Field Trip and left to survive on our own

So, today didn't go quite as planned. Doh! I had the whole day free!!! The first day this week to actually get to ride. And probably the ONLY day this week too. So my plan was to ride Lyric with Kelli at Ashland and then come home and drop Lyric off and take Funny and Dan to go trail ride. But, plans changed so I took Funny and Dan first. And got started later than I wanted because Kelli called and we talked longer than I realized. Which.... made my timing quite horrible!!

Luckily Funny and Dan loaded right up. Dan went first and Funny was trying to get in before I could even get the butt bar down. Easy girl! Simmer down! We're going!  But... good girl!

When we got to Ashland I got them unloaded and then Dan was losing his mind because the sprinklers were going in the jump arena. He was freaking out and acting like he wanted to go investigate so... I thought, well, maybe if he see's them, he won't be so spazzy. So I grabbed them both and we marched up to the jump arena. Dan started out okay but then got progressively more frantic and was spinning around. Funny got a little jumpy but was better. Unfortunately Dan managed to get enough leverage in his lead that he got free and ... just took off! He left poor Funny and me to fend for ourselves against the evil sprinklers! Of course since he was galloping off, Funny was like "Um.... WAIT UP DUDE!" and was spinning and threatening to rear to go be with him. He looked like he was heading to the trailers so we headed back down that way. We went the short way and he had taken the long way. Funny was still bouncing and flailing and trying to bolt so I had to manhandle her a little to get her to settle and remember I was still there and not to run me over. Sigh. Of course Dan wasn't at the trailers. Sigh... So since Lucy had gotten in her car and had driven down... and was now heading towards the gray barn, I assumed he went that way. So Funny and I marched to the gray barn. I texted Lucy asking if she had seen where he went but didn't hear back. Luckily by the time we got to the trailers Funny had settled down and was a really good girl. We got to the gray barn pasture and the horses were all snorty and prancy so I assumed Dan had been by. Funny got a little animated but nothing major. Luckily Angela came driving up in the golf cart and said she had caught Dan. And then Lucy showed up so we were able to tell her. 

Funny and I grabbed Dan and then we all 3 hiked back to the trailers. I probably should have headed home but by golly I really really really needed a ride. And Funny really really really wanted a field trip. So... we tacked up. Dan was still on edge and Funny was just munching hay like "what?!". hee hee. Dan was marching and a tiny bit jiggy but Funny just followed along and was chill as a cucumber. He never really did settle. And since we had the new saddle I decided NOT to go to the lake. Sorry Funny! Sadly I had loaned out the thorowgood to a friend to try, which sucked on my timing because it would have been great to wear that one to allow us to splash and play. Oh well. Next time Funny, next time.    (Dan still all upset and worried and Funny just munching and chilling)

We did cross the creek and she had a very quick splash before Dan dragged her out. Of course I couldn't stop him and she wouldn't come so I had to drop the lead rope and go back and get her. She didn't go anywhere, because... she's not Dan! But I still had to get Dan back in the creek to grab the rope again. So then we headed up the big steep hill! Baby girl is getting a butt work out! Then we finished in the XC field so I decided that since Dan had finally taken a slight breath, we could go to the water complex. We walked over the novice ditch and Funny happily popped over it. Then we went in the water and she immediately rolled! Both sides. Eewwwwww... she was slimy! But I got her back up and we walked in and out of the water via the bank. Then we headed towards the tiny little amoeba bench... and trotted it and both Dan and Funny bounced over it and landed in a polite canter! Wheee!!! It didn't rattle Funny at all despite it not being "just a log". Good baby girl!

   

I decided NOT to push my luck and do any more trotting because Dan might take it as an excuse to bolt, so we walked back to the trailers. They were twits getting hosed off because I didn't dare leave Dan at the trailer so I took them both at the same time. And the hose was new and thick and uncooperative, as were the horses. But I managed to get them both rinsed off and I only got slightly wet. They both loaded right up to go home and... we went home. 

I know Funny had a blast at least! :) 

Oh, and... she got her teeth done yesterday and Dr. Febles had to pop two caps off, but said her mouth looked good. No problems there! Yay! That evening when she came in she was frothing at the mouth! And drooling. What the heck girl! I don't know if she found some clover... or was feeling weird after her dental.. or popped another cap off or was just feeling weird from after her dental, but.. she ate her dinner and hay and was fine after that. 

Feral Beasty!

 Oooh, I should have known that was coming! Poor Funny hasn't been doing much work lately and she's been feeling left out and feral! 

Today was a lovely day and a free day so I was able to ride both ponies and work Funny. 

We headed to the arena and I decided to just go straight to work. I put the cavesson with the bit on and then hooked up the surcingle and the long lines. And we started off. And she was awful! She was trying to rear and bolt and run and she finally broke loose. Sigh... She went careening around the arena, kicking at her ropes. But the good news is.. she can't act like she's never had ropes flying around behind her. ;) And her poor surcingle is a hair too loose so her saddle pad had flipped partially around her side. And luckily it stayed there and didn't slide back into a bucking strap! She did managed to hook the line over a fence post at one point, but luckily she stopped and let me get her then. I was able to fix her pad and surcingle and get her all lined up again. Sadly she broke the cavesson. The lateral ring had pulled through the leather. It's still attached but... yeah, sadness. 

I put her back to work and kept her on a slightly smaller circle. She was good after that. We managed to get some nice work with her reaching forward, down and out. She was lifting her back and her tail was nice and up away from her body. She was straight and on all four limbs! Good girl. We went both ways and then called it. I then put the lines on like driving lines, so we could try doing in hand work. And then the deer had the audacity to walk right past us.. without a care in the world! So Funny had to use them as an excuse to get all snorty and big. But she kept it together. We played a little bit in hand, but she's not quite ready yet. And I'm not coordinated enough. And the deer were distracting! 

So we untacked and headed back for a rinse. She got so sweaty running amuck! Guess I will definitely be putting on my air vest when I sit on her!