a quick lunge to test soundness...

...ended up being a lesson about manners and listening!!

On the upside, she was totally, completely, 100% sound.

On the downside, the cool weather and a few easy days had her high as a kite.

Here, have some really fun video stills!

This first one is obviously of inexcusable behaviour, and it has been a LONG time since she pulled a stunt like this, but it was a very quick up and down, back to work. She didn't offer to do it again and I made it VERY clear that I didn't think it was cute or funny.

Channeling her inner Stephen Colbert, Lucy says, "I just wanna DANCE!"
WHAT A FRESH HORSE.
[And yes I am lunging in a white button down work shirt and a skirt.
This is the reality for a rough boarder who works full time.]

Her other really cool move was deciding that trotting in circles is for BABIES, and she needed to jump a jump. I had her on a 15m circle that went in front of this little barrel with some guide poles. We had been working on this path for about ten minutes with no problems, well, minus the war horse move pictured above, which I quickly dealt with. During one of her trips around the circle, she deliberately aimed for the jump and jumped it sideways, so across the length of the barrel and over both poles!!

After that little trick, I put her on a 10m circle and we readdressed listening, manners, and personal space.

SO FRESH.

velcro butt strikes again: not even sure what to say about this nonsense

I decided to take Lucy on another little trail ride yesterday. I wanted to get some photos of her in the field with her boots on so my friend followed along with the camera.

It started out well enough:

we hopped a little log on the trail

looked into the sunset together

had a nice cruise around the fields

Lucy wanted to RUN. I said no. She was annoyed.

but overall she was listening well.

she was moving great thanks to the hoof boots

Then I asked her to trot up a little embankment and things got a little nutty:

we trotted up and across the little hill, and on the opposite side she pricked her
ears at something off in the distance, arched her neck, and then...

off we went! here I am whispering sweet nothings into her ear..NOT

we sproinged

we bounced

we leaped

I was beginning to think we'd been cast in the War Horse sequel and no one
told me.

or maybe Lucy had been cast as Tigger in a Winnie the Pooh movie.

Just like Tigger says, Lucy was so happy she felt like bouncing!

more sweet nothing aka words I cannot mention on a public blog

she was doing all of these fun moves right on the edge of a good-sized basin.
every time she'd come down from a rear, bam, there was the edge of the
embankment. I finally got her to land with her front feet down into the dip,
because I knew it would be next to impossible to rear with her butt above her
head.

looking back at my friend like, did you just SEE THAT?!

when I recovered, we tried again. how's this for defensive riding position?

she was pretty good. she tried to get a bit silly but I told her to knock it off
 in my most growl-y tiger-like voice.

then she got a pat, though I secretly wanted to smack her right upside the head.
BAD HORSE.

I was a bit in shock still here, I think

then I got off and hand walked her all the way home

She was not trying to get me off. She was exuberant, feeling good, feeling very sound and happy to be out. Still, this was 100% UNACCEPTABLE. Rearing, in my opinion, is NEVER ok. I was caught way off guard and I am beyond happy that my heels have this ridiculous defense mechanism of locking when they need to keep me anchored into the saddle.

Thank you to my childhood hunt seat trainer for developing excellent heel position.

I lunged the snot out of her today, and she went in a bit for the first time since she injured her mouth. Everything's completely healed and she clearly needed something to think about. I put her in a Herm Sprenger KK jointed snaffle and she did really well. Tomorrow I will lunge again and then ride.

YEEHAW!