This and That

Not much to report...been trying to get back into the swing of things after being gone.  Work has been super busy and while I like the $$ that comes with extra hours, I don't like being tired and having less pony time. 

We had a couple good flat rides this week, Buddy was reasonably forward and listening well.  Thursday I decided to jump him, as the two cavallettis and a cross rail were in the arena.  Apparently not jumping for two weeks = crazy horse!  Buddy launched over the cavallettis and I had to stop him in the line to remind him of his manners. We trotted in and trotted out of the line about 7 or 8 times before he got it and calmed down.  From there we moved on to cantering the cross rail and he wanted to run at it.  Every time I asked him to wait he would flip his head and get pissy.  We got a couple decent ones and called it good.

Friday one of the other girls was riding while I was, and she had put the cross rail up to a 2'6" vertical so we tried again.  He was pushy and cranky during our flat warm up, but remembered the cavalletti exercise from the day before.  I let him canter down the line since he was being good then we moved on the the vertical.  Same thing from the day before; wanting to run at it and getting mad when I made him wait.  The first time at it, he was way off to the right trying to fit the last stride in and smacked the rail pretty hard.  But that helped him learn as the second time when I asked him to wait he was better about it and less pushy.  Third time was the charm!  Nice quiet fence where I could sit back and let him go without feeling like he was a freight train.  We ended there and he got a bath since the weather's been so good.

Today he got the day off and when I went to the barn I found that he had used his free time to do a little remodel on his stall.  Knocked the top board of his half wall off.  He seemed very proud of himself.