Poet

[Danielle]

So a certain someone is a VERY proud pony owner ;D We had our show this weekend, where we started with 4 classes and ended up going in 10! We went in halter, showmanship, western pleasure, horsemanship, hunter crossrails division (two jumping classes and an under saddle), as well as huntseat equitation, pleasure, road hack and show hack. We did the western classes in an English bit. He was so amazingly behaved the entire weekend, from being lead around to trying SO hard in the show ring. He didn't even care he was in a different place! He did his first jump course ever out there and did it very nicely! He also did extensions and collections (Very minor ones but still) and hand gallop for the first time. He was so good and I'm so so so so so proud! We'll be going in one of the hunter jumper's at the end of the month, in the crossrail division.

[ariana]

CONGRATSS ! I wish I could have gone out to see ittt, but you looked good in the photos on FB

[Danielle]

Thanks
We've started some basic exstentions and collections. He's undertsnading so far
Today we did a nice few crossrails. We jumped brush and pylons and he couldn't have cared less! He's barely over jumping and is finding his stridings at a canter fairly well!

[Danielle]

Another good day We had a lesson, where we worked on our exstentions and collections. He's slowly starting to understand it, but it'll come! Then we did some jumping. We've started cantering most crossrails, but he isn't getting much impulsion yet :/ At the trot though, he is doing fabulous! He picks up his feet nice, keeps a nice rythm after I help him find it and is starting the bend at the trot really nice!
Annnd, a big thing happened today! We have the hunter jumpers just up the road and it's a pian to trailer that litttle distance, so we were hoping to just walk him up the road, but we didn't know how he'd react. So I brought him out with the two old schoolies who are calm as can be on the road. Not today they weren't. For whatever reason, the two horses were jumping our of their skin. Guess who had to lead and didn't even get tense, let alone spook? Poet ;D We went almost right to the road and he didn't even shy away. I was really happy with my boy

[maria]

If this were facebook, I'd be clicking the "Like" button a million times!!!!

[Erin ♥]

I seen Poet yesterday, he looked great!
He's even more beautiful in person

[Danielle]

Thanks ladies<3
I haven't updated this in forever! The Hunter Jumper show went pretty good, he did not appreciate the bright jumps, hahah. He was refusing a bit, which is really weird for him and he was so tired by the end of the second day!
The past few weeks I haven't ridden as much, but we have been doing a nice bit of no stirrup work! He was so unsure of it at first, but now we'll canter around most of the arena no stirrup.
We've been doing a nice bit of jumping work, with big crossrails (about 18") and we've started him over 2'! He loves it, and he's figuring out his spacings and stridings well so far!
We've done a nice bit of flat work too. We've been working with really loose reins and lots of leg and he's starting to circle very nicely, at the walk and trot!
And yesterday we went for our first real bareback ride! We were walking at first, working on bending and such. Then we started trotting, and I finally realized how bouncy his trot is, haha. We did a little cantering too, which made me really happy! This is the same pony who used to bolt and buck every couple days. He let out a little buck yesterday when he wouldn't go forward and I gave him a couple sharp smacks with the crop. But he's becoming such a good pony, very proud!

[Danielle]

Another pretty good day! He's so lazy lately, it's terrible! Must be the heat.
Today was work on bending, and he's becoming so supple. We did a bunch of figure eights at the walk and then attempted it at a trot. Not very succesful. He's going back to his old gate ducking habit, and I think that's we'll be working on a lot. He's not going around at a walk very well, let alone a trot or canter. I guess it's back to basics for him for a while!

[Danielle]

So after a fall last week and being told to take a week or two off, I've had Poet out for the past couple days. Yesterday and the day before he was tense and jumpy and just not very well-behaved but I think part of that was me being scared.
But today was really good! He's so flexable at the walk now, it's amazing! And his bending at the trot has improved sooo much! He's still trying to find his balance while doing circles and bending but he's really trying hard instead of flat out fighting me and that's all I can ask for. We did his first actual oxer today too! The spread was like 6" and the jump was only like a foot but I just wanted to see how he reacted to it. He was picking up so much momnetum with just a little push from me. He cleared it with ease and didn't even hesitate! A couple times, he got his stridings perfect and everything! Very proud of my man<3

[Danielle]

Another good day! We worked on transiaiotns and his walk to trot was so good by the end of the day he was going for a squeeze! We did a little jumping and because it was so humid, that's all we did.

[Danielle]

It's been a good two weeks! He's been listening fairly well and his canter is becoming so smooth and balanced. He's racking a nice bit but we're working on that. We're working mainly on the flat, with lots of bending and tranisitions. He was so relaxed at our last lesson he actually fell alseep and nearly fell. Show in Deer Lake this weekend

[Danielle]

The show in Deer Lake was, er, interesting! He has a very weird, off day, but we worked it out! We've done a lot of flat work lately, and it annoys him a lot. We've done jumping the past two days, and he's being so good! He's jumping really nicely, and actually picking up impulsion and not just stepping over the jump anymore! We're trying him with games on Wenesday, that will be interesting!

[Danielle]

I hvent updated this in a while!
Poet has done barrels, poles and keyhole and loves it! We went to the Pink show and he was excellent, even won a Western class!
At home, we have been working on forward movement which he has gone backwards for so much :/ he's improving though! We had a clinic with Katrina and she reccomended lunging which is what we worked on today. He was excellent! We worked on walk-trot-woah with a little bit of canter. He was pulling a nice bit and tried to bolt away a few times but he settled after a bit. His transitions were smooth, his trot was smooth and forward and he was listening EXTREMELY well! Very happy with my boy

[Danielle]

A very good day today! Last week at our lesson, he wouldn't go above a walk without a huge fight and keeping him going was almost as bad. This week he was energetic, and very forward! I was actually having to do a lot of half haulting, something that is very rare with him! We worked on forward movement, transitions and bending at a trot. After a little fighting we had him trotting in front of another horse, something he usually refuses to do.

[Danielle]

The past two rides on Poet have been fabulous! We're working on walk-trot transitions right now, mixed with some bending and just generally keeping forward movement.
Today was really good, he's starting to get the concept of going forward for just my leg and coming back for a little pressure on the reins and me bracing my back slightly. He'll keep his trot going really well for the most part and will pick up his trot in almost any place of the arena now, including the gate! That used to be a huge problem area for him. I added in a little bit of cantering today too, and he loves it a bit too much, ahaha. His transistions are coming along so nicely and I'm quite happy with him