I couldn't have scripted this scene any better:-) Notice the brown dot in the middle of the video, to the right of the middle, green tree, see it, well I should say him cuz it's Lester the PonyMan. I called for him once and he didn't hear me, but my second call you can see some brown dot movement, that's his head shooting up from the grass- "MOM!!?" gosh it's enough to melt your heart isn't it?
The weather was horrible ALL weekend so I didn't ride him until Monday. Sunday was sunny, but the flies were just awful and all the horses were pretty crazed from trying to kick, swish and bite at flies. Poor ponies:-( Even after we doused the boys in vinegar and flyspray the flies were still attacking and I didn't want our first ride back (it had been over a week) to be miserable so I didn't get on him Sunday. I lunged him straight up (no bitting up) in his halter and let him WTC and he looked great both directions. He had his nose to the ground at the trot though because he really wanted to roll and knock off some flies. I even used the lunge whip and drug it along his back to get some of the flies off, he knew exactly what I was doing.
to my car or even go to the fridge and get carrots for him without him having to follow me- I love that :-) He's a perfect gent with his hoofies, if he doesn't already have it up and waiting for you just tap on his leg and he'll pick it up. Sometimes he'll pick a pad up off the rack or halter off the hook and he grabs his rein or lunge line and just likes to hold it in his mouth when I lead him out to the mounting block (yes I think they are all cute because he does it at such a minimum and doesn't destroy these items) . When it comes to mounting up I get up on the block and can guide him back or forward with little touches of the rein and voice and he stands there like a rock- doesn't move till I ask. He cracks me up because he's such a tough guy with other horses, pinned ears and charging after them, but is such a love to humans and he would never pin his ears to one (opps I lied, he does make ugly faces at feeding time:-x). THESE were the things I thought about last year when I had to decide whether to put him through the 
colic surgery.I got on him again last night too and he was good again, but more stiff. We walked for a good 30 minutes, I tried to flex him without asking too much and he wasn't giving me much other than a level head and braced neck. He was more stumbly too in the hindend. So we went to the riding ring and we trail pony opened the gate and walked over some poles. He immediately went round and soft and just marched over the poles. I think he enjoyed something different. After that we trotted a little. He stumbles much less with he's "working" and flexed.
