Looney Lungeing

Well, At Least Tucker Was

I poo picked the arena, and one wheelbarrow load from under the run in shed while the Boys ate dinner.

Then I decided to do a bit of lungeing. To my surprise, Toby came over to me, even though I had the lungeing equipment in hand and acted as if he wanted to do a little work. So, I put the halter on him and took him to the arena.

We had a lovely, quiet, obedient short lungeing session which ended with his cantering nicely through the little jump combination.  I gave him a good grooming with the shedding blade and a nice carrot and then went out to get Tucker.

Well, catching him was just fine as was his lungeing on the left rein.  Then, we reversed and all seemed well until. he suddenly leaped into the air, bucked and took off in a strong canter.  I let him go on, because after the first silliness he seemed to settle down into a good forward gait.  And, he was easy to bring back down into an equally forward trot.  All good, so far.

But then, I decided to send him through the jump combo. Mind you, these "jumps" were a tiny crossrail and a little vertical that was set at just over a foot.  Not exactly a challenge.

He bucked, he galloped, he soared over the first jump, then ran around the second one. Then he took off on the end of the line, almost getting away from me. Then he charged at the crossrail and dived out at the last second.  Then he raced off again, only to come around and leap over both jumps with several feet to spare.

Only from long experience if hanging on to careening horses at the end of a lunge line was I able to not lose him altogether.  It was a spectacle, that's for sure--starring Tucker the Looney Horse!

I finally settled him back down to a fairly controlled trot and managed to get him to go through the combination with some sense of sanity for two passes and surrendered.

And this was the horse that jumped so quietly and beautifully under saddle. Not sure where that critter was today, but he surely wasn't in the arena with me! *lol*

Tuck was soaked with sweat after that episode, so I sponged him off. It was certainly warm enough, so no worries.  I know he was just playing around--at least at first. Then that "Thoroughbred gene" kicked in and he couldn't help himself. Since we ended on a good note, all is well.

At that point, I'd had enough too, so Chance got his carrot just for looking cute.

Rewards come easily here at Follywoods.