Friday Lesson

This morning I had a riding lesson.

The workers kept the morning lesson horses in, so I got Nico out of his stall and took him to the grooming area. He was like, “Hey! We’re supposed to go outside to my pasture now!” I had to convince him that we were going for a ride first. He got over it fairly quickly and then stood still. I had my trainer check my saddle fit (like five people have told me the saddle is fine - but I still like some reassurance). She said it’s good, but if he fills out over the next couple of years I might need to get a new one.

So we all tacked up and headed outside to the big outdoor arena. I rode in the smaller outdoor arena the other night, so I was a little nervous about riding in the gigantic arena. Nico could have cared less, though. He was peppy and responsive, but nothing worried him. He acted like a big boy at the mounting block and stood perfectly for me to get on. He did walk off before I asked him, but we can work on that. There were four other horses in the lesson and he did a good job not paying attention to them today.

And the best part of the whole lesson was when my trainer told us to turn early onto the long side and leg yield back to the rail. I figured I was excluded from the exercise, but then she yelled to me that I should at least give it a try and if it made him nervous I could just walk him around a bit. Well, let’s just say my pony is a superstar. He didn’t do some amazing leg yield or anything, but his body stayed straight and we had some definite lateral movement all the way back to the rail. My trainer was quite impressed. I was so proud of my pony!

And then I cantered him both ways in the arena. We were exceptionally fast and strung out, but we cantered and he was very willing to pick it up.

I put him back in his stall after my lesson and crossed my fingers that the vet has time to clean his sheath today and check if his back is sore. His “boy part” looks really nasty at the moment and every now and then he will swish his tail and raise his head if I touch his back. So I want to know if something is going on with that, or if he’s just being a weirdo. If the vet can’t get to him today, he will be back in two weeks. Poor boy. I hope the vet has time today.

And Nico is getting introduced to the “calmer” gelding herd today (if his drugs wear off in time - if he even gets to see the vet today). So I’m a little worried about my baby out in a herd situation. The girls at the barn assured me that these geldings are super quiet and not aggressive to other horses. I hope so. I don’t want my cute little pony to get bite marks on him.

~ by haffiegirl on April 18, 2008.