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 :(!)

In the clear and plucking along!

Poncho seems to be officially over his virus HOO-RAY! He's been off his medicine since Monday and no fever, only minimal cough (only when we first starting "working" in the ring and kick up dust).

On Monday I hacked him around the ring in his hackamore just to get him out and about. He was a super star of course. He was quite pleased to be finally going back to work. Tuesday I gave him off because it would be his only day off for the week. Go me for working this week!

Wednesday he was freaking super duper star in the ring. He was so forward and soft! He got his canter perfectly on the left lead - I was beyond ecstatic!!!!!!! His trot was to die for and he would stretch all the way to the ground and lift his back. SWOON!

Thursday my knee was k-i-l-l-i-n-g me so I just hacked Poncho up and down the driveway for about 20 minutes. Nothing spectacular by any means.

Yesterday it was so rainy and yucky. I got to the barn and Poncho had rolled in a puddle with his sheet on and gotten thoroughly soaked through. So I spent forever trying to dry him off enough to turn him back out. That lasted about an hour. I wasn't planning on riding but I came out of the tack room after getting my drink and guess what...Poncho was standing in the crossties like "hellooooo let's get to work now!". So of course I couldn't say no to that face! Off we went. Just walk and trot since it was so wet and goopy. He was also quite spooky but that wasn't a huge deal. He was however so nice and forward!

Today I failed epically! I pushed him too much. I knew once I got on I should have just hacked him out today. But I prevailed. He was good for his trot work and canter work on his right lead. However when I tried for the left lead we completely fell to pieces! It was horrible I could not get it today to save my life. We tried and tried and finally got a glimmer so I called it quits immediately. I have several theories that led to our demise (it could just be wishful thinking though). 1. his feet. He's currently barefoot and wearing his feet unevenly all of the sudden so maybe it's making it difficult to canter on the left lead. 2. I mentally made him do to much in the ring so he fell back to this bad habit. 3. my thinline pad. I haven't been riding with it lately and just started again, possibly it's too much padding? Who knows. We'll see.

We're going to hack for the next two days and then re-evaluate where we are. Fingers crossed!!

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.

Poor, poor pony!

Poncho has had quite an eventful last few days. Sunday losing his shoe. Monday he took a chunk of skin off his left hind heel. Yesterday it rained, and rained, and rained. Today he got a new shoe!

Even though Ponch was definitely not a fan of the betadine scrub to clean his heel he was a good boy and didn't fuss too much. He even got a fancy schmancy green bootie if you will. I didn't get a picture of that though - I should have. I did however snap a picture of his lovely bell boots. Of course he doesn't really approve of them. And of course as luck would have it I got two different sizes. So they will have to do until I have money to get more.

This morning we were planning to get to the barn around 8:30 because that was when the farrier was supposed to get there and do one horse before Poncho. So that would have left plenty of time to drop my car off at the shop. But no. I get a text, luckily we were almost there, saying farrier was early I could come out now. However I don't think the BM realizes I live about 35 minutes away. Not a quick trip by any means. Nevertheless we got there and I ran to get Poncho. Didn't have time to pick his feet or anything, poo. Farrier looks at his other shoe just to make sure that one won't spontaneously fall off, ha. Then we got the other one on. Thank goodness Poncho is a good boy now with his shoes. Perfect gentleman.

Then I made him up a new boot - just to make sure. Groomed him up real nice. Then gave him lots of attention. I resisted the strong urge to ride. I WILL WAIT ONE MORE DAY. Even though he is sound and his heel has no heat or sign of infection. I thought it best to wait just to play things safe.