Another Good Ride Under His Belt!!

I have a pile of homework and got called in last minute for a four hour shift at the hospital today. I had planned on riding three horses today but it wasn't to be. I really didn't have time for Dickie either but I felt like it was important to ride him again while Friday was still fresh in his mind. I rushed over after work to get a quick ride.

I hate lunging babies for very long (that hole turning on developing tendons thing) but I also don't want to just hop on a fresh, barely broke horse. Luckily he tuned in really quickly so I only had to lunge him for five minutes or less. It was windy, the other horses were bucking and farting around the arena. I would prefer to work him in the round pen because it is less distracting but someone took part of the sand out of the round pen (long story...) so it is uneven and the drainage gravel is coming up. So to the big arena we went. The arena with lots of room to take off and horses hanging heads in on all three sides.

Once again I am amazed at how much his mind has settled in the last month. He is still a huge dinkus but he is just grown up enough to feel like I can expect him to pay attention for more than two seconds. He stood like a rock at the mounting block and moved right off when I gave him a bump with my legs. He really wanted to go hang out with the mares and gave a little head toss/hop when I turned him away but that was it. My goal today was work on turning. He is about as flexible at a 1970s Cadillac but it didn't take much for him to start figuring it out. At this point I don't care if things are pretty or coordinated. All I care is that he understands what I am asking. At the end we did big three circle serpentines down the arena and managed to walk a few 20 meter circles. He doesn't stop on a dime and dribbles on a bit after he has stopped but HE STOPS.

We only trotted a lap each way and he was very tentative. I didn't want to push it though because I had been on for about 15 mins and was using up all his baby brain with the turning business. The good thing about his trot was that he understood more leg meant go and was even responding to my driving seat. It didn't matter that he fell out of the trot quickly, the big thing was that he picked it up right away. I just want to see those wheels turning in his brain.

I know I might be partial but I think he's doing amazing for this only being the second time he was asked to perform under saddle. Yes, I have been on him a handful of times. However, during those rides all I expected was for him to be relaxed and tolerate me swinging into his sides. Go Dickie!!

You tube link of Dickie and I handing out: His Royal Cuteness