UGH!

So I decided to ride last night.  Husband gave me a curfew - I had to be home for dinner by 8:30.

Archie was a giant shit.

There was one point, while he was rearing and bucking and crow hopping, that I actually wasn't afraid of falling off.  I was more pissed off that he was being a jerk.

We went along pretty well for a while.  Both directions, decent (lazy) trot.  Downward transitions.  We were tracking right and he spooked at the dog.  It wasn't a normal drop-and-side-step spook. It was a dance-and-spin spook, which is new.  So I turned him back around and we continued in a high-stepping stupid trot.  I call it stupid because it was all up and no forward.  When he finally relaxed from that, I asked for a little canter on the left lead.  Nailed it.

Then I decided that ending with some trot poles would be nice.  We go through once.  We change direction and go up that tiny little incline (the same one he's exploded at twice before), headed in a circle towards the trot poles.

Then I have this leaping, angry beast below me.

I'll admit:  I lost my cool for a second.  I smacked him on the neck.  And when his feet landed, I made him canter out.  When the cantering was good, was smooth, we went back to a sit trot and went back and forth over the damn trot poles, both directions.

I cooled him out and sponged him with RefreshMint, which smells amazing, leaves his coat funny and seems less abrasive than the liniment. I just can't figure out what's going on with him.  I know his buddy left, but I'm his buddy, too.  And he's not completely alone: Sang is constantly there, asking for his attention.  I don't know if his fitness is to a point where he's going to be a cocky bastard until I can work him until he's worn out, if he just feels better than he has in months, or if demons pop out of that one corner.  I ought to take a picture of it.

After all of that, I went and ran three miles.  It wasn't nearly as far as I wanted to go, but I was home by 8:20.

Here's hoping the husband has a good birthday weekend!