Arena work

We managed to give the horses a workout today - a break in the weather and an empty arena gave us a short, sweet opportunity.

I didn't lunge Bar first today, and it really didn't seem to make much of a difference one way or the other in his behavior. In fact, even though he wasn't perfectly behaved, he wasn't any harder to handle than when I do lunge him, so I think it's kind of a toss-up.

There was a horse in the round pen and Lena and Steve were in the arena with us, so there was some dancing and prancing, but I stayed on and we actually had a pretty good ride. I won't say it was without challenges -- we still have a lot to work on -- but Bar listened pretty well, even with Peter working another horse in the arena with us. Peter and Taxi even showed Bar a nice sliding stop. Bar was not impressed, especially since they slid to a stop right behind us, but we didn't go shooting around the arena, either.

With the three of us loping around the arena, it was a little challenging to keep Bar from chasing down Taxi and Lena, but he responded to my hands and my voice and didn't get crazy, even when that spotty rear end flashed past him.

Then we took them down the driveway, Bar following Lena on the way down and leading by a length or two on the way back. Because Bar takes two hands most of the time, the picture at the top of the post is actually from the other day when Katie and Steve were riding. I'm sure we'll get to the point where I can take pictures from his back, but we're not quite there, yet.

Steve and I both can't wait to take them both somewhere and just let them go, they both need it. So do we, for that matter.

Now if the weather would just cooperate a tiny bit more.