Here's to New Partnerships!

Good Morning Friends!

I have much to tell! I have a new partner! Her name is C and she and I met last week and hit it off right away.

Shocking news this! Am I right? Never fear dear readers. I still live at Paddle Stone Equestrian Center in Lexington, Kentucky and K is still my mom. C and I have formed a lease partnership so that K can focus harder on finding work and growing Off The Track Designs without having to worry that she's neglecting me and my training progress.

I am so happy that C came to meet me as my being able to stay on the home farm was in doubt. Last Wednesday I had a meeting with someone who was looking to buy a new horse. I was surprised and very unhappy that K was letting strange people ride me. I was also upset by the Very Scary Event!

As K was tacking me up, the mobile home that anchored the end of the riding arena disappeared! K tells me it had been sold and hauled off the property to its new site. To think that I would be sold and hauled away like the mobile home! I shudder.

K assures me that I would have been placed in good home and reminds me that I'm very well traveled as it is. But she also tells me how happy she is that C and I found each other. She says she didn't feel that a partnership between myself and the prospective buyer would have been a productive one, whereas she could see right away how happy C and I are together. She also says that this way she still gets to hug me whenever she wants. I hope she doesn't do so in front of Molly and Dominique. How embarrassing!

So here's to new partnerships, new adventures and more hugs!

Green slobber kisses to all!
~Polo

Chickens and Liverpools, oh my!

Good Morning!

I've had quite a bit of excitement over the past week. We've had some lovely breezes that have given everyone on the farm an energy boost. They've also given the farm chickens wanderlust. The chickens moved to a new morning roost sight in the treeline alongside the arena and frequently strut right on into the arena while we were working. Very distracting! But I am proud to say that I worked through it in a professional manner.

K also switched up my workout routine, giving me a break from dressage for a few days to let me practice my jumping. I'm not sold on this jumping thing yet. K typically points me towards small, airy cross rails that I can just trot right over. Why exert more energy than I need too? Apparently K thinks I should exert more energy so she's started introducing me to other types of jumps. Last week I learned about Liverpool jumps.

A Liverpool is a jump set over a pool of water, or in our case a blue tarp. K led me over the tarp, jumping it herself to show me what to do. Nothing like a good demonstration, right? Anyway, my very first lesson in Liverpools was with K on foot and just a rail sitting on the tarp. My next introduction, a few days later, was under saddle and K had built a cross rail over the tarp. I admit, this one fooled me and I stopped and looked, hard. Unfortunately this maneuver caused K to end up on foot, prompting another rider-demonstration. (Truly, it is an excellent learning tool!). Then K got back on and I jumped it! On our final attempt for the lesson I even landed on my left lead!

Go me!

~Polo

Workin' It

K has been taking my introduction to Dressage pretty seriously. In fact, I can't remember the last time I wore the close contact saddle!
My workout routine has been fairly consistent over the past few weeks. I walk, a lot! K has me incorporate lot's of changes in directions, circles and I'm even learning to leg yield.
 Next K asks me to trot and we go through much the same routine of circles, serpentines and transitions in gait. I have noticed that my trot sets are getting longer. K tells me that this is how I build up my strength and balance.
K has left canter out of our routine for now, preferring me to improve my walk and trot work first. I'm okay with this. I don't really see the need to go fast anyway.
Speaking of training. K keeps mentioning the word lesson. Do you suppose that means more work?
~Polo