I decided to be nice last night when I got to the barn and brought in a bunch of the horses. Then I got Cruizer ready. He was pretty hyper lunging, so we did A LOT of cantering. When I got on him he was really quiet again. I rode him for awhile, working on shoulder in, haunches in, some leg yielding, etc. which he took to right away. I love how smart he is. Except then he had a moment of stupidity, and all of a sudden stopped and went flying backwards. Why? Because he saw the groundpoles standing up behind the arena wall... that we had already passed AT LEAST ten times... really Cruizer? So, after a few minutes of him staring at them like he was for sure gonna die, he smelled them, scared himself again, and eventually got over it and we went back to work right away. He is so weird sometimes. After awhile, I decided to let Brittany get on him for a few minutes. (kelsey, you are the only one who hasn't been on him! one day, when you feel like riding, you are riding him). Brittany actually did pretty well with him. Part of the reason I did this is so that she would realize how much she is sitting forward when she's on Waco (causing Waco to speed up, blah blah). Cruizer is a DEAD giveaway if you're using your seat properly and what your seat is telling him. I had her long trot him, and then ask him to walk using her seat only (same way I do), and what do ya know? He kept trotting. After trying it a few times she did figure out how forward she's sitting and to sit back, at which point he did walk. I then got back on and trotted and cantered him a bit more. He finished pretty well and we called it a day. I am riding him again today. I tuff stuff -ed his feet again today as well. His feet are looking much better. Hopefully by next fall he will be able to stay sound barefoot. I would really like to keep him completely barefoot year-round.. we will see how his feet progress. At this time, he goes dead lame when a shoe comes off. He is on biotion and I use Tuff Stuff and Hooflex on his feet, and they are MUCH improved. Soon maybe...

In other horsey news, my first dressage lesson is on Saturday. I can't wait!