Beat the rain!

Fashionable camo vetwrap under the T-boots!

Wow.  What a NICE horse I had today:)  I wasn't so sure it would turn out well, because we had a little "Come to Jesus" while I was tacking him up.  I demand good ground manners.  I will NOT tolerate yanking, crowding, dragging, pawing, and general idiocy.  I'd noticed while grooming him that he'd knocked off the scab on his splint boo boo.  It is much smaller than it was, but it still is about 3 inches long, and was a little bit raw and red.  I put on some Wonder Dust, and while trying to treat it, he just kept pawing with his foot, and when he knocked me in the jaw with the edge of his shoe, I had to do something about it.  Once I got my point across that we STAND still, I gave him a treat, rubbed him, and just stayed cool.

Tacked up in the dressage tack and was armed with spurs and a dressage whip, just in case.  As I mounted and began walking in the ring, he felt GREAT.  Not sulky at all.  Let him loosen up for about 8 minutes, then shortened the reins.  The BEST thing I've done with him thus far is FINALLY teach him NOT to jig, yay!  I can now shorten my reins and walk him on contact without him trying to trot or jig.  I circled both ways several times, and finally picked up the trot.  He felt WONDERFUL!  After staying on the rail for a minute or 2, began my favorite dressage exercise; the thread the needle.  That's 8m cicle at the short side, continue about 3/4 down the long side, reverse, back to 8m circle, etc.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Moved from that and did some sitting trot with leg yields away from the rail, then back to the rail.  He was so soft and responsive it was awesome!

THIS is the year of the lead change.  I changed to the thread the needle exercise in the canter.  Reversed through a simple walk change.  Back and forth 8 times.  I then counter cantered the exercise with flying changes.  I then did the exercise on the correct lead with flying changes.  He was SO good.  Yes, he did get a little heavy and strong, but some good effective half halts had him coming RIGHT back to me:)  At some point I tossed down the dressage whip because he did NOT need it.  Did a perfect turn on the forehand, then left the ring.  We had our first SWEAT of 2012!  Woo hoo!  Muffin needs a hair cut!