Video of our new addition

Here's a non-horsey post for folks who want to see what the new addition to our house looks like :)

Disunited

Dakota is back in business. He had a trim last week and the farrier didn't see anything wrong in the front right hoof, so I think the soreness was higher up. In any case, he's fine. My current challenge with him is that he's happily disunited in canter to the left. I've loosened the side reins, lunged without side reins, and still he would rather be disunited in that direction. I'm going to have a chiropractor out soon.

Yesterday I decided to lunge him over a small crossrail to see if he'd unite after a little jump. It worked quite well! He needed some confidence boosting at first, as I don't think he's been asked to jump before. Then he enjoyed himself. This is the crossrail I built. I'm not a jumper person, but I think I made it pretty safe.

Flash had the day off yesterday, and Dakota was already up by the arena when I arrived. I grabbed Kota, got him tied, and fed him his supplement (half-scoop Haystack, half-scoop Triple Crown 30, 2 oz. Cool Calories, 1 oz. vitamins with extra selenium). While I was pulling out the tack, here came Flash trotting up the hill to the arena. I find this pretty funny, because a month ago being in the arena was, for Flash, like being in solitary confinement on Alcatraz. Oh, the screaming and breaking of halters and ties! Now he comes up on his own and demands to be let in. So I did let him in and fed him a quick meal, then shooed him back out. He hung around the arena for another twenty minutes or so.

On Wednesday I am off on an equestrian holiday extravaganza! I'm visiting my former trainer (and wife of Wolfgang) Suzanne May, and I should be able to get lots of riding in. Here's hoping the weather in Ruston, Louisiana, is warm and sunny.

Success with Flash

With my new system in place for dealing with Flash's herd-boundedness, we're making great progress! I've got four rides on him under my belt, and he's got amazing dressage potential. When he's calm and listening, he's ultra sensitive to my seat bones. The smallest shifts in my seat result in nicely balanced canter departs, trot transitions, and halts. I'm working on getting him to unwind in his neck; he likes to float behind the bit. I'm starting to get some nice snorting and stretching towards the end of each ride.

Dakota came up sore in his right front four days ago. He's been looking better every day, and today he looked almost normal. I'll give him a couple more days off, and then it's back to work. Dakota has such a calm, sensible personality. I bring both him and Flash up to the arena together and work Flash first while Dakota munches on a hay net. Then I turn Flash loose and work Dakota. Dakota could not care less when Flash leaves. It's a great school pony attitude!