Weekend wrap-up

So yeah... Friday I was lazy... [insert sheepish look here], but honestly, I was so tired and it was gross outside, so I hibernated... just a teeny bit.

This is what I expected out of Alex on Saturday since it was cold and he'd had a few more days off this week than originally planned. 

I was pleasantly surprised when he was very good on the lunge, if a little slow to stretch, but I attributed that to the cold (I always feel bad when I have to pull the blanket off to tack him up).  In the saddle, Alex did some pretty darn good flat work. A little fussiness in the bridle, but we got some good stretches and very forward movement.  What I was most proud of, though, were the canter departs.  No bucks, no arguments, just canter. 

Now I know I said I expected him to be wild, but I also set up another cross rail on the opposite side of the arena and a little grid, just in case :-)

Alex was such a good boy... he was genuinely suspicious of the new cross rail which was now on a different approach, but he jumped it anyway...even if I was trying so hard to not get ahead of him that I got left a little and he was trying so hard not to touch it that he probably cleared it by 3 feet!  No one ever said the early stages of training a horse were pretty.  After a couple good jumps back and forth across the cross rail, he seemed game to try the grid.  I was prepared for a stop or at least a hesitation, but he trotted right through even though I think he was a little confused about where to put his feet and when.  After a few more trips through the grid, we called it a night.  So proud of my big man!

Sunday is usually Alex's weekend day off, but since his schedule had been a little light during the week, I figured we should at least have a good lunging session.  He was awesome on the lunge, lots of good stretching and some really nice movement at all three gates.  I was really proud of him,  I don't think he's worked that hard or well on the lunge in a long time.

Alex After Lunging

My handsome man...Alex still needs to gain some more weight (I'm counting the days until the grass comes back in, while I pile in the feed and hay) he's just gotten back to where we were before the abscesses.  He also needs to build some more "junk in the trunk," but that will come with the jumping.

Tomorrow night back to work and more fun with the grid :-)