In Which Dino Makes His Thoughts & Feelings Known To All

When my friend told me that she had a lesson with Trainer S over at the indoor this Saturday morning and asked if I wanted to come school in the ring during that time, I naturally jumped at the chance. Every minute in the saddle spent on good footing is precious these days!

Dino, apparently, had other ideas about what he wanted to do with our morning.

Those ideas did not involve doing flatwork in a crowded indoor.

I hopped on and he felt absolutely 100% dead to my leg. No big deal, I would use it as an opportunity to practice my light seat and non-dramatic requests for forward motion, and eventually he would warm up out of his sluggish attitude and get to work.

Or not.

Dino just did not want to play, and I spent the majority of the hour trotting around like a lost little lesson student who doesn't know how to ride without constant instruction, attempting to get him to respond when I put my leg on.

I tried transitions. I tried circles. I tried rein back. I tried turns on the haunches. I tried trotting over poles to jazz things up. I tried two point. I tried sitting. I tried contact. I tried floppy reins. Finally I tried getting mad and whacking him angrily with my whip.

For my efforts, I got exactly one decent canter in half-seat that lasted more that five strides, and a whole lot of snarky attitude from a certain orange pony.

It was beyond frustrating and embarrassing, and I started to question whether trying to event this pony at all was a good idea.

After the lesson, my friend and her lesson partner invited me to come with them on a little hack through the woods to the farm's cross country schooling area. Knowing that I wouldn't get anything productive done in the indoor, I joined them.

And wouldn't you know, that little punk of a pony perked right up once we left the confines of the arena. He marched along without any input from me, happily trotted and cantered to keep up with our longer-legged companions, and was generally compliant and pleasant to ride.

What a little brat.

Dino even marched right through the swollen creek without a second thought, and once we reached the jump field and found a fence or two surrounded by dry footing, he jumped beautifully over some barrels and cantered away. Three times! He even picked up the canter out of a turn on the haunches at the walk, the jerk.

Guys, what am I going to do with this... this... PONY?! UGH. Some days I wish I had bought a Thoroughbred instead...