Testing the quiet pony

I was very proud of Ande again tonight. I longed him on this cool evening in the round pen with stirrups banging against his sides for the first time. On one side of the round pen, Rumer and Percy began their nightly romper room, chasing each other around the paddock at top speeds and at one point even careening right into one of the round pen panels.
On the other side of the round pen Farmer Ed was setting up sheep net and disappearing and reappearing over the bank. The only time Ande even stopped to look was when Ed was at the bottom of the bank and threw the net up over his head so it popped up over the bank by itself.

Then there was Catman George, streaking through the round pen at random intervals, occasionally stopping to roll in the grass and waiting until Ande was about to step on him before leaping up and scrambling to safety. Through it all, Ande did prompt and polite transitions, stepped away from me when I pointed the whip at his shoulder, and generally behaved as if he was in a peaceful place.

All photos taken after the troublemakers had tired themselves out and Ande could graze in peace as a just reward.