challenging conditions for baby Bali

This weekend was a tough one for good ol' Bali boy. And maybe for me too lol. He is very rapidly reminding me of all the little things I've forgotten about green horses, as it's been years since I rode one regularly. Just normal things - like topics other bloggers post about regularly, such as inconsistency from day to day and regressing after a day or two too many off work.

at least it's dark enough that you can't tell that my reins and bridle are two different colors

My first four rides on him happened on four days in a row and I was (and remain!) super impressed with how well he improved from one ride to the next. Then he had two days off and... well... reverted right back to his ride 2 self. Which I guess makes sense because he's been a riding horse for a couple months now - his bad habits weren't ingrained in 4 rides and it will take more than 4 rides to smooth him back out again.

baby is distinctly unimpressed. cannot possibly work under these conditions.

Plus the circumstances were tough. I missed a bit of riding through the week, and then we had a 'Ride & Wine' event at the barn, complete with live music, a fire, and many many twinkling lights - all down in the main arena. I got Bali down the hill and almost to the gate (with lots of trepidation and snorting) before deciding that was enough for baby and heading back up to the small 'dressage court' currently in use by bio-mechanics lessons.

there be shenanigans ahead

The riding space is tiny - just smaller than a regulation short court - with hard footing that prompted a lot of tripping in Mr Unbalanced. Plus with another rider already using the space for a lesson... well... It didn't give us a ton of room. And Bali was kinda not very cooperative.

I could *not* get a nice walk out of him for more than a few steps, and a nice trot was absolutely out of the question. Upward transitions continued to be sticky as well. I spent maybe 35-40 minutes all told - long enough for him to submit to the work and drop the idea of exploding, but not long enough for him to actually, ya know, work. Just not sure it was gonna happen that night.

view down the hill toward the party

So despite being pretty tired after my lesson on Saturday (details to come!), I made sure to hop in the tack again, knowing he'd have yesterday off as well. And I'm glad I did. Bali boy was full of it haha. It'd be an exaggeration to say he had murder on his mind... but, well, it certainly wasn't kittens and rainbows that he was thinking about either lol.

this horse has a lot of problems. bein cute ain't one of them tho!

Plus, again with the challenging conditions, the barn manager was setting up for a movie night at the barn and it was cool and windy out. And Bali was still pretty sure that all the party-goers from the previous evening's event might still be lurking around the arena - maybe under that JACKET. Ahh!!! Or, behind all those neatly hanging HELMETS OMG!!!! Plus some deer scampered away behind our backs, a very understandable spook I suppose... but still. Bali was taking any excuse.

'i'm gonna lick you. and then put my teeef on you' - bali

So when the BM told me she'd be inflating the projector screen in about 15 minutes, I made it my business to be FINISHED riding by then lol. And Bali was.... just ok. Honestly I probably need to push for a little more from him. He gets so busy snaking his head around in every direction, and I've been pretty focused on just riding his body and not his head -- but it's kinda all evasive garbage and he's gonna be expected to travel in a straight and balanced line.

'mmmmm lick alllll thethings' - bali

The trot work actually wasn't terrible - the extra space of the main arena gave me more room to push him forward a bit and he more or less acquiesced. So we went into the tricky left lead canter fairly soon into the ride. Oh Bali... I swear, all I wanted was a few balanced and measured strides and then I would have dropped it - honest!

But Bali was having none of it. Right when I'd be ready to reward some good steps by transitioning down to trot, he'd pop a very exuberant lead change and try to bolt. Meaning: reorganize, depart again on correct lead, and continue until we reached a nice canter..... at which point he'd pop another change. Finally we got what was actually quite a nice canter (relatively speaking) when I put him on a small circle and kept him there. Good(ish) boy.

ugh that mouth tho :(

Right lead was much easier - esp since he was already a little tired. We were even able to do full laps of the arena including the long sides with minimal interpretative dance moves a la Bali. Transitioned down to trot and stayed there - quite nicely again - and popped over a cross rail. Beautifully. He trotted up to it evenly and in balance, landed in an equally balanced canter, and brought his own self back down to trot in a couple strides. Goooooood boy!

Pointed him at another cross rail and got the same result, tho I asked him to stay in canter and aimed him at a vertical. All small stuff - but he just stayed so steady and jumped it very very politely and stayed straight and balanced on landing. At which point I got him back to the rail, back to trot, then walk then halt and hopped right off and told him what a good little horsie he is.

he is just too stinkin sweet!!

Silly guy. I guess he just needs something to focus on? Like, maybe I was right in saying that all the arena traffic from last week's ride helped keep him tuned in. As soon as I pointed him at jumps he just quieted down and settled. But when we're just out on the rail or circling about he gets so fussy and busy fighting with me.

Will have to think a little bit about what this means for my approach with him - tho it's good to know that he gets better when there's more for him to think about!!