Practicing again

 Dan and I are playing  a delicate balance of taking it easy and not stressing his stifle too much and prepping for regionals so we can at least be somewhat competitive. So today we practiced. I tacked him up and got on at the roundpen and headed up to the arena.

 

Unfortunately, as soon as I got on, Jean's baby horse started screaming frantically and racing about. Which got the girls riled up, who started racing. And that meant Dan got riled up. He started prancing and threatening to bolt. And then he bucked. And then he reared! I was yelling at him to knock it up, because... not as much fun in a bosal! And I didn't want him to hurt himself. He kept at it because they other horses kept at it. I finally managed to get him still enough to jump off and then he was still trying to bolt and reared up at me. I managed to walk him up to the top of the hill without losing him or getting hurt and once we got up there, the baby horse had calmed down and the girls settled, so Dan settled too. Good gravy! 

We got in the arena and all was well, so I got back on. He was fine so we walked a bit and worked on our marching walk and then did some trotting. I spent about ten minutes just working on our dressage. A nice forward trot with good bend/flexion and then good prompt and forward transitions. After that we added in some obstacles. He was doing pretty well. But I did have to get after him in the pen for being sluggish. I did play with it a bit and I think if I track left first, it helps loosen him up for the harder right bend. I have to make sure I come far enough out before my turn on the haunches so we aren't angled going back in. But if I go in and track left first.. come out, and then turn on the haunches left, then go back to the right, it seems to work the best. We had a one or two good runs through.

I played with running the whole course. The first run through was awful. Well, not awful, but not good at all. The second run through was much better and even quite decent. If I can figure out how to start the darn double slaloms, it's so much better. I have to make sure he's marching into the walk and make sure I use my leg in the reinback so it's "marchy". Our gates were pretty decent today. I do have to be careful that I don't overdo the "prompt" transitions and make sure my timing is good for the jug. I kept stopping a step or two too forward. Or I was too far away and had to reach too far. 

He was great at the pole. Me, not so much. I didn't drop it today but bounced it out of the barrel. Ugh... But, I also managed to spear my bellboot once which feels fairly impressive. And he didn't get fast or runny, so yay. 

We cantered a tiny bit because it was still pretty humid out and he was puffing, even with his haircut. Poor guy. The right lead canter was awful to start.. he was bracing with his underneck. But, once I got him to soften, it was quite nice. We finished with a tiny bit more trot work and a halt and he was good.

Tonight I went ahead and shockwaved both stifles, the right neck base and mid cervicals and then both sacroiliac joints and his lumbosacral joint. I've noticed that suddenly his neck looks very puny again and he's standing with his hind feet one behind the other. (Like Marvin). I'm not sure if it's because of his stifle (which is pretty effusive feeling) or because of his SI joints, or ??? I'm not sure Kelli has figured it out with Marvin either. Maybe it's all of the things. But he used to stand fairly square behind. And he's back to resting that right hind all the time. So, he'll get his second legend tomorrow and today we shocked. So... fingres crossed. If it helps, I'm guessing I'll repeat it next week too. 

Sassy butt!

 Daniel was NAUGHTY today!! 

 

We met up with Sharon and Baylor and went for a nice long hack. I did a "dress rehearsal" and put on one of our outfits to see if it was going to work for regionals. Sharon, Kelli and Cindy all liked it. I'm not 100% convinced but... I don't know what to do to make it better and honestly, I've spent WAY TOO MUCH money on "outfits" already and keep getting mismatched pieces that don't work in one big outfit. So... I'm just going to have to accept it and move on. But Sharon got some photos for me and she liked it in person too. It was too hot to wear long sleeves so I took my shirt off and just rode in my tank top for the actual ride. 

 

We had a good ride and hit some trails we haven't done in awhile. We trotted some too. Sharon wanted to be in front for a bit because Baylor was creeping up on Dan. So I let her. And then Baylor was walking slow and Dan was creeping up on him. Which was fine.. until we trotted. Dan kept putting his head down and bucking. Sir.. just stop! You are old enough to know better and just.. stop! You can't always have it your way! I was frustrated with him and Sharon offered to let us lead again, but... you've got to learn Dan! So we kept at it. And it was very little trotting. But at the end we did some more and we had to duck under a tree branch and Dan... took advantage and as I ducked onto his neck, he put his head down and bucked, which threw the horn into my boobs! Argh!! It didn't hurt that bad but it did hurt. And tonight I had a red rub mark from it. But we survived. I was mad enough though that as Sharon trotted off I made him halt and back up.. and then trot... and then he kept wanting to run to catch up, so we were jigging sideways. But I'm sorry sir.. you can't have it your way all the time. This isn't Burger King!! 

 

So we were pretty much finished riding at that point as we were trotting up the backside of the stadium arena and ended up back in the parking lot. I told Sharon that I needed to go in the arena briefly because he couldn't end on that. But also, I had already mentioned (even before he was naughty) that I wanted to go run through my test just once if the arena was open. So we did that. He was a little sad he had to leave his friend, but he was good. And there were no shenanigans. So we ran through the test once or twice and did a tiny bit of additional work. I added two canters and then we were done. I did make him do another solo trail ride just around pyteradactyl lake and he trotted quite politely and softly. 

 

Twit! But we did have fun otherwise. 

 

Spider Season

It's SPIDER SEASON! They were out in full force! Or no one has been on the trails recently. Or both. 

 

Dan and I had a fun ride though. We met Sharon for a hack and just had a chill ride. It's so hot again. Ugh... And now spiders AND humidity. Doh! The ponies got some snacking with their hacking and Sharon and I had fun talking and walking. I did most of the dewebbing as Dan and I led most of the way. I did end up with two spiders hitch hiking a ride. Unless it was the same one twice. Maybe. It looked similar. 

We joust... bellboots!

Ha ha... I'm so creative. And cheap. ;) I found a friend who gave me three barrels, but only one had the lid off already. So i got Mike to help me and we were able to make a second barrel lidless. Our saw was too wimpy to cut through the thick plastic so we had to use the drill and drill holes all the way around and then take the hand saw and hack through the tiny bit leftover. But it worked! Success! So I had my two barrels to put the pole in. And my garocha pole is just a long thin piece of PVC we had laying around. But it seems to work close enough. But then I needed to figure out how to make my bull and hoop. I hadn't thought about it until I was up there though, but I remembered that I had an old bell boot that was falling apart that I used as a proprioceptive bellboot. It still has the loop and velcro but is missing all but one chunk of the flap. So, I rolled the third barrel into the middle and then stuck the bellboot on it's side on it. And it worked! Ha ha! It's a bit low, but it stands up!

So, Dan and I went to go play. We had a decent ride. He did some of the obstacles really nicely!! And I even speared the bellboot twice. Although it's tough because it's a bit too low and then extra tough because if I'm not careful I jab the edge of the barrel with the pole because it has a lip. Doh! But still, better than nothing. Although the first time I grabbed the pole I dropped it. Jeepers... I've only even done that once before... why is that a new thing suddenly!!?? Now I have to read the rules and see if I have to get off and get it. But that's a surefire way to get a 1!! 

  

(Dan says "get your crap together mom! Don't fail us in the course!")

 

We also had some really good reinbacks today. And we practiced the rounding post from the walk. We did the livestock pen decently too. A bit more march to our walk and some good turn on the haunches. Although I still need to play with which direction I turn first and then which way I do my turn on the haunches. We played with the gate and had some good attempts at that both regular and reverse. I almost think I like the reverse gate better now! I would suspect that they would have us do it reverse in regionals, but I don't actually know. 

 

So yay. Overall a good ride. Although he did feel a bit sore and sloppy at the walk. Almost neuro again. But more just clutzy than neuro. I will start his Legends tonight too and hopefully adjust him tomorrow, so maybe that will help. I have noticed he's also not standing square behind anymore and starting to stand like Marvin... one hind foot behind the other. Maybe I should shockwave his stifle and SI joints and LS joint too.