Settling In

The ponies are settling in quite well to their new home I think. It was touch and go the first day on what they though. Of course the one day it rains all day - with a lot of wind I may add. Combined it did not equal the most calm of ponies. However they held it together and didn't look like total out of control beasts. Success?

The next day when we got out they were running about having a grand old time. So I snapped pictures for a while. Then to wait them out some my mom and I went exploring on the trails around the property. Once we got back the ponies had calmed down considerably. So I tacked Poncho up and headed to the ring. We only did a quick ride w/t and the hack back the field. He was super duper for his first time down there. Not too spooky.





Monday I felt like death, my arms were going to fall off and I couldn't even put my car in park without my back killing me. So no barn.

Tuesday it was HOT by the time I got out there and the bugs were out with a vengeance. I still attempted to ride. We hacked some in the field which was not a raging success. I didn't think anything of leaving Midnite in there with us because why would she be a problem? Wrong. She was up his but the whole time or running at us on into us. FAIL. So we left the field. Rode in the ring for a few where he got a little pigheaded about falling in again. No surprise there. He cantered once - I didn't ask for it but it was nice and calm.  Then I rode down the driveway and back to the field.

Wednesday was an epic bug failure. I couldn't do anything on him. He was just hopping and twisting all over so I quit and called it a day.

Thursday I got there and someone else was riding his new pasture buddy. So he was back in with the ladies. I take him out to tack up and he loses his sanity. After several failed attempts I give up and turn him back out. Head back to the barn to grab some ointment for Midnite and the flyspray. Get back out to the ponies and Poncho is now lame. WHATTHEHELL! So I go back to the barn to grab bute and a halter to further assess situation. Although it turns out after about 15 minutes of me leaving him alone it was just a bug that got into his bell boot. 1g of bute wasted!Oh well.

Today I got a fairly productive ride in. Rode with the BO. In the field. W/T/C. Still didn't ask for the canter but he was just happy and wanted to go so I let him have some fun. I felt like I was 75% in control during canter - much improved. His trot work could have been smoother but he's not used to such a hilly area to trot. It'll just take some time. Ponyman just rocks. He's pretty much acting like a total rockstar. You'd never know he hasn't even been at this barn a whole week!

Almost back to normal!

Today Mr. Pony's eye was almost 100% back to normal! YAY. Especially considering that today on my home from the barn my powersteering died! So I had to get it towed to the shop. Money, money, money.

In more pony related news I had a nice hack on Poncho today. We hacked around the barn and I attempted to open and close the gate to the ring. We have a successful open. But an unsuccessful close. He bashed my knee on the post as we raced out of the ring. Woopsies. Then once we were in he was enamored with the LADY! That's right there was a lady in the ring. He was all goo-goo eyes for her. What a little dork.

Mini-Vaction and we're Moving On.

Since my lat post I left off as if I was going to ride and try to work through our issue. Well at the last minute I decided to give the Pony-O a vacation. I had looked at all my ride logs and noted that since the year started he has never had more than 4 days off in a row the whole year! Man has been working it! So I thought maybe his baby brain is just a little frazzled.

During his week off he was quite confused as to why he wasn't doing anything. Pampering didn't seem to cut it with the boy. He wanted more. He did end up getting his shots done-which I'd like to add he was the best he's ever been for. He's normally a demon pony trying to kill us all. But not that day.

After his week off full of pampering and such that Saturday I tacked up hoping for the best. While I was tacking up I got the notion in my head that I was just going to hop on there and walk around the barn (his notoriously scary spot). After a week of nothing it probably wasn't the best idea but I went for it anyways. He was perfect. We never went above a walk and we just moseyed around for a while. Sunday we upped the anti. I still hacked around the barn first. Then we warmed up in the ring he was about 80% with me on his bad direction. So I thought what the hey let's jump some. Oh my. After his first refusal, he always refuses the gate the first try no matter what, he was brilliant. We did have a couple of run-outs. But I'm not quite sure I would really call them that. He just wants to be on the rail and just go's for it, which makes us miss the jump. However everytime the next time around he always jumps it. Not the point though. He was just a jumping machine I was sooooo happy.

Monday and Tuesday he had off. Wednesday he got some shoes and ended up having off. Thursday we hacked in the gelding field where his eye turned up swollen and squinty afterwards. Which then led to weepy. I doctored the best I could and came back out later with help. Friday he had off his eye was better not 100%. Yesterday his eye was still a little swollen - needs to go down I can't afford a vet visit. :( However it was not bothering him in the slightest so I went forward with a plan to hack around the barn and then the gelding field.

He ofcourse spooked some at the honey suckle- they're out to get him. And he was going on the bit so nicely. We had a mostly controlled trot out there.

Basically I'm just keeping it really light since he's so sour about riding around the ring these days. I'm not super worried because in a week we're moving to a new barn!!!!!!!!! So excited.

Chaos ensues!!!!!!!

We've gone back to some more consistent ring work. The first day we went back in there, I thought at the time it was  a fluke, he was horrible. Just generally all over the place not wanting to bend, turn, stop, etc.

Wowzers was I shocked after how amazing he's been in the fields. Apparently the freedom went to his head. Goober. Since that ride we've been on a bit of a roller coaster. One day he's manageable the next not so much. The only thing I've found that he can "get to work" with is jumping. No matter how out of control he's being if I point him at a jump he almost instantly comes back to me.

So we've been having bouts of bolting out of the blue. It's only tracking left. Mainly at the canter, although the trot isn't all to pleasant just a prelude as to what will come at the canter. For instance after working hard to get the left lead he then locks on the whatever fence line is straight ahead of us and runs at. And he means it. Today we literally ran into the fence 3 times. I was able to manage on our last left lead attempt to careen him into a turn albeit it was UGLY and just awful but we did not hit the fence.

On to a more positive note is jumping is much improved. He's getting the hang of the gates. Ironically he has a harder time with a plain vertical than a gate. Our cross rails are obviously a piece of cake so we're slowly raising them up. AND his right lead is coming on in leaps and bounds. Today he kept the correct bend for about 80% of the time we were cantering on that lead!!!!!!!! We've still be hacking out just not for the whole ride mostly. Sometimes it's before sometimes it's after just trying to switch things up a bit. Keep him guessing.

Here's to hoping tomorrow we won't hit a fence.

http://youtu.be/DLfTm7xU9eY