So very good and so very bad

Danny is sooooo good when it counts. And so naughty sometimes. But it's all good. I like sass. :)

After my week in Acupuncture land I didn't have time to ride on Monday, so it was Tuesday for our lesson as our first ride back. He had been off since the Sunday before so.. 8 days. And had only been ridden twice each week the two weeks prior. So I expecting some cavorting. But he was great!

We had a good lesson and he was back to his normal self. I kind of lost our canter leads but I think it was more of a me thing. I really think my leg is more forward than it is. So... once I started thinking about putting my leg more forward, we got it. I was basically asking him to do the opposite of what I wanted. Sigh.. of course.

So then I got to ride Thursday with Kelli. We started on the flat and worked on fixing our leads. Poor guy. He was trying so hard to do it right.. .it was like he knew I wanted the correct lead but was so confused as to why I was asking for the opposite lead. Sigh.. But we got it. :)Or he got it. He really is a tryer and a smart kiddo.

After our flat work we went for a long hack. He was good for the first part and then we hit the sprinkler field. He stayed good.... up, but good. And thankfully the sprinklers were gone! Then we crossed the creek and I asked Kelli if she wanted to trot because he was getting more up. Well... he got naughty. We did okay for a bit but then we hit the moguls and on the first one he popped me so high out of the saddle I thought I was coming off so I had to halt him before the second one. Then he kept doing his little hoppy thing, hopping up into the air, but not quite rearing. So we trotted some more and he got wild and wanted to canter. So then we walked. And he went up in the air more like a rear, so I picked my whip up to pop him on top of his head. And I swear, he knows it's coming. He's bad anyways, but he knows it's coming. So he ducked his head and started spinning. Like legit reining horse spin!!! 6 times in 2 seconds it felt like. I just sat there like "what's happening/!?". hee hee. I was dizzy. So we carried on then. He was trying soooo hard to be good. He was seriously walking flat footed on a loopy rein and then he'd squeal and bounce up and down. Then go back to walking. So I told Kelli that he had to go have a little fun. He was trying and deserved to be able to get it out of his system. So we crossed the bridge and left them behind and I let him canter. We were still in our dressage saddle so we didn't gallop but we did a fast canter all down along the creek, up to the field, and then some more in the field. :) Then we cantered/galloped back through the field and then went to find Kelli. She wanted to have a little canter though the path by the creek too so we stayed behind her. He wasn't horrible, but he wasn't perfect. :) But we survived and then were able to mostly walk back to the barn. It's crazy how fit he is.... Fall is gonna be tough! :)

 So... then today, I had to take Fleck to a vet appointment. Third opinion.... just to see if there's something ANYTHING I can do to get him feeling better quicker. Which means that Danny has to be left alone. I was a little afraid. I mean... he stands quietly and happily in the trailer when I take Fleck off and go ride. And they aren't always even in the same field at home. So maybe he'd be fine. Fleck had already shown that he didn't mind the two times Dan and I went to ride. I had Mike stay and watch. They both got fed and then after I took Fleck to the trailer and groomed him. Dan looked out but didn't call out or anything. So then I loaded Fleck up and drove through and Dan poked his head out and whinnied but didn't seem like he was panicking. So Fleck and I left. I got to the Kroger and texted Mike and didn't hear anything. So after about 7 panicked minutes where I"m picturing Danny jumping out of his stall down and squashing Mike and breaking a leg.... Mike texts back "He's fine". Phew!! Then I was in Canton forever with Fleck so I checked back again and Mike sent me a picture of Dan in his stall, just chilling. Phew...

Huge relief to know that they can both stay home alone. It makes my life much easier for now. And it's good for them. So yep... sooo good when it counts. :)




 But then he had the zoomies after being in all day. ;)

wild ride

Rowdy boy. Apparently riding twice a week is not enough. We got on and had to pretty much do 10 laps at the gallop in the XC field. Then we played and jumped a tiny bit. Then we went for a long hack. Then we jumped and played some more. Then we went for a bareback canter to the lake. Then we came home. And he was still bouncy on the way home. :) But at least he was good. :) 


Down the drop, through the water, and over the coop

smaller bank, throught the water, over the coop

I'm so thirsty!

Coop to the water and up and out

Epic Ride

Well that was an epic ride!! Apparently dan had to get all shenanigans in at once since we haven't been riding as much. We started off at the lake as we ran into judy. Dan decided to go for three seims, which meant my poor saddle was submerged again. Then we did hill work and he was lazy so I was thinking I could have gone bareback and saved my saddle. So then we hit the trails for a quick hack and to show him that the giant sprinklers weren't going to eat him. They were off when we set out. So we get to the field and he's suspicious but being brave and almost to the point of carrying bravely on. And we hear a noise. Yep...the sprinklers one field over went off. So then...knowing what was coming next I'm attempting to get dan moved far enough away but not alarm him...and we get a bit aways and that sprinkler comes on. He spins and bolts but my trusty (albeit soaked) saddle #countysaddlessavetheday keeps on board. So we have a fairly controlled canter romp to the woods, then jog to the xc field where I let him gallop (35.6 mph) and then we went to the arena to simmer down. Then...I get home and toss him in his stall. I've always put your snaps facing in but I guess with him jazzed up from the sprinklers I didn't. So he rubs his face and manages to get caught on the wall....
For being 5, he really really kept his cookies together today!

Mental Health Breaks

So.. study, study, study... But... I have to get in a few rides :)

On Wednesday I finished early and it was supposed to rain Thursday, so I decided to go for a quick dressage school but met up with Missy so we just flatted in the jump arena and then went for a trail ride.

 Then because it's a long holiday weekend and I had to start it out right, ... I couldn't resist and went for a hack with Kelli and Judy and then a jump around. Danny started out pretty good on the trails even though I could tell he wanted to go! Then they started the sprinklers up again. And Danny got up! Not horrible, but up. And Arwyn was being naughty, so we turned around. Well, Danny kept bouncing up in the air but he held it together. Arwyn was being a twit too, so... we decided to have me go on ahead and let Dan move and Kelli and Judy stayed behind so Arwyn could stop and think. I made Dan walk to the bridge and cross it and then I let him trot up the little hill, over the dam, and up to the XC field. I was thinking we'd go for a gallop but I wanted to make sure no one was in the field. Good thing because Julie and her friend were. We said hi and then they headed to the woods so I let Dan have a trot up the hill to give them time and then I let him gallop. But he was like "meh... I'll just politely canter instead". Really??? What happened to the fire breathing dragon I had in the woods?! Guess he just needed to go somewhere and move and that was all he needed. I hopped him over 3 fences and then we met up with Sandy and chatted til Judy and Kelli showed back up. Then we headed to the arena and did some jumping. He was a very good boy, if not a little lazy today. He cracks me up as he knows when he lands on the wrong lead that I'm going to ask him to swap so he does this split second simple change. Hee hee. What a good boy. Sometimes I don't even have to ask him.

Our little jump course

So it was a fun day. Now back to the books!

Tuesday Aha's

Lesson day.

We got a LOVELY soft canter. He was round and carrying himself and his back was up. But it was hard and he kept breaking. I must keep my leg on more.

Cindy also gave me a good indicator. She said that anytime he fell to the right with his withers and leaned it, it threw his forelegs to the rail. And I felt it because my heel starting digging into him but it was back behind the girth doing it. Which was just aggravating the situation. She said when my brain felt that... to look down and see that my leg was wrong. Then pick my inside shoulder up, put my leg in front of the girth (or at least at the girth) and then I could dig my heel in if I wanted to tell him GET OFF MY INSIDE LEG! Instead of completely collapsing and making it worse with my body... I need to sit up, lift the inside and front (ie... my seat, my hip, and my shoulder and core) and bring my right leg forward and up (Not up as in lifting my heel and knee. I still need to be careful about keeping my leg long) and ride those front feet back underneath his chest. :)

Good ride today. We also worked on straightness in the walk to trot to walk to halt to trot. It was getting there but boy do I have to think. Also we had some good lateral moves at the leg yield one way again too :)

Sprinklers are Scary

And I jinxed myself. :)

Rode Sat for a bit doing hills and the field work (or really ended up talking to friends then keeping Dan contained while another person galloped). Then we headed to the arena and Peri joined us so I did some jumping. He was awesome. Then we went for a hack.

We were talking about how he's not spooky and was being so good, even being behind LE. He really was... quiet, flat footed, on the buckle. No shenanigans.

Then we saw the sprinklers and the hay trucks. He went up on his tippy toes... but no biggy... we can do this. So we carried on out of view again. But then when we got a bit closer, he started dancing. He was still flat footed and really on the buckle but much much more animated! A very springy walk!

Then we hit the halfshire field and he saw them again and then we started jigging. And we jigged pretty much the entire way home. Man... Peri is right. That is exhausting. He kept it together but barely. And for awhile it felt like one more thing would really blow his top. Luckily we survived. But yep. I jinxed myself bragging on him. ;) Although I suppose I could still brag on him. He's 5. They were scary sprinklers! :)

Well Hot Damn!

Hee hee.... I got home with just enough time to sneak in a quick ride. I figured that I would spend all of Thursday studying even though I'd have more time to ride after the dentist, but... this way I could get in a ride and spend all day studying Thursday. (Ha.. that didn't work quite how I wanted but I did study and not ride Thursday). 

So... I tossed him on the trailer and headed to Ashland. Kelli was working in the arena already and it sounded like Arwyn may be better without the distractions so we tried to sneak to the field. Plus I just really wasn't in the mood for a straight up dressage ride. I figured Dan wasn't either. I was right. ;) 

We started doing a little bit of field work but he was just not relaxing. He wasn't bad or naughty just up in his head carriage and wouldn't soften and use his back. We managed about 10 minutes of work and then we did a little canter.... and he begged. Oh how he begged. So I said you know what?!?! Why not?! Kelli had just texted me asking where we went so I figured I had to be quick. So I got him straightened out and let him bust into the gallop! He was soooo ready! He'd been itching since we got there so he was ready and off he went. It was intense!!! We started at the bottom on the flat area, took off across the bottom by the lake and then galloped full tilt up the hill. It took me from the top of the hill to the blue swing to get him stopped. So we gathered ourselves, made sure Kelli hadn't come out yet, and had another rip! It was rip roaring fun!!! I swear it felt faster than the 33 mph we clocked ourselves. It was so fast and fun that when I got him pulled up I just let out a "Hot Damn!" without even thinking. Hee hee...
 

So then we probably could have/would have taken a third spin but Kelli showed up while we were walking past the path to the trailers so we decided that was enough. Luckily it satisfied both of our souls so we were able to go on a polite trail ride. We finished up fairly quickly as it was getting dark so I hopped in the arena for a minute for a quick little trot and canter. 

So ahh...... We both needed that. :) 

Now to just find time to go out to the track and really let him rip! :)