Spring Spookies

Rode both ponies today and it was interesting...

I think the spring spookies are going around. Jetta was fairly good - she's getting better at carrying herself, but she just likes to be annoying. Today her evasion of choice was bobbing her head even when we were trotting. Part of it was anticipating the canter, she really is better after I let her canter but I don't want that to be her decision, sooo I made her trot and trot and trot until I decided she was acting like a grown up horse and we could canter.

Today we had "only" one spook, but I'm glad I have good balance! We were trotting along and we had a stop and spin at some imaginary scary thing that was outside.

Canter transitions are getting a little better I think. We did lots of random stuff today just for fun - turns on the haunches, baby canter pirouettes, shoulder in, leg yields, walk-canter-walk transitions and she did them all fairly well!

Next up was Miss Queenie. Sigh... Worked with her a little on the ground and she was much better about bending side to side. I took my time getting on and she was fine until I fully swung my leg over and she had a little panic attack again. After a minute she settled down and we walked around. I carried my dressage whip for some back up and it helped - I was afraid that she'd be scared of it, but it ended up fine. I might dig out my western spurs to see what she thinks of those because she just blows through my leg aids when she spooks (at virtually everything).

Today was super exciting because there were a bunch of people at the barn and the stall cleaner turned all but two horses out who had a fit and fell in it. Plenty of spooking and squirrellyness, but finally by the end she settled down pretty well. I got her to step away from my leg aids, worked on stopping without having a panic attack, asked her to soften to the bit at the walk, lots of circles and trotting. I asked her to canter and I don't think she ever has under saddle. She almost acted like she had a spur stop on her (I don't think she does, just saying that's what it felt like!). The more I cued for it the more she sucked back and when she finally took a couple steps she ended up bucking.

So I left it alone and I plan on working on it on the lunge line and establish a cue for the canter to help. Poor girl was so sweaty at the end so I gave her a bath which went ok. She walked into the wash rack with only minor spooking/snorting and stood ok for the water, but a couple times she just blew right through me which was quite annoying, she didn't run me over, but she didn't listen to me on the other end of the lead line one bit.

So I definitely have my work cut out for me with these two girls! No pictures today but I'll try to take lots more later to make up for it!