Quite exuberant and a steady eddy all in one?

What an oxymoron Poncho can be sometimes! On Tuesday I actually managed to get a real ride in, in the ring...WHAT?! He was great for his walk work very round and forward. The trot had some sticky moments. However with our sporadic "rides" I can't complain. Since he was being a super star in terms of attitude I said what the hey lets canter some. He immediately picked a super forward and round canter...for about 3 strides. And then the rodeo was on! I was so unprepared I lost both stirrups and was flopping around helplessly for what seemed like forever. I somehow managed to stay on, solidifying the fact that I AM A NINJA! We still obviously had to work out those canter kinks. It took several different attempts to have a canter without a bronc sessions, but since I was ready for it no big deal.

Wednesday was farrier day. He was a jerk face, not horrible but definitely wasn't trying to be polite. I was planning on riding in the ring again BUT the BO turned the other 2 horses out there and left. So no ring. Midnite went into a raging heat so I wasn't to thrilled with the thought of hacking in the field with her. Needless to say Poncho got a day off. Same with Thursday it was just to hot and humid by the time I got out there.

Today I just hacked around the field for awhile. He just baffles me. With how coo-coo he was on Tuesday today it rained this a.m. briefly, got increasingly gusty (20-30 mph), and lots of commotion at the barn across the street. Yet through all that he was perfectly calm! What a perfect little wierdo!

being a meany for the farrier is exhausting!

We're finally back on track and ready to G-O!

After having such a hard time getting an appointment for Poncho's teeth we finally got them done!!!! Score!

sleepy pony

Then the rain came. Of course such is out luck. After all was said and done there was standing water everywhere. Needless to say that majorly cut into our riding time. I did manage to have a couple of schools in the ring. One attempted hack on the trails (where we almost got swallowed by a pond, that wasn't supposed to be there).

Today he got his shoes put back on so I had a quick ride to see how he felt. Holy moly! Pony feels good now. With the teeth and shoes he's definitely feeling like working again. He's been much foamier since the teeth too! Drool everywhere. And today with his shoes he was moving out dramatically better, especially at the canter. It was to die for!

We'll pick up where I left off.

Saturday was even windier than Friday was so I kept to the ring just in case he had another meltdown. Thankfully he did not. I must say though we had a lovely ride. I never attempted the right lead canter just because I didn't want to ruin it. We had some a-m-a-z-i-n-g trot work, just to die for! He was quite lazy at first with the canter but after I grabbed a whip he was more willing to co-operate. His lateral work was superb. He wasn't overly spooky, he even held it together enough for me to do some no-stirrup work.

Sunday he had off because of a meeting at work, although I still went out there (I am now having to go out and soak his hay EVERYDAY) to see him. Monday he had off to0 (I like giving him Mondays off).

Tuesday we just hacked out in the field. It was less than stellar he was a bit obstinate about stepping in mud. Apparently he's too good for that. Goober. He was a bit resistant to the contact too. I just chalked it up to an unmotivated day.

Wednesday it was raining and kept picking up the longer I was there. Since the temps. were dropping I figured I'd be nice and give him a break. So I kind of fell apart on the 5 days a week for sure. Ohwell.

Yesterday it was goopy so I went to the ring. His teeth are definitely bothering him it was no fluke on Tuesday. He did not want accept the right rein for anything. Anytime I took a feel of his mouth instant brace. So I'll be putting his hackamore on him today. Anywho we had a great left canter again. To the right I could not get it at ALL. His teeth, his feet, or both could be contributing I don't know at this point. However we can start ruling them out soon, in 2 weeks he gets his teeth done and then the following his feet. Hurray!

Dare I say?

I think we're going to hit 5 workouts this week! Oh my word!!!!! I already wrote about Sunday so onto Tuesday...

Tuesday we headed to the ring with high hopes of some exceptional canter work. I wish I could say that happened. Canter we did, but it wasn't all to great. Tracking right he's steadily improving. However tracking left he's stuck. It's not 100% his fault though. Since I haven't been able to afford his shoes he's been barefoot and he's starting to wear his LF unevenly. Boo. So that's causing him to not want to pick up that left lead towards the end of his trim cycle. Luckily I will have the money to put shoes back on next month! His trot work on the other hand is steadily improving. I'm even starting to get some nice shoulder in's at the trot now. SCORE.

Wednesday he got his toes done so I just hacked him around the field for a little while.

Thursday he had off. Today it was insanely wet so I went to the ring. Ponchers had a melt down at the mounting block for whatever reason and I couldn't get him near it again. So I got on in the middle of the ring. There were puddles everywhere and it was starting to get gusty. Poncho was ready to explode at any minute so I just kept it light and had a nice w/t ride. His teeth really need to be done, I have an appointment for the end of the month though. I just wish I could have gotten it sooner (they were all booked up :(!)

A couple rides and an emergency call!

I had a couple of nice rides on Poncho Man. We worked in the ring to get his confidence up in the ALONE! It did in fact yield some positive results. We got some very nice trot and canter work, after a little bit of persuasion.

Then he had the farrier on Tuesday which apparently led to a string of unfortunate events. It turns out that the BO's horse had some sort of respiratory issue and was put on SMZ's. I don't know if that is the connection but when I got out there on Wednesday Poncho started to have a fit. It appeared to be choke - even the vet thought so and came out for an emergency call. Once she got there though we determined it was actually pretty much an extreme asthma attack. He literally was struggling to catch his breath for a half hour! It was quite intense!!!!! Luckily we got him back under control and on some medicine. AND thank goodness that since he's been on the med's he seems so, so, so much better. Although I am beyond tired. To get out to the barn before work (he of course needs something 2x/day) I have to get up at 4:00 to get myself ready and head to the barn.

Poncho this morning.

Taking the pressure off.

Since my last post I've adopted the thinking that for the next month Poncho can have basically a mini-vacation. Not that he's not in work. Just that we aren't "working". We're mainly just hacking and putzing around for a little. Since the time change and holidays (holidays @ work are a total bitch) I've been losing my mind with the mentality of "Poncho needs 5 days of work 1 day hack". Of course I haven't been able to keep up with that I get off work at 2. Get home by 2:30. Get ready for barn. Get out to barn by 3:30. Prepare said pony 4:00. Not much time left over for productive work when you count in warm-up and cool-down. Boo freaking Hoo. Hence the new mentality.

So since the BO's horse is away at training for a few weeks we have the other field open to hack in for a change of scenery. Needless to say we are taking advantage of it.

Wednesday was farrier day. Ben (the farrier) was running late and I didn't want to put Poncho in a stall (there was a "toy") so that he could freak out the other ponies. So I just wandered around the barn letting him check out whatever pleased him. Like a picture frame OOOOH AWWWWW!

It's magical (that's my mom in the picture she's just sitting in a chair under said picture)

Aside from our ride today we've been sticking to mainly walking around with a smidge of trotting. Today however I felt like some more speed it's a tad boring just walking forever! So we trotted a bit more and tried cantering out in the field, on purpose I might add. Poncho got a case of the zoomies then. He zigged and zagged and tried to bronc once. BUT his canter was much more open and free which was the objective. We just need to work on containing the excitement a little. (Not too much though I love how he's so enthusiastic about his work these days.)

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.

The rain, the humidity, the heat, the farrier, and maybe more?

Goodness you'd think since my last post we'd have some action packed stories to tell in all the time that has passed. BUT, no. It's been pretty darn boring actually - even Poncho thinks so. Ha.

[caption id="attachment_135" align="aligncenter" width="300"] *note snoozing pony in the crossties![/caption]

We've atleast stayed out of the ring, so that's something I guess. In our spectacular show-off fashion we have pretty much just been walking. Crazy, I know. But so many things have contributed to it. Either I was riding with Mom and Midnite (who can't trot in the big field yet), it was raining like mad or mega-muddy afterwards (which Poncho isn't used to doing speed work in - working on that though), or it was soo hot and humid I wanted to die (therefore I kept it light). We have managed a few little trots here and there but nothing noteworthy that would ever add up to anything.

I did decided to start taking (if I remember) monthly condition pictures of Poncho so I can see progression or regression.

[caption id="attachment_136" align="aligncenter" width="300"] May - month numero uno[/caption]

Today was pedicure day. Which meant the first time Poncho got shoes in almost a year. And maybe the first time Midnite has ever gotten shoes, we don't know. I must admit given how Ponch was last time I didn't know what to expect so I armed myself with some treats just incase. (For those who are curious a previous farrier lost patience when Ponchman got nervous and hit him on the back with a hammer - poooooor pony, needless to say said farrier was promptly fired and we've been letting him get comfortable with new farrier) I shouldn't have been surprised though he was a total gentleman. He did get a few well timed treats though- before he had a chance to pull a Poncho. He just got fronts this time, we'll see how that goes and we didn't hot shoe him today - we'll re-evaluate that next time around too. So proud of my little man, there was nothing noteworthy to mention about his feet good or bad. I suppose that's not a bad thing. Now onto Miss Midinte - the WildCard, as I like to call her in certain situations. I was hoping that after finishing her adequan she would be more comfortable. Not entirely the case - but I think a lot of it is just habit. She was hot shoed and we set her shoes back at the toe to help with her breakover. We also squared her hind toes to help with pressure. Then we wided and rolled various parts of the shoe to accommodate her various problems. We even found she had a couple of small bruises on her front left foot. Very curious since she hasn't been worked all week and hasn't been on much if at all gravel. Hmmm..... She was fairly well mannered on her fronts. Ironically she minded getting the nails clinched more than getting the shoes nailed on. Sillly. On her hinds true to Midnite fashion she pitched a fit. Luckily we were able to work out a system to get her to cooperate. 2 nails, rest, 2 nails, rest, and so on.

Then I had to leave the barn to run errands and such (chiro appt- me, bank, tractor supply for bell boots - for nite). Then I finally made it back out to the barn. Groomed Nite since it was sooo hot. I decided to do a quick hack on Poncho - 15 minutes walk and a small, small trot. And that was our first ride this week. Oh me oh my. Hopefully things will pick-up next week.