Windy Windy Windy-crazy winds the last two days here in Mid-Michigan. This, along with very cool temps, makes even the most laid-back thoroughbred feel real nice and lose his mind a bit. Fortunately for me, his mind took leave for only about 20 minutes yesterday (when I free lunged him in the outdoor arena-yeah, lemme say I won't be doing that again when he's feeling his oats. I was seriously concerned he was going to jump the damn fence!). He was 100% awesome today, however, and I managed to get some pictures and video lunging before my Droid camera decided to die on me (not cool). So, as promised and without further ado, feast your eyes on my feasting beefcake.
I made him look up from his hay, hence the less than pleased expression. Still, lookit that butt! That topline! Swoon...
Alas, work he must. I apologize in advance for the pictures and video-'tis very hard to operate tiny technology while a large beast is on the other end of a line and you are trying to be both a good leader and lunger and the next Martin Scorsese.
Next of course, is canter work, though I admit I often warm him up in the beginning with lots of canter work thrown in. It's his favorite gait. I think he looks pretty good in these pictures and certainly he's happiest at the canter most days.
My uphill boy!
Feelin' good!
Good bubs. You did very, very good.
Here's the video. Please ignore my ridiculous voice and forgive my confusing cues-I really do know how to lunge a horse, but I was sans whip and looking at my teeny tiny Droid screen to capture the experience. Mostly, until the end, I just wanted him to go forward, no matter the gait. Hence the constant clucking and kissing. Still, I think it could have turned out worse...enjoy! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend everyone~
Your boy is just adorable!! What a lovely horse you have! And, I must say you did significantly better than me trying to lunge and video at the same time. It is NOT easy for sure!
ReplyDeleteHe has definitely come a long way since you first got him!!! Great work!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed! If that had been me trying to operate the camera and lunge the horse, the footage would have ended up on one of those disaster shows. He looks great! Good job!
ReplyDeleteHe looks fantastic!!
ReplyDeleteSo very pleased for you!!! You are quite skilled with the camera. I would have been struggling to keep the horse in frame, let alone without the camera wobbling and not still as you have managed.
ReplyDeleteLOL!! You sound like me "coooo coooo" kissing kiss kiss! You did way better than I could with those wild windy days we had. Miles is looking quite sexy and ready to go into Fall with a bit more weight on him! YEA!!! :)
ReplyDeleteOh and PS-it's so funny you said how you free lunged him and thought he was going to jump the fence. Laz has literally done that to me tooo many times and bounced/tested the fence line to attempt a panicked jump. Sure to kill himself. He looses his noodle sometimes when left to free lunge on days that is windy/cool, so now I opt to keep him on rope or line. Oh OTTB's are so silly.
Thanks Everyone for your kind comments:) I'm really happy with him and excited about the fall.
ReplyDeleteKristen-ugh, you have no idea how nutty he was-well, I guess you do:) He was just very forward on the lunge...canter canter canter, so I thought why not let him canter around the ring. Yeah, that quickly turned into a gallop, from one end to the next, with my heart in my throat as he was still going full speed two strides from the fence! Ugh. The funny thing was he wasn't trying to get out (which normally I would expect) so me standing at the gate cooing "easy" to him didn't register-he just wanted to RUN:)