Wednesday we were at the barn early, well as early as possible with work, although we still didn't really beat the heat. Since we've been riding more with my Mom we were in the ring again. Luckily Poncho seems to be tolerating more. Whether it's because of the heat, bugs, or he's learning that he's just got to do real work sometimes I don't know but I'm glad for the change. He was moving out lovely. Our trot work was phenomenal, he's softening to the bit so much quicker. Our canter work was to die for - in my humble opinion. He got his left lead on the first freaking try!!!!!!!! It was mad fast but controlled and he was just having a blast, and so was I. So we kept on going. There were some jumps set up so I figured he was great, might as well. We went over our first vertical in months. Not a raging success but it stayed up. We jumped another gate with two barrels on either side. That blew his mind a little. Then we went turned back for the vertical - that combo was too much for him we ended up knocking the vertical down. I didn't feel like getting off to fix it so instead we popped over the gate again. Then we cooled out for awhile.
Thursday he had off.
Friday was so hot by the time I got on we could only manage 10 minutes walking in the gelding field before we were both drenched.
Yesterday there was so much commotion going on at the barn. The people who a leasing out the use of the facility (two western pleasure riders), the BO and family were out and about, and two random girls plus the boarders who kept popping up. The ring was all moved around and the blue standards and gate were on the rail. That's a no no in Ponch's book. Then there was a golfcart and gator zooming around the ring. June beetles were bouncing off of us left and right. Poncho was flying high that's for sure. He had a few mini bolts and lots of jumping and spinning but was able to eventually trot around nicely in one direction. I could have probably gotten more out of him but with people being in the ring with us I didn't want to accidentally run anyone over.
Today Poncho was pumped and ready to put his game face back on. We went and investigated the blue jumps just to prove they were a-okay. His trot work was even better. We added in some sitting trot work with softening to the bit, he finds it much harder to soften during the sitting trot for whatever reason. His right lead canter is slowly coming together - we are slowly getting our circles bigger and bigger until we can do the whole ring. Our left lead took some effort to get. Once we got it he went FLYING. Oh my then we come around a bend and are facing the mounting block about 6 strides ahead. I asked him to move over so as not to collide with it. And he said no. So we lept over it. It was more like a big canter stride turned jump mid-air. I thought he was going to fall. I lost my stirrup and almost shot off the side. But somehow he pulled it together and I hung on. Even managed a decent canter after that - however I could not get my stirrup back ohwell. Then we trotted a little more. Headed out to the gelding field for a few. Went back in the ring. Did some more sitting trot work and cooled out.
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