guess I should have left a sheet on him this morning but it was so warm and I thought he wanted naked time.
Anyways... I lunged him first. He's doing so much better and staying straight on the lunge. I don't have to work as hard to get his right hind from swinging laterally on the left lead. So we didn't do a ton because... he looked good! So then I swapped the cavesson out for his bridle and got on. We started with our slow methodical walk with haunches to the left (going with what I've been seeing on the lunge). Then we did the figure 8 at the walk with haunches left. And.. .at the end (I think it was the haunches left one) he gave a big sigh and licked and chewed. Interesting! We did both ways and then we went to the trot. We did our big figure 8 trots doing the haunches in and kept the slow trot. Then I did a little bit of trotting without focusing on the figure 8. I did ride haunches in when tracking right, but when tracking left I tried to ride straight in general or shoulder fore. It's definitely harder tracking right. Kelli watched and said he looked pretty good. There were moments where he lost his balance and fell a bit but then we got back to a nice steady level balance too. yay! I could feel it too. It's easier to feel his balance when we're slow trotting and not running. She did say that when I let him stretch to the buckle, he immediately fell onto his forehand. So... there's that. But overall, it was a good ride. A short one, but good. We then went on a short trail ride... to the lake and then back around the small lake. I was tempted to swap out his bridle and give Kelli her bit back (I was trying the new one in the right size again) but opted to just head home. I was hungry and didn't want to overdo it with Dan. I felt like he had worked hard and he lost his hind end a few times on the trails and in the ring so I didn't want to fatigue him. And I had the girls to work.
I'll probably ride him at home tomorrow and then Tuesday we have our lesson with Rana. :)
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