Daniel Floyd Breaux! No sir!!!
I might have been a little cranky earlier today but I'm definitely cranky now. I worked a half day today and got home around 2 pm with lunch for me and Mike. After I ate, I chilled out for a bit and then decided to go ride. I caught Dan and we tacked up. I decided to ride at home because of timing. And diesel prices. ($6.19-49/gallon these days!!!!). I put on his new pad and he looks smashing in it! I almost rode in it, to give it a test drive, but... I knew it would be dusty in the arena so I decided to save it for a trail ride break-in. Which, in retrospect, I'm glad I did because now I can't blame it for his awful behavior.
Instead of going straight to the arena, we headed to the lake as our warm up. Luckily the neighbors dogs have been locked up or penned up or something because they haven't been coming at us the last few times we tried, so yay. We got to the lake and a golf cart was coming by. Dan froze but was good and we just watched them pass. They said "he's so cool". And I told them their puppy was adorable! So then I thought.. you know... let's go flat in the field next to the tennis courts. That way we can do some dressage without having to finagle around the obstacles and deal with the dust. So we did. He almost felt a bit lame. I don't know if it's because of having the nails replaced on the one shoe... or if his stifle is bothering him. But it was so subtle. And he was a bit tense. So we kept riding and he was being a bit of a brat. Not bad, just not soft and relaxed and he felt a little bit like he was going to be naughty. We did some trotting and then I asked for the canter. He was fine going to the left. So then I debated going to the right because he was escalating. But dammit.. I'm not a chicken. So, after a bit more trotting, we tried a right lead canter. He was silly and bolted into it and then was cross cantering so I brought him back down and resettled. Then I asked again, and...the fool stuck his head down between his toes and went to crow hopping/bronc bucking. Luckily, I've gotten better at sitting those kind of bucks out and he isn't as sneaky as Funny about it. But... it's a bit more scary without a bit because I've got no real leverage to get his head up. And of course he went skittering up the hill, crossed the road (thank God no cars were coming) and into the yard of the house on the corner. I finally got him stopped. I was yelling at him and calling him names. Once I got him stopped I jumped off and just screamed at him and whacked him with my dressage whip. Hard. I was pissed!! Skittering across the concrete road with four steel shoes in a bosal is scary. And we got lucky there wasn't any traffic! And then I noticed my finger was throbbing and pouring blood. Somehow I must have sliced some skin off at the nail bed. I was still pissed so I backed his butt up and then we walked over to a little concrete stand that I was going to use to get back on. I stopped and backed him up a few more times. I was fuming mad. I got back on and we headed back to the field. I trotted some more and did lots of transitions and halts and backing up. I debated cantering again, but decided it just wasn't worth it. Which, kind of pisses me off. Like... am I losing my nerve?? Am I going to be afraid to canter him in the open now? I'm almost wondering if I need to take him to ashland in the bit with the plan of cantering him in the field and maybe trying to break this habit.
We headed back to the arena because we were damn sure going to canter in the arena. And we got back there and it was super dusty. See you jackass... you could have had a nice ride without the dust, but no.. you had to go a bit a jerkface and ruin it. We trotted and then picked up the right lead canter and of course, he was perfect. Ass! He knows exactly when he can take advantage.
We did a bit more trotting and transitions and cantering and then we did the obstacles. I was a bit more strict than maybe I should have been, but... if you can try to bronc me off, you can sit your butt and do some tight circles on your hind end. We had some good obstacles and got better in the pen, after I had to get after him some for being a slug. At one point in the drums, he lost his right hind completely. It got left WAY behind and he felt ouchy for a step or two, but then I let him have a minute and he bounced right back. And really, I didn't feel any lameness after his broncing spree earlier. So yay. We got some nice canter and then played with the garocha pole a few more times to give me some practice. And because I was still a little mad at him. My finger was smartin'! And because I had hopped off to move the plastic barrel farther out because I was thinking it was too close. I just left him "parked" while I did it and then he wandered off. And then he took off cantering. Smartly, he only did one length of the arena and then let me catch him. So... I'm sorry dude. I really don't have much empathy for you today. I don't feel bad asking you to trot the bull line a few more times for my sake.
He did get hosed off and he still got his carrot. A big fat one too. But he also got told that he was currently not my favorite child! And that he better be careful and watch himself because he was pissing me off! But I also told him I still loved him. Sigh...
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