It Didn't Work

So my thought that maybe the teeth floating and sheath cleaning would make Cody a happy camper was so wrong. Maybe it was bad timing. I think he's got a bit of anxiety right now since they've been pulled off their pasture and put into the small paddock with one new-to-them horse and they are right across the fence now from the horses in the big paddock. Right as I brought Cody into the barn to groom J, S, and J came riding up the road. Cody wanted to look out the door behind him as well as out the door in front of him so he was being kind of a spaz in the cross ties. They tied Amigo in the cross ties in front and put Jesse in a stall and by the time I was done grooming Cody had pooped 5 times and was shaking from nerves. He just can't stand not being part of everything that's going on around him.

I hand walked him in the arena for a while to try and calm him down. He was a sweaty mess and I hadn't even done anything yet. He was very calm doing a few circles at the walk and trot and changing directions. I got on and rode at the walk for a while and then a little bit of trot. Stitch was tied in the arena but it didn't seem to faze Cody too much so I decided maybe we'd try going down the road again.

We didn't even make it to the end of the driveway before he started backing up. So we kept backing up all the way back to the barn before I let him walk forward again. We did the usual weave down the road in the ditch desperately trying to see the barn/pasture. Our first lap back toward the barn was fast but not totally spastic. We passed the driveway and kept going, he calmed down a bit but then had a fit on the way back so we went for lap two. More freaking out and backing up and stopping so there was a third lap. And then a fourth lap but this time in the plowed corn field. I thought maybe having to work a little harder to move would make Cody think twice. He actually moved out pretty good at first but got pissy again when we turned around. He had one minor hissy fit when one car passed but was fine for all of the other cars passing, like I said, cars are just an excuse to bolt for home. He wasn't really settling in so I took the smallest try and called it quits and went back to the barn.

We trotted quite a bit in the barn and then worked on some cantering. We were good to the right but we could not get the left lead canter to save our lives. Over and over again I tried. Cody got to the point where I'd barely move my outside leg back and he'd leap into a canter, but on the wrong lead. I didn't want to end not getting that lead but I had to get a move on so I got down and tried to lunge him and get the left lead, couldn't even get a canter at that point. He was pulling out some really nice extended trot but just wouldn't pick up a canter. I had to stop at the point, he was dripping wet. Luckily I think the wet was from the 70F weather. He didn't seem to be breathing hard so I don't think I wore him out too much. We've rode a handful of times lately so hopefully I'm not overdoing it for him. I stretched him out before putting him back in the paddock.

He chased Axel around a bit and then a flock of birds before he flopped down on the ground and proceeded to make himself as muddy as possible, dust + sweat = mud all over his face. Oh and I didn't kill Axel with his first injection, he was just fine and thought I was there to take him out of the paddock and do something like give him treats. Poor Axel, doesn't know what's in store for him once he feels good, hay belly be gone!