WE RIDE!! (and it is so bloody cold)

ALL THE ENERGY!!!

I know at the beginning of the week, I said I'd only go to the lesson if I got to ride Monday and Tuesday, since C-rage has done nothing for three weeks. Instead of clearing up, the fog got thicker and the ice got slicker and Courage did nothing. And then Wednesday morning came and Redheadlins and I were like "screw it, we're going" and we stuffed the ponies in the trailer and headed off to the trainer's barn.

I did warn the trainer that it was most likely going to be terrible and that Courage was just coming to get out of the ice, so we weren't doing the lesson, just lunging in the arena.

"Please don't embarrass me"

We had to go to an arena Courage had never seen before, complete with tiptoeing across packed snow and ice to get there. He had an epic spook at "something" while we tried to chill out along the rail.

He was sort of keeping it together, so I threw on his bridle and clipped the lunge line on.

Looking so calm

It was foggy and about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Courage hasn't been able to trot around his field in three weeks.

He's had crazy eyes for the past week and a half.

Oh, and the arena was full of other greenies coming from similar work schedules.

Showing off for the only non-greenie in the arena

It was really more like flying a kite.

I was actually impressed--we had a couple of leaping/WHERE R MI LEGZ moments, but mostly he stuck his head straight up in the air and trotted. And trotted. And then trotted some more. I got him to canter a little bit, but he wasn't losing his mind trotting and I knew he needed to blow off steam.

As long as he wasn't going to be crazy, I wasn't going to push him. Trotting is great.

So fancy

Frankly, he was putting on the best kind of show. I had warned everyone in the lesson that he was going to be horrible and a nut and all manner of bad things. I even told my co-workers that I was going to get bucked off.

And this is what he gave me. Gorgeous, animated, suspension. He whinnied a couple of times, but since his supermodel girlfriend was along, he was actually pretty settled.

Looking pretty relaxed

I hand walked him around the arena once and he was really good. He was a little damp from all the trotting, so I knew I either had to throw his cooler on and call it a day or get on and keep him going.

So I got on.

Little man was foot perfect.

We walked around and stayed out of the way of the people jumping. He didn't flinch. I was having some serious "oh THIS is why I love this horse" moments, not gonna lie.

Extra careful

We picked up the trot. Instead of sticking his ears up my nostrils and flailing his legs around, Courage reached his neck forward and down and stepped out. BAM! I was beyond impressed.

We even sort of joined in on the exercise. We started out trotting some poles. He canter/leaped them the first time, but then trotted through like a champ. I couldn't believe how calm and collected he was.

Why is the crazy lady wearing my clothes?

Then the instructor directed us to trot the poles, go around the corner, and jump a little box in the snow. Courage trotted in, then halted politely in front of it.

Wasn't his fault I asked him to cross the great wall of China, haha.

We did a little circle, then he let the instructor lead him over the tiny box. A light bulb flashed on. Not the great wall! A jump!

He's got this

And guess who is the best at jumps?

Courage.

He didn't even hesitate after that. Once he understood the question, he trotted right in, snapped his knees up over it, and landed cantering.

The last time through our instructor played "Eye of the Tiger" for him and he shook his head when he landed. Little dude was so proud of himself.

We even got invited back to ride as long as the arena is good. I am so.excited. It was beyond awesome to be back in the tack. This little horse is going to be so awesome.