Good Thing I Love The Little Snotrag

Midgey is in the BAD PONY HOUSE.

He's a tweaky chestnut dutch thing, and thinks spurs are just The End Of It All for trotwork; at the canter, they really help get the jump in the changes, and so I try and alternate back and forth between the two. Today, I did not wear them, and the trotwork was stellar, so I got brave and decided to try some changes. Which were late. So after trying to correct them politely, and getting run away with one too many times, I took a hold and asked him to rein back.

And the little snot stood straight up in the air.

Well, then.

I solved the issue (with the introduction of My Friend The Big Blue Whip, which I think I've only used on Midge once, so his tail was firmly between his legs at the end of the ride - didn't even try to bite me when I put some ointment on his scratches tonight, the big sissy), but I am NOT SO PLEASED that this is going on with a horse show this weekend. Bastard.

I'm starting to wonder if he needs shoes behind - the walls are definitely starting to break up at the bottom more than usual, and perhaps it's the increasing demands of collection? Maybe he's uncomfortable? Went over him from head to toe, not sore or stiff anywhere. He spent last night in turnout, so he's got nothing to whine about.

Or maybe he's just a pig-headed red DUTCH thing. Who I love. Blindly and completely.

I just don't LIKE him very much right now.

Ella and Cleo, of course, are perfect and fabulous. Had a big ah-hah in the piaffe today with Cleo, which did carry over to the last bit of canter I did, but I'd been working her for a while when I got it, so I didn't want to exhaust her. Poor Ella I think will be over-tested this weekend - I should not have signed up for the Developing Test, but I did ride through the whole thing today without any major catastrophes. She gets better and better every day, but the muscle building just takes time.

And my mom is out of town, so I'm playing with her Tres this week, and having a grand time. He's another one where his mental understanding of the work is better than his muscular ability - he can make some super canter work, but if I go on too long his back muscles hit a wall. Time, time, time. Dressage really is all about patience!