Pro the Goober

So I guess Kate and I have both been really busy lately I guess judging by our lack of updates ;).

To recap my week with Pro: Tuesday he was a snot at the beginning, just very angry and determined to make sure I knew it. He decided to do that by going sideways around the circle while making giraffe faces. I boxed him forward (slapping him with my legs) and kept my outside rein connected and asked him to soften with the inside and after about 10 minutes we were going forward and straight. He went pretty well after that, good enough that I even cantered him under the lights. We made it about 4 times around before he jumped sideways at the bunny tree. When you're riding at the canter in 2-point, jumping sideways is much worse. I stayed on, but we went back to the walk and trot after that.

Tonight he started off just as angry, doing exactly the same thing. I started to get him to soften and relax for a bit, but to start with when I got my outside rein connected and tried to soften with the inside rein he freaked out when I'd take any contact. I think he's angry that right now we've pretty much got his number and is making sure we know it. So got him through that and then decided to ask for some quarter-pirouettes. Kate mentioned that she'd gotten much better results by putting her outside leg further back so I did that and he was turning amazing, each step was nice and distinct but very free and relaxed and he'd walk off immediately so he was keeping him impulsion. However, after about 4 or 5 he started flipping out everytime I'd ask for one. He'd stop. He'd back. He'd sidepass. He'd do his giraffe impression. I could boot him forward but he'd toss his head and stomp his front feet and generally act like a moron. I thought it was because he was being spooky about the pasture behind the bunny tree being all shadowy and the gate looked sort of evil, so I took him in the pasture and rode him around in there. He wasn't spooky or looky at all so I have no idea what his problem was. I went back into the ring and it was still there though. We spent the rest of the ride fighting about that and I never really got him to just shut up and listen. We did get to the point where he wasn't being insanely stupid and I kept him there for awhile, but I just didn't have any really good idea of how to fix the issue. I think Pro just doesn't approve of the new routine of "clean stalls, get Pro, ride, then Pro eats" especially since he has to get tacked up and go out right as dinner's being served to the rest of the horses. That's just how the timing works out though, unless I want to stand around waiting for him to eat.