I almost lost K this evening! I didn't mean to, but Buttons and Sarah spooked at something on our trail ride, so I spun and ran. I was trying to get K away from the danger. Really, I was! I guess I moved a little too fast because K was unseated and sort of hung of my side for a bit before righting herself while I tried to run us away. I stopped when she said whoa. Okay, okay, she did have to say whoa more than once, but I was scared.
I will have you know that I walked back to the offending spot calmly upon request and stood like a pro while K dismounted to check on Aunt T, who did come off of Buttons. Once we made sure that Aunt T wasn't hurt seriously K hand walked Sarah and I back to the farm while R rode buttons home to get Aunt B and the car.
I never realized just how short K is until tonight as she led us back. She's only 15HH, that's five feet tall in human speak. Some of the weeds we cross through are taller than she is! If she wasn't holding my reins, I might have lost her for real! No wonder my belly get's tickled.
Fortunately we all made it back home safely, got our showers and dinner and we should be able to sleep well.
While that adventure put the cap on the evening, I did do some work before all that happened. K asked me to walk and trot and I even walked a jumper pattern over cavelletti.
I also promised a photo of my new boots in this morning's post. I'm actually going to try to go one better and post video, kindly shot by Aunt B.
Stay tight in your tack!
Polo
Sunday, August 14, 2011
These Boots are Made for Walking
Good Morning! I hope its a lovely Sunday where you happen to be.
I have been busy learning to be a riding horse. K and R have been riding me a few times a week, acclimating me to work under saddle. I'm doing okay with it, but it's not nearly as cool as grazing.
My big challenge is finding my balance. I gave my moms a couple of frights by limping a little when they asked me to trot. I didn't mean to scare them, I'm just not that light on my feet yet. My fleeting lameness has set K on a quest to cover my legs and protect me from myself. She means well, but I have to say, it all feels kind of funny.
We started with open front tendon boots on my front legs. These protect the tendons that run along the back of my front legs from a stike by my hind feet. They were fine, but I still had a small episode of lameness. So the next trial involved a pair of galloping boots. These were okay too, a little heavier as they protect my whole lower front leg from hind foot strikes and from brushing by the opposite front foot, but again I had a small episode while R was riding me.
Not ready to give up yet K then made me wear the tendon boots and bell boots, which cup my front feet and protect my heals from me hitting or stepping on them. This combination must have worked, because I didn't take a single lame step that day! So okay, I admit, I'm a bit of a klutz, I am only three after all!
Happy with her apparent solution to my mystery, K arrived last night bearing a set of fancy Woof Wear Brushing Boots for both my front and hind legs! The boots are black with hunter green closures and I'm told they look quite spiffy. The hind boots felt rather funny when K first put them on, but I was able to work with them just fine. Oh, I almost forgot, K put the bell boots back on too.
So, protected from my hocks and knees down, we went to work. K praised me for walking out well and we did a tiny little bit of trot. K forgot to put the stirrups back on her saddle before she came out and said she didn't want to cause me any problems by losing her balance. Everyone said I was a pro for working well while K rode stirrup-less. It was nothing...
Hopefully my mom's will get pictures tonight to post of me modeling my new boots. Then you can tell me if they really look as good as my moms say they do.
In the meantime, happy Sunday!
Polo
I have been busy learning to be a riding horse. K and R have been riding me a few times a week, acclimating me to work under saddle. I'm doing okay with it, but it's not nearly as cool as grazing.
My big challenge is finding my balance. I gave my moms a couple of frights by limping a little when they asked me to trot. I didn't mean to scare them, I'm just not that light on my feet yet. My fleeting lameness has set K on a quest to cover my legs and protect me from myself. She means well, but I have to say, it all feels kind of funny.
We started with open front tendon boots on my front legs. These protect the tendons that run along the back of my front legs from a stike by my hind feet. They were fine, but I still had a small episode of lameness. So the next trial involved a pair of galloping boots. These were okay too, a little heavier as they protect my whole lower front leg from hind foot strikes and from brushing by the opposite front foot, but again I had a small episode while R was riding me.
Not ready to give up yet K then made me wear the tendon boots and bell boots, which cup my front feet and protect my heals from me hitting or stepping on them. This combination must have worked, because I didn't take a single lame step that day! So okay, I admit, I'm a bit of a klutz, I am only three after all!
Happy with her apparent solution to my mystery, K arrived last night bearing a set of fancy Woof Wear Brushing Boots for both my front and hind legs! The boots are black with hunter green closures and I'm told they look quite spiffy. The hind boots felt rather funny when K first put them on, but I was able to work with them just fine. Oh, I almost forgot, K put the bell boots back on too.
So, protected from my hocks and knees down, we went to work. K praised me for walking out well and we did a tiny little bit of trot. K forgot to put the stirrups back on her saddle before she came out and said she didn't want to cause me any problems by losing her balance. Everyone said I was a pro for working well while K rode stirrup-less. It was nothing...
Hopefully my mom's will get pictures tonight to post of me modeling my new boots. Then you can tell me if they really look as good as my moms say they do.
In the meantime, happy Sunday!
Polo
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Big Adventures!
Hello Everyone!
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend. I have had a working start to mine. Momma K and I got down to business last night. She finally let me trot! I was a little rusty at first but once I got what was being asked I was good to go. I even trotted over one of those cavelletti poles!
The best part though was working with the whole gang! Momma R rode Sarah and Aunts B and T rode Oreo and Buttons respectively. This was the first time I've worked with Oreo. He's tall, like me and very cool.
After the work session was over we all went for a trail ride! I got to walk in some really tall grass that tickled my belly. I walked on pavement and over a rail road crossing and then around a neighboring field. So that's what's on the other side of the tracks! I've wondered...
Everyone said I was a champ! I hope so, cause this trail riding thing is actually pretty cool.
Wishing you happy trails and tickle-y bellies for now.
Polo
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend. I have had a working start to mine. Momma K and I got down to business last night. She finally let me trot! I was a little rusty at first but once I got what was being asked I was good to go. I even trotted over one of those cavelletti poles!
The best part though was working with the whole gang! Momma R rode Sarah and Aunts B and T rode Oreo and Buttons respectively. This was the first time I've worked with Oreo. He's tall, like me and very cool.
After the work session was over we all went for a trail ride! I got to walk in some really tall grass that tickled my belly. I walked on pavement and over a rail road crossing and then around a neighboring field. So that's what's on the other side of the tracks! I've wondered...
Everyone said I was a champ! I hope so, cause this trail riding thing is actually pretty cool.
Wishing you happy trails and tickle-y bellies for now.
Polo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)