But we didn't die....

Good Gravy! This is getting harder instead of easier! 

I am trying my hardest to get all of Dan's rehab in, but he's not making it easy either. Some days he's sooooo good. Like the day I rode in the front field and Fleck was cantering around. Dan perked up but didn't do anything. And then other days, he's rearing up 6 times while I hand walk him. Although he was pretty snuggly at another walk. Sigh...

Today was the Pony Club jump show at Ashland. I didn't want to deal with all the commotion there and wanted a change of scenery anyways. But... I didn't want to drive to Harbins as I've got a ton to do. The horse park trails were closed. I had to get feed so I thought about riding at Halfshire. Then I could hit the trails at Ashland without having to deal with show commotion and I could hit the trails we haven't been able to reach within the time limits of our rides. Elizabeth was nice and said we could ride there so we did. She warned us that there was some downed trees right where the wooded path opens up into the big hay field and that even Jack was a little spooky. 

So we started off and went around the paddocks in the back wooded area before I realized I had missed the turn for Ashland. I guess I had forgotten about the trees although I'm not sure it would have mattered. Dan was already on high alert but holding it together. We got close to the clearing and suddenly Dan dropped his shoulder, spun, and cantered/galloped back up the path. I was a little off guard and it took me a minute to bring him back. Sigh... Come on Dan!! That's not part of our therapy! So then he was so nervous and jazzed I actaully decided to get off of him and hand walk him past it so he could see that it wasn't scary. It worked, sort of. I did manage to hang on when he tried to spin and bolt again. My shoulders will never be the same.

I was finally able to get him to walk past it enough and then we walked down to the creek where I got back on. We had a fairly uneventful ride and then when we came back that way, I was smart. We approached with a long distance and he was able to see. I made him touch a few of them and he was fine. Alert, but fine. So we managed to get back home without any major mishaps. Hopefully he didn't do any damage to the muscles. Sigh...