Good Things Happening

Duncan has been so great lately. We will randomly have these amazing weeks when everything clicks, and when that happens it is the best thing ever. It makes all of the struggles over the past year seem so insignificant totally worth it. Lately he has been so forward and off my leg, which is probably a combination of wearing a spur, his feet being freed up, and me not being afraid to ask him for that. He has also been getting round really easily, his mouth is soft, and he has been doing stretchy trot, free walk, and even some stretching at the canter. On Sunday and Monday we had awesome rides. Sunday we had a lesson in the outdoor and it was great. Probably the first lesson that wasn't stressful because I'm all worried about something, and Duncan and I could just get stuff done. On Monday I brought him in and he was having one of those days that I hate. When he is scared of everything and just can't focus. This happens less and less lately, but there are days when it does, and I never know what to do. This time I went and asked Terry for help. She so happily came off the couch to see Duncan. She did a lot of groundwork. Nothing hard, just made him disengage his hind end a lot and focus on her. I do things similar to that, but not as quickly or efficiently. She brought him to where he was scared and even did the ground work out the door. After she gave him to me and I practiced it until he felt good. When I got on he felt really loose and moved his feet well. He did try to look at the scary stuff a little, but I just bumped him with my leg and he was fine. We even did a stretchy trot around the ring. I know it's nothing big, but it just makes me so happy that even on the days he comes in dancing around that I now have the tools to calm him down and that we can still have a good ride. And finally, yesterday I wanted to give him an easy day, but whenever I've tried to do that in the past it hasn't really worked. Either because he was way too nervous to go around and stretch, or because he didn't know how. Today was the first day I have been able to just do an easy, stretch day. Where he just went around in a free walk, trot, and canter. The canter was kind of funny. He had his head down and I asked him for the canter and I think he had a slight moment of "whenever I canter with my head this low it means buck", and he did think about it for a moment, but then just went off cantering. So happy!!

Things have been good with Duncan lately. We had our first dressage show, which he did great in. He's had a little time off lately because of some back stuff, but the vet did some chiro on him and he has been good. There is also a horse here for training, River, that I have been riding. He's fun and sort of like Duncan.
Duncan and I have been liking to trail ride and have fun. I decided not to worry about showing this year, and we will pick it up next year. He is so young, and I wasn't feeling good about where he was training wise. If and when we show I want to be prepared and feel good about it. I want to do it right, not half ass. And dressage is not important to me right now. Eventually it will be, but for now we are doing other things and taking some time. And I am fine with it. We did our first schooling show at Hearts and Horses. We did intro b and c. We got a 67 in intro c and won the class, and a 63 in intro b and got third. They were okay rides, but the judge was generous. Duncan got around the arena, did not spook, and didn't leave. It was a good first show. And I was happy with it. But it made me realize I am not going into a show again until I feel ready.
 But I do want to get some stuff done so that we can do something when we go to college. Because Duncan and I are off to Houghton in August! I am so excited! Not so much for the school work part but for the horse part. It is going to be awesome to be training with an awesome trainer, and have so many girls my age who ride and are Christians. I am so excited for that. It is everything I love all in one. Should be pretty awesome.