Friday Night Barn Night (part 2)

Since the weather is finally looking like spring might come sometime during the first half of the year, I was hoping to get some rides in on Cisco over the weekend. But I was much too cold after riding Phantom on Friday night to ride another horse. I figured I would just take him over to the arena for a quick lunge so that he wouldn't be too silly for a ride on Saturday.

Cisco also had to investigate the pile of sand that was going to be spread in the arena. From the top.

I just popped my lunge cavesson on and took him over. We started down in the scary end at a nice easy walk. So easy, that he dropped his head down, and on the very next step put his foot down on the lunge line before I could react. And broke the clip. D'oh!

The good news is that this lunge line has a leather loop with a buckle so I can easily replace the clip. One more thing to add to my Greenhawk list for their spring sale later this week. 

So I chased him around a bit instead. 

Then I decided to set up a little cavaletti for him to pop over. I've done this a couple of times, and he seems to enjoy it. He goes over it loose, without me doing much to make him do it. I mean, it's not big, maybe 18" at the biggest, but I guess it's big enough to get him a bit excited.

So excited that night, that he kept going back and forth over it. Like land, stop in the corner, reverse, and head right back over it. All I did was give a cluck and a wave the whip a bit to get him trotting.

Here's the video:

He had done this a couple times earlier in the session before I decided to get it videoed. I'm sure you are thinking that I've drilled this into him. Nope - this is only the third time I've set this up for him.

So it looks like I might have to find a jumping saddle that fits him.

And do you remember my original review on the All Ears Selfie app? And how this is the only response Phantom gave me when I tried it on her?

Those ears did not go forward.

Totally different response from Cisco.

WTF? Where did that whinny come from?

His head immediately shot straight up and he stared past me. The only sound I used was a whinny.

So far, the app has a 50% success rate.