The more the merrier

We had a surprise visitor during Dakota's lungeing session today.



Fred was getting into trouble all over the place. Earlier, he found a hole in the pasture fence and visited the neighbors. Then he screamed his little head off when captured and placed in a holding pen until the barn owner could find the hole and plug it. Then he visited Dakota and me in the arena. I think Fred needs a job. I do wish my phone hadn't crapped out when it did--not long after the above video, Fred settled in behind Dakota to participate in the lungeing. I could just eat Fred with a spoon.

With the cob-sized headstall and the full-size cavesson and browband, I now have a bridle that fits in every way except in the throatlatch. I'm just tucking it out of the way for now. Here is Dakota all zoomy from Fred screaming in the holding pen a few minutes earlier. I'm really happy with Dakota's trot. He's got a fairly free shoulder and he maintains good flexion in his hocks behind. There's a lot to work with there.



After lungeing, I brought Dakota over to the mounting block and spent a few minutes lying across his back (no reaction) and then stood several times with my weight in the left stirrup, bumping his hind lightly with my right knee (a tiny bit of surprise, then no reaction). I then swung on over into the saddle. He raised his head a bit and didn't want to move off for about thirty seconds. Then he walked off and the rest of the ride was uneventful. He understood my steering attempts pretty well and gave in his poll when I wiggled my fingers. He's very soft in his mouth. He was quite tired from zooming around on the lunge earlier, so we just walked around for seven or eight minutes and called it good. Yay! Dakota is officially under saddle again after two years off!

Forest ponies

Today at the barn the herd was hanging out in the trees. As usual, I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

That first picture, of Fred the pony lying down, is pure cuteness overload.

Dakota has started coming toward me when he sees me tromping across the pasture. This development warms my heart. It's probably just the carrots, but I choose to believe we are bonding. Today I lunged him in full tack and shortened the side reins one notch. They're still barely touching his mouth, but I like to go slow. He accepted the shorter length without complaint. He has gotten better about the outward drift when going to the left. Even better, he's now able to maintain a (somewhat speedy) canter a couple times around the circle. It's fun to see them get stronger and more balanced.

It turns out Dakota has a funky head. The cob-size bridle arrived, and the bit is riding correctly in his mouth now. Unfortunately, the cavesson is riding way too high, the browband is too narrow, and the throatlatch is too tight. I'm going to have to cobble his bridle together using pieces from both my bridles. And somehow I need to extend the throatlatch. Maybe I'll just hack it off, have buckles installed on both sides, and extend it that way.

Tomorrow post-lungeing I'm going to climb aboard. Given Dakota's behavior up until now, I expect him to behave just fine. I'll probably try out gears one and two, and save cantering for a day when there's someone else around. Again, I don't expect any foolishness, but the arena is quite isolated, and better safe than sorry, right?

Teeth and toes

I'm blogging from wintry Nebraska this evening. I'm out here visiting my family, and the weather is awful. Right now it's 14 degrees, and the low overnight will be 7. There is a reason I don't live here anymore.

Last Monday Dakota had his toes trimmed, his teeth floated, and his wolf teeth pulled. And had a flu vacc. The farrier thought he noticed some white line changes but of course had no idea if it was the change in footing, the change in climate, or the change in diet. He kinda sorta seemed to think maybe the alfalfa supplement was too rich for a mustang, but I had just started it three or four days before--could Dakota really be showing changes in his feet from diet that fast? The vet on the other hand was all for continuing the supplement, so I'm going to continue and just keep an eye on things. We went from very dry to very wet recently, and I think that's probably the cause. Dakota lived his whole previous life in an arid climate. All this squish is new to him.

Dakota also has some changes in the skin on his nose. The vet said dermatitis; Camilla thinks maybe rain rot. I've never pasture boarded in a rainy climate before, so rain rot is all new to me. I've added a vitamin to Dakota's supplement and am trying to groom him every day. I should be able to catch any outbreaks early.

And then there were two

Do you all remember Flash? Back when Camilla still owned Baby Huey, Flash was the gelding she was spending a lot of time training. Then he needed pasture rest due to an injury, so he has been enjoying the good life for the past year or so. The pasture rest seems to have worked, and he has come sound in the past couple of months. At the same time, Camilla sold Huey and is trying out a firecracker of a mare named Cairo. She doesn't have a lot of time for Flash, and with me going into the teaching business and finding a barn I really like, she asked if I'd like to lease Flash and possibly use him in my program. So now I've got two boys to work with. Dakota is keeping Flash company in the arena for the two days until he's released into the pasture.



Today was Dakota's first real lunge session in full tack. He was a very good boy. We just did walk and trot. He's not very strong in canter yet and I don't want him to flail around in the side reins. To the right he gave me a nice bend and a fancy little trot at times. To the left, he drifts out and gets frustrated with my half halts. He needs his teeth floated and his wolf teeth pulled (happening tomorrow), and my current bridle is too big for him (cob size bridle on its way). Those things are likely bothering him as well. But I was very pleased with his willingness.

After working Dakota, I lunged Flash off the halter to check his soundness in the arena's footing. Doesn't he have the loveliest gaits? If he was an easier ride I would totally use him as a school horse; alas, he is definitely not a beginner's horse. But maybe once I get some clients one of them will have enough natural talent to handle Flash.

A quick session with side reins

Tuesday Dakota tweaked his right hind out in the pasture. When I went to pick out his left hind, he instead held up his right hind dramatically, letting me know that something wasn't right. I couldn't find any swelling or heat, but he was a bit off when I watched him trot. He was perfectly sound in walk, so I decided to tack him up with a dressage saddle for the first time. That was no big deal, so I went ahead and clipped on side reins at the longest setting and lunged him both directions in the walk, just so he could feel what all that was like. He accepted the side reins very well, only startling himself a couple times when he raised his head and bumped the side reins. He figured out quickly not to do that, and all was well.

Wednesday I left him alone, and yesterday I lunged him off the halter to check his soundness. He was almost normal. Today he was completely fine again. Before I got Dakota, he spent most of his life in a flat dry lot, and for the past two years he hasn't been worked. The pastures he's in now are very hilly and can be slippery in places if a horse doesn't slow down and choose his footing carefully. I think Dakota probably went careening up or down a hill and pulled a muscle. It'll be good for him to get used to being responsible for his shaggy self.

I started supplementing Dakota's grass-hay-and-forage diet with soaked alfalfa cubes every time I go out. Dakota thinks this is a great idea! I want to keep his weight up for the winter months.

Dakota has another friend: Fred the tiny pony! Such a cute wee man. Fred thinks carrots are awesome and usually follows me and Dakota most of the way to the arena before accepting that all the carrots are gone.