Wolf teeth and his first dental

Danny meets the dentist!! I had Erin come out and do his teeth. He was actually pretty darn good. He didn't flinch with the drugs. Which of course, he doesn't even need a halter on to vaccinate him. I just walk out and poke him and he's fine. He got drunk and was good for the dental. But then we had to pull a very persistent despite being teeny wolf tooth on the right side. He was still good but that tooth was as stubborn as him. ;) We got it out though.

 

Both him and Fleck recovered together. Drunky monkeys!

Canter aids... duh!

Oh poor Dan.. it's a wonder you are doing as well as you are. I'm really not sure what I'm doing! ha! That's why we have Beth. :) 

So Mr. Dan got to come to wishing tree today for a lesson. He was soooo good. Oh, and he feels so much better after his session with Kathryn! Now I just need to get his teeth done and adjust him. :) 
Anyways, we went to Wishing Tree and I rode him first. When I first got on he saw the babies in the field around the ring and was high! He even bucked and bolted on me. He hasn't done that in awhile! Silly fool. So we worked him through it and he settled quite nicely. We started trotting and worked on our big trot to little trot. Beth said I needed to be more obvious in my downward to little trot. I think the reason I didn't show as much initially was because I was using just my seat aids. When I added a small amount of rein aids (mostly just squeezing my fingers around them, not even having to pull back), he was lovely. Then we did spiral in and spiral out. He's getting the hang of it. And I'm getting the hang of riding both sides of his body. He tends to make it oval/egg shaped at times, so I was much better about keeping him in a real circle. Beth also pointed out that he tends to get a little short in the neck. So she wanted me to really focus on keeping my reins longer and riding him almost like a hunter. Going to the right was much better! Of course that may have just been because she reminded me about it then. But I was able to let him stretch his neck out and then his stride opened up a bit and his gait was lovely! Beth wants me to guide him to the longer rein, but then allow him to hit the end of the reins/connection and be there for him. He needs to learn that we want him to take the connection, not go to it and avoid it. It happened too! Very few steps, but he held the connection for a step or two here and there! yay!

So then we worked on the canter. Ha.. I'm such a dufus. I told Beth that I had been "cheating" by saying "And Danny,... canter" and smooching at him. Like I do on the lunge. And I did that, but I still had to chase him into the canter. So then she told me that he needs to be responsive to my leg aids. So... I needed to ask for the canter, and if he didn't respond quickly, a tap with the whip. So we did that and he went into much better, without running. And then I mentioned that I still wasn't sure how to ask him to canter. I felt like I was doing a few different things. That's when the lightbulb moment came on. Doh... I'm such a dummy. She said I needed to sit lightly for a few strides and to put my outside leg slightly back. This was my prep aid for him. Then I was to swing my hip forward and ask. And he should respond quickly. Oh... yeah.... I was thinking to myself "Well, he doesn't know the canter aids, so... he won't know that it means canter". INSTEAD of thinking .... "gosh, he doesn't know the canter aids because he's a baby... I have to TEACH him the canter aids". Duh... Jeesh. And sure enough, after about 3 times, he figured out "oh, she means canter". Wow... it's a good thing he's smarter than me. ;)

I love him!

Lots of fun rides

So... I've been rather busy and got behind on my blogging. So I'm going to do a "lump" post. I think Dan and I have pretty much just played on the trails lately. We may have done a bit of ring work and worked on our spiral in and out and our canter circles. Nothing super exciting or newsworthy. Other than he's just a good kid! Oh, actually, there was some bragging worthy stuff. I went to ride him in the upper jump arena one day and as we walked up, we heard a clanking noise. He grew a foot and was on edge but brave. As we walked around the corner, we saw that Lucy had put up the round pen. And Gingers mom was there lunging Ginger. She said hi and told me that Ginger could get a little spazzy in there. Hee hee. I laughed and said that it was okay because Danny could get a little spazzy himself. He was really good though. He was on edge and prancy but trying very hard to do what I wanted. And then when she left and we were all alone, he didn't mind. He just kept working. Sweet huh!

So yep, we've been hacking mostly. And Dan has decided he likes to canter on the trails. A LOT! So much that he's gotten quite hot on trails. He just wants to go! But he still listens. :)

Hmmm... right hind woes

So I'm not sure if I'm doing it wrong, or Dan is just that locked in his pelvis, but... Dan has now started to bounce through the "crouching tiger". Rather than turn and cross under, he's almost ... bouncing! It's almost what he did when we first learned it. I can't tell if he's playing with me and over-excited, or if it's an evasion. So... I slowed it down. And it got better. He was actually stepping under with that right hind. But, it took slowing it down. 

Hmm.... I'll keep working on it. And adjust him. :) 

Doing our ground work

Day 1: So.... as much as I wanted to ride the squirt, I decided to do some ground work. Plus, I was running short on time both days and it was hot as molasses! No... hotter! I was dripping sweat! And exhausted after my dressage lesson with Sandy. So we just did some in hand work. Which turned out to be a good idea because Dan had a big rock in his right front when I picked his feet. And he looked a bit sore on it. So we took it easy but I did work on the things Cindy showed us. It took us awhile to get going, and he was VERY counter bent going to the right. Which, may have been the ouchies playing a factor, but maybe not. So we got some good work done and even got some canters. :) When we got home, I unloaded and Dan hung out at the gate like "that was all? come on... let's play some more"!. hee hee. Goof!

Day 2: Today was another lunge day because I had minimal time. And really, I only had time because the downpour cut Fleck and I's ride short. But it was good. Danny got to work in the rain and I'm pretty sure that was a first for him. We did a short session of lunging and again worked on spiraling out. He was MUCH better at it today. And he was stepping under more with his right hind. So yay! I still saw the occasional ouchy step but it was much more difficult to see. So yay! It'll be interesting to see how day 3 is. :) Hopefully I'll have time to ride him too. Oh wait.... nope, I won't. I've got to take Fleck to Wishing Tree and chiro four horses. Maybe I'll just have to lunge Dan in the am. Of course I also have to go to the grocery store and get gas. Eeeks... I hope I have time to lunge him. Three days in a row is key! :) No pics today as it was pouring and my phone was already rather wet. But no worries.. he's as cute as ever.

Fun Day: Playing with Cindy and Trey

Cindy and I planned a baby day today. We rode the big guys first and did some fitness and then got the kiddos out. Cindy wanted to play with Dan on the lunge line to investigate something. She said she wasn't sure if the issue she was having with Trey was Trey specific, baby horse specific, her specific, or just a general issue. So I said sure! Cindy is very talented, so yay for me. 
She got Dan on the lunge line and was making him go forward! He wasn't allowed to be "behind the leg". And forward he went! Apparently, he CAN canter on a small circle. ;) However, he kept cross cantering to the right and when he did his downward transitions, he looked downright lame. :( Cindy said she didn't think he was tracking up with his right hind. And thinking back, he doesn't cross over and under when he does his "crouching tiger" on that side. I try to be diligent, but I'm not always so. She said it's a weakness and I need to work on it. (I also think he's locked in his pelvis and I've been meaning to adjust him). So she said that when I do crouching tiger, I need to walk him forward as he's doing it, so that he learns to go forward and not get stuck. Then she said that she was trying to bend him and he's very stiff to the right. When she lunges him to the left and asks him to leg yield out (ha... just like the spiral in and spiral out I was doing under tack) by pushing him out with the whip, he bends and leg yields out. When she asks him on the right side, he turns his head to the outside, leans in, and can't do it. And it's because he's not stepping forward with that right hind. So she got him moving forward and eventually with some work, she got him bending and stepping forward. Yay! So I'm definitely going to have to do some significant work with him. But I think I can fix it before it becomes too habitual. :) Three days in a row, then some time off, then another three days in a row. Eventually, within 3 weeks, I should have made progress. I can also work on it under tack too, but on the lunge line is even less stress on his body.

So then we tacked up and played in the ring as Trey hasn't ever been in an "offcial" dressage ring. Danny was good and we worked on the usual stuff. Then I did some cantering. Well, Cindy had Trey cantering 20 meter circles and I laughed and told her that Dan and I weren't there yet. She told me that he could do it. I needed to ride the back end and steer the butt! She also suggested that I put my butt in the saddle more to accomplish that. So, sure enough, when I did sit lightly and ride his hind end and shoulders, he was definitely able to do more of the turn than usual. We didn't quite make a full 20 meter circle, which may have been my fault for not keeping my leg on. But we did manage more of the short side than usual. :) And it was easier to steer him when I thought of it that way. But I know I don't want to sit too much at first. 

So then we went to the XC field because Cindy wanted to see what Trey thought of things. Dan and I did some trotting in the open and then even trotted in and out of the water! :) He likes it. We also went up and down the bank in the water twice. He even did the other side too. :) And he also stood pretty calmly while Trey was cantering around and doing things afar. Such a good baby! 

We even finished by trotting over two logs and then walking over two logs. Yay!

So, now he gets three days off while I work and then I'll do his lunging exercises again.  

Such a smart Cookie!!!

Oh Dan! You are phenomenal :)

He's seriously going to be a super nice horse! I just hope I'm up to the challenge of helping him be as fancy as he can be. 

We had a lesson today and I took him up to the jump arena while Peri was finishing up. I probably should have done the crouching tiger and backing up before I got on, but I didn't. He was in a mood...picking on Fleck and not letting up. He kept nibbling on him and wasn't backing off. But he was good when I got on and we hacked up to the arena to watch Peri's final two rounds. I even video-ed them. The first one he was good for but was a little fidgety. The second one, Beth held him while I video-ed, so he had to be good. But you can hear him chomping on his bit. So then, Peri and I were walking with our backs to Beth and she dropped a wooden pole on the ground. It made a fairly substantial splat. Well, Dan used that as an excuse and did a shoulder drop, spin, spook move. Which caused Tess to do the same move. They both squirted out a few steps, but then stopped. Hee hee. We were giggling... Silly ponies! So then we started off on the rail and he used the butterfly bushes as an excuse and was doing the spin and spook move with bucks this time. Oh Dan. I managed to ride him through it and made him do some small circles and he settled. :)

So then Beth had me show his trot to her and then she wanted to see me canter. He actually picked up both leads quite nicely, though he also picked up a wrong lead at one point. Beth reminded me that I need to stay off his back in the canter. He's not strong enough for me to sit. I told her it was probably a defensive move as it gets so big in the fields, but that I would try. She did say to be off his back but to keep my shoulders back. And it worked. His canter improved. I also asked him for it about the way I ask Fleck and it seemed to help him get the right lead. We even did a big turn/circle. :) She said for now, to keep his canter in open areas and do big wide sweeping turns. 

 Danny walk, trots and canters

So then we went to work on leg yielding. He was a bit pissy about it today. And honestly, it's hard for me in the open arena because I don't have good landmarks. Once I started aiming at particular things, it was easier. I need to remember that it doesn't matter if he's leading with the haunches or the shoulders as we're only working on sideways right now. I also need to be softer on his face when he starts getting wonky and don't pull back accidentally when I tap him with the whip. But by the end, I was coordinating my aids and he was going sideways quite nicely. :) Yay! Both directions.

Then we worked on the trot in a big 30 meter circle. Beth had me spiral in and then spiral out. The key was to do it slowly and gradually. She also said I could cheat and ask him to spiral in on the part of the circle he wanted to and spiral out on the parts he wanted to. I need to really ride that outside shoulder going left though. He likes to pop that shoulder to the right and go right. Outside rein against his neck and outside leg/whip and just be strong. I need to be careful about not using my inside leg to much. He doesn't quite know inside leg to outside rein yet and is already popping that shoulder out, so I can't confuse him right now by using my inside leg. Especially since I just taught him that inside leg means spiral out! We got some really nice spirals in both directions and at the very end, he got even a bit collected and up in his back. Fancy!!! But I could tell his brain was starting to steam. 

 Danny spirals in and out

So then we worked on straightness and trotted over some poles. Tracking left is hard for him, so I had to work very hard to keep his outside shoulder together and keep him from drifting too far right and then too far left. And I need to ride forward so he stretches over the poles. He was good though. He tripped over them the first time and corrected it the second time, though he then tripped in the dirt. ;) Goofy.

But yep... I'm quite pleased with him. Both Peri and Beth said he's going to be quite fancy! And I think I agree with them. He already feels fairly springy. :) :) 

Such a good kid. And he worked hard. Later he was passed out in the sun snoozing away. Such a tough day for the baby. :)