Today was an interesting lesson. We worked outdoors on the trails. It was about 60 degrees and sunny, so it was a perfect day for being outside! Leeandra was on foot, with Robin on Fred and me on Daniel. Robin's way more experienced than I am, but Fred's sort of green. She had a section of the field picked out that rolled slightly uphill, then downhill, and back uphill again. She wanted Robin and Fred to lead first, then we were to switch with Daniel and me up front.
I had to keep the brakes on Daniel because he kept running up on Fred. He was much happier when we were out in front on the way back. We had a few times when Daniel just wanted to really e-x-t-e-n-d that trot of his! :-)
After we trotted that stretch a few times, Leeandra had us set up for an uphill (runaway truck ramp!) canter. There were two pheasant feeders along that stretch, and she reminded me to sing, so I'd remember to breathe, and put the brakes on by the second feeder. We did it, and I put the brakes on... but he wanted to go left at the end of the stretch, and I wanted him to turn around. I put the rein and leg *wall* up for him, and got him to turn around. Leeandra said that I couldn't see it, but when I won, he did the lick and chew on the bit.
Then Robin headed back, so we headed to the trails, while we were walking, Daniel's ears shot up. Leeandra thought it was a noise she made, but it was 5 deer that ran by that caught his attention. They joined a herd of about 20. Leeandra commented that that must have been why Ariana wasn't crying when Mona was taken out of the field leaving her alone... the herd of deer were keeping her company :-)
After we rode the trails, I went back to the indoor to clean up after him (I mounted up there and he just HAD to poo... of course.) I was talking to Lisa1 and Joe while I was there, and Daniel was SOAKED! I loosened his girth and pulled up the stirrups. Lisa1 held him while I scooped poop. We decided that he needed a bath (Lisa1 rides Daniel in her lessons), so we introduced him to the outdoor washrack (new to him) and cleaned him up.
He wasn't too sure about hanging out on that concrete pad, but he put on a show for Lisa1, because he loves drinking from the hose :-) the big goof! After we were done, I detangled his mane, brushed him, put some MicroTek on what looked like the beginnings of scratched on his RH feathers, and hand-grazed him a while. I was hoping he'd dry a little before I turned him out with the boys, so he wouldn't be MUDDY...
There was also some drama in his field the last few days. LJ was turned out with the boys. He's 2 or 3 years old and just wants to play with everyone. Joe said that when the other boys chase him off, LJ thinks they're playing with him and he keeps pushing... We'll see how things go this week... hopefully Daniel won't have any more bit marks on his face next week.
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