It's a new year and I'm on pins and needles!

Happy New Year!

I know, I am a bit late. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. I know I did! I got some extra time off and mom, (you remember K?) added special peppermint candy canes, to my feed. Dinner and dessert, yum!

K and I have been working quite a bit on dressage. My goals have been to improve my balance and flexibility in addition to my overall strength. I've also been working on my canter and am happy to report that I have found my left lead!

While I have made lots of progress, K has been concerned that I'm still not quite as far along as I should be, especially because I don't like to flex through my neck and poll. And so today I had a visit from Dr. Torres, who is a Chiropractor and a practitioner of acupuncture for horses.

Dr. Torres started out by touching my chest, shoulders and hips first with his hands and then he poked me with a needle! He explained that I was super sensitive and experiencing pain in certain areas. Well, he did poke me with a needle! Then he asked me to stretch my neck to each side. It was much harder for me to do this to the right. Of course, K wasn't offering me treats from the saddle, which meant I didn't have the incentive to flex. But I digress. Next, Dr. Torres placed my head on his shoulder and pressed down on my poll. It didn't really hurt, but it was a trifle awkward. I mean, I just met the guy and now I'm getting hugs?! But, dear friends, that wasn't even the strangest part.

After the adjustments, Dr. Torres then stuck me with acupuncture needles. I had them in my neck, wither, hock, cannon, fetlock and across the top of my rump. Some of them were huge! But, oh my goodness, once they were in, I sure felt better. Did you know that the point for helping relieve any headaches I might have is actually in my leg, near a foot? Anyway, first needles and then, shock therapy!

Okay, okay I exaggerate. Dr. Torres did hook me up to an electrical stimulus machine via the needles in my rump. The current wasn't bad, although by the end of the twenty minute session I was getting a little anxious. I was quite relieved when the electricity was cut and the needles came out. I also feel much better! Better is good. Especially as K has plans for us.

Cheers!

~Polo

K and me and my left lead!

Bucking Tradition

Good Morning Friends!

I think K may be having some sort of a crisis. When she came to visit me yesterday she changed out the irons on our saddle for new ones with sparkly stones running up the sides. She seems strangely excited about having "bling" as she called it.

If you know K as I do, you'll know she generally favors tradition when it comes to Sweepit's and my care and equipment. We have brown tack, standard grooming supplies (no fads) and simple, workmanlike saddle pads. Okay, okay Sweepit does have the cheetah-print boots, but she's a girl so she get's to be fashion-forward.

I'm at a loss! Has your human ever added something crazy to your wardrobe?

~Polo

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

Rockin' Dressage...or at least trying to!

Here's me, mostly decked out for training.

Hi Everyone!

K and I have been taking this dressage thing seriously. I'm working on my balance and flexibility a little longer each day. Today K increased the frequency of our changes in direction and also had me work in a few more circles. For variety I was asked to trot through cavelletti. You know. Those poles on the ground. K is always very encouraging and tells me when I've got it right. I do like to get things right!
I'll be working on basics for quite a while to build up my strength and perfect my balance. So far my toughest challenge is relaxing into my work. It is work, so how do I also relax?
Dear Readers, do let me know your solutions to this dilemma.

~ Polo

Back to Basics

Hello!

I've completely recovered from my heel cut, had my six-week pedicure and gotten back to business! K and I have been working on basics as I try to improve my strength and balance. We work on moving off of K's seat and leg using transitions between walk and halt and between walk and trot. K also asks me to change direction frequently; usually in a curvy, serpentine pattern.

This week K has changed up my usual "uniform" and outfitted me with the dressage saddle and the white brushing boots and bell boots. The dressage saddle helps K be a little more mindful of her position and lengthens her leg so that I can receive her cues better. Have I mentioned how short K is? The boots help to protect my legs from bumps and scrapes and the white color helps K and any of our eyes on the ground to assess my way of going. I'm told that this is The Look for horses in training.

K has been keeping our exercise sessions short because it has been super hot here in central Kentucky. In fact, we missed a week of work because of the heat. Typically we work for about 20-30 minutes and then I get a shower and a chance to replenish minerals by licking my Redmond Rock. Have you tried the Redmond Rock? It's mighty tasty!

I'll see if I can't convince K to arrange a photo shoot of our dressage look. In the meantime, keep cool and your mineral intake up!

~Polo