One Week

One week left till the Expo and Pony is feeling great! Yesterday we had a great dressage ride and I could really feel when we were getting correct work and when I knew for sure we would get a nice change or lengthening. Our changes from right to left are definitely harder than left to right but once we got a decent one I called it a day. We had one gorgeous (it felt anyways!) change out of a super nice canter going from left lead to right. Our lengthenings are coming along, now that we have more speed/collection control in our canter I can really feel the power of him pushing off when I first ask him to lengthen. His bend in our shoulder in is continuing to improve and our trot half passes are really coming along now that he is starting to understand what I am asking of him. He is a horse that really tries super hard for you, which is really nice until you install all these different buttons and he starts throwing all his new found skills at you while trying to figure out what you are asking! He really enjoys throwing his haunches every which way to avoid really sitting and pushing with his hind end, not that I can blame him it is hard work!

Todays set up (my advanced computer skills show up just about now.....)

                                                                                                                         

____Vertical______   

___Crossrail_________

___Vertical_______

_____Crossrail__________

Today we did our once a week jumping day which was a blast, as usual. We set a 2 stride down the long side, a cross rail right down the center line, and a cross rail on the opposite side of the 2 stride on the far end. We played with some pretty tricky stuff, and stuff Pony has never done, and I was happy with how he handled it especially since it is our 2nd time back jumping! Obviously we kept the fences small but what it lacked in height it made up in technicality. We started off trotting the cross rails and progressed to jumping the line. Pony was really strong and excited today which is both really nice and really not so nice. That being said we had quite a few nasty spots and ignored half halts ;) I love having him so ready to jump but would love it even more if he paid attention just a little bit more HA! After going through the line we did some pretty decent bending lines from cross rail (on opposite long side of the 2 stride) to a vertical in the 2 stride and advanced to a too-short-to-be-bending-line where we completely sliced both the cross rail (set down the centerline) and the vertical from the 2 stride. He was confused the first time through and I didnt ride it well but we got it the next time. We have not done any type of jump work like that so it was nice to feel him thinking about what I wanted and figuring it out. After jumping we walked the ponies out down the road to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having!

Please note his awesome camo vet wrap!

After untacking I got to try Ponys new EquiFuse products on him! I just did his body, mane, and tail today but I have never had his hair feeling that amazing after washing. It was SO soft and nice! It didnt do much for his stains but I didnt really think it would, they are pretty set in at this point. I am going to pick up some Orvus this week to see if I cant get them all cleaned up for the expo. Overall I am really happy with how it worked and am hoping it will keep his hair better conditioned throughout the week so it isnt all dry by the time I re do it. So far it gets a gold star! While I was washing him one of my friends (who grew up in the hunter world) was horrified by Ponys ear hair so she clipped them for me. I am really bad at doing, like really bad, and she made them look so good! +1 for the hunter princesses, even though she events now!

Ignore his wonky stance but not to shabby considering I didnt wash his feather at all

More awesome camo 

The grass is always greener... you can see the strip they have grazed haha