Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Bad Pony

I'm getting twitchy. I need more ride time. Won't be long and the days will slowly start to get longer. And I can fiddle with my work hours too, going in a couple hours late and working late or coming in early and leaving early..... why? SO I CAN RIDE. Right now I think I'm stuck with just riding the road. We did that this weekend. Saturday Twister tried to kill me plus the stupid dog (the old one that KNOWS better) was running out in front of every car and not listening to me at all and it was terrible. I got home and made Twister work on his bend and poll release at the walk. It was too wet to even trot outside without fear of us going down. He was a jerk to say the least and took me 10 minutes of constant asking to get him to be light and bendy both ways. Sunday we went down the road with a young horse my friend is training. They were both great. We stopped next to a combined corn field to chat and teach Chicken Nugget (young horse) that we don't always have to be on the go. That went well until we saw two little girls cutting across the field to pet the horses. That was our cue to leave. Only the boys thought those girls were pink horse eating monsters and when we turned them to head home they both freaked. Twister was jumping into the road and bucking and Nugget was ready to bolt. They DID NOT want to turn their backs to those terrifying little girls................. I had to say it.... but we had to get off and walk a ways. I HATE getting off. But where we were on the road no one would see us in the road until they hit us and the boys were not staying out of the road! But they ended the ride well by letting us mount up a while later and calmly walk and jog home.

The whole ride Sunday I worked on Twister carrying himself at the walk. Just because we are hacking out down the road doesn't mean he gets to slack off. I had the wrong bit in his mouth to get the best work out of him, but it was the best bit for breaks and steering after how he acted Saturday. I need to play with bits some and see what one will work best for hacking down the road but still make him give me good dressagey work and have breaks and steering should he turn into an ass.....which happens. Did you know that donkeys are also horse-eating monsters??? The jack down the road opens his mouth and starts braying and Twister will lose his ever-loving mind if we are next to his fence. I guess I'll never own a jack..............

I need to ride more. But the lack of a sand arena/riding space makes it really hard. And even when it does try out some it's only enough to walk/trot and I'd really love to work on our canter. As of right now there is no way in hades we will be cantering inside a 20x40 without jumping out............ And the show schedule has been posted. I officially have 5 months.

2 comments:

  1. I feel your pain - it feels like we've had nothing but horrible rainstorms this month and everything is so flooded the only place I can 'trail' ride is on the road, which if I'm honest is happening only a couple of times a week. Best of luck to you :)

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  2. yikes - that meltdown on the road sounds super sketchy; i would have gotten off too!! that said tho, the bad weather won't last 5 months and ponykins will remember that he knows how to be fancy too :)

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