Stinkpot Winston

Two weeks ago, training Winston was going great.  We were on a regular schedule and he was making noticeable progress each time I rode.  I was pleased as punch.

Brett took some video one day and you can see what a good boy he was.  We started out by practicing herding cattle Bella out of the arena.  About the time we got to work, our neighbor started mowing her property with a tractor.  She was hitting rocks and making all kinds of commotion.  Winston looked over, but never stopped working and came right back to me.  He was bending with the lightest of contact at the trot -- like butter.  At canter, he got the idea and started working with connection.  

I was so pleased with him, that he I went into the garden and picked him some of his new favorite treat.  Strawberries.

Then I went to New Orleans last week for a work meeting.  He didn't get ridden all week.

Saturday he was a total stinkpot. 

Trot was work, work, work.

Canter?  Interesting.  I slid my outside leg back and gave a little nudge.

He tried to kick my foot -- which was on the outside -- with his inside leg.

Got the picture?  He was all twisty underneath me.  He would take one stride, then twist and kick. 

It took five or six canter departs before he got with the program.

Poor Winston.

It's hard to be young.