Ransom and I wandered towards the arena, thankful for the overcast skies, and slightly cooler air. The temperatures had dropped about ten degrees - not a lot, but it certainly made a more difficult ride a bit more feasible.
As we approached the arena, his ears and head perked. What's that we see?! Are those poles on the ground? Do I see cavaletti rail razors, Mom? Really?!?!?
I tried letting him lunge on the line just a little, but between all the poles in the arena, the cooler weather, and the cows waaaay off in the distance, I couldn't easily contain all of his energy. So I turned him loose. Whee ha! Ransom ran like a 7yr old, for a solid ten minutes at gallop & canter. He bucked, reared, kicked out, farted, and ran out like a silly colt. It was beyond entertaining. Sweet old guy still has plenty of pizazz left in him.
Finally wore out, he walked right by me, then to the arena gate & halted. Realizing the silly was over, he knew it was time to work. I got my lunge line gathered up, moved some canter poles to trot poles on the 20m circle, and got in the saddle.
I walked him over the circle poles a few times, then picked up a trot. How my balance point missed my HDR event saddle. ahh.. the relief of reaching up and still feeling centered over my horse. Ransom picked up some speed, lifted his head, and pranced happily over the circle trot poles. We completed this a few times each way, with some walk breaks. It was beyond cute as I realized that's why he was so wound up as we entered the arena - he was happy to see anything in the arena other than dirt & grass.
I had some poles elevated on the rail razors every other side, four poles, set up for trot down the rail. I approached those the first time hesitant, not sure if he'd choose his hooves carefully. Ransom hesitated, and very delicately picked through, not a hoof misstep. *snicker* He knocked on rail razor end over one time but otherwise, each way, absolutely fantastic.
I then went back to the circle, and had one pole on the ground at canter. We were at least going to ride canter on the flat heading left. Well, one circle canter left away from the pole, and Ransom was super soft. So I approached the pole, and whoopieweeha over it once. The second time, he broke to trot just before, and the third, he delicately put it in between front hooves in the canter.
I realized that'd been nearly 45 minutes total, and, given the still warm weather, and his galloping mayhem in the warmup, it was time to call it a day. What a fun time we had! Can't wait to do it again.. :)
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