This Post Might be Jinxy

My sweet Mo has been such a joy lately. I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep everyone constantly updated on how FANTASTIC he has been under saddle lately, but I'm here to tell you that he's a treasure.*

Since I bought him, he's had stretches of time off here and there, and this winter was brutal for riding. But I've found that when it's time to pick him back up, he's always game. This one will be well-served by a conscientious training and competition schedule so he doesn't get stressy. It'll be worth it to show him less and show him well than chase points (NEVER CHASE POINTS) and keep the show schedule up, I think. Good for the budget, too.

The first ride back, I pulled this enormous fat pony out of the pasture.

When are you due, sweetie?

He was delighted to see me, as he pretty much always is, because he's turning into quite the mama's boy.

"Mama's Boy" just means he knows that I know where the cookies are.

And he was proud to show off his coat decorations.

There's a very fancy horse under all that crud.

 He lunged like a school pony for five minutes, and then I made him strike a pose so he could model the saddle pad I made.

We borrowed Beyonce's hair fan.

 
Walked and trotted around for, oh, 15-20 minutes, and then I had a sleepy boy on my hands.

Wow-WEE! That was HARD.

I could have stood there admiring him all day, and we snuggled in the ring for another ten minutes probably.

Treats now. I need sustenance to walk back to the barn.

Anyway, I owe y'all a lesson recap for sure, because we had a great flat ride with M last week. It was largely review, focusing on getting him into the contact at the trot, and then surviving the first canter back of the spring. It all went super great, and he was a doll, even if he fussed sometimes ("I don't mind the whining, he'll figure it out") and I made mistakes ("Don't worry, I will install the skills I need in you"). My mom came out and taped it, and while I can't use the video because I forgot to tell her to hold the phone sideways, I grabbed some stills and I'll be able to listen to it to remind myself of all the great stuff M said beyond the quotes above. For now, how CUTE IS THIS.

He licks his lips pretty much every time I pat him now.

We also had a brief ride last week that I was thrilled with. All we did was walk, but M was jumping one of her horses in the ring and cantering around and Mo plodded along on a loose rein like a freaking A-circuit professional. He could not have done that in November, that's for sure.

On Saturday, as some of you may recall, I was supposed to go to that super cute hunter show. Long story short, by the time we got there, there was no parking and it was a bit of a mess. No big deal, though--we re-routed to my friend's FABULOUS farm (the same place I took Red a couple months ago, and where Mo schooled in the indoor for the first time). This turned out to be a brilliant decision, because he still had to cope with being off the farm but without the tension that seemed to be running thick at the show. And it was much less muddy. It was a scuffle to get his bridle on (this one shall be bridled on the trailer or in a stall when away from home, foreverandeveramen), but other than that, he was just SO good. He had to see the terrifying sheep, the spooky jumps, new horses in the ring with him (just two, and they were quiet, but still). I just lunged him for a few minutes and then climbed up on, and I couldn't be happier with how the ride went. This one is a keeper. I wish I had pics of that day. Even though he didn't win any ribbons, it was a gold medal day in my mind.

There will be rocky rides ahead, but for now, I'm enjoying the hell out of this beastie.

* I realize that writing this means that he'll buck me off tomorrow. I'll take my lumps.