Maybe I need to include in my blog description that I'm a middle aged woman, amateur rider working with a sensitive OTTB with a big lovable heart trying to find our way in the dressage ring...
I know I'm not the world's best rider but I'm not horrible. I get my enjoyment from making that connection with my horse and being able to understand and communicate with him. Yesterday was one of those days that puts a perma-grin on my face because I could see that I could do it.
Anything could have happened in the course of the day. Ollie could have had another day like last week when we traveled to Masterson Station Park. But instead we had a "We're rock stars!" day!
Ollie loaded well for Matt and me. He had been a bit of a challenge but we've been practicing and he's improving.
We arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park and found our way to the stabling area. We unloaded Ollie and put him in a stall with water and hay. He was a little anxious but not too bad. He was doing some stall walking and an occasional whinny but overall pretty darn good. We let him decompress in the stall and we hung outside of the stall with him. When he settled down I decided to put a bridle on him and walk him around the property for his first look around.
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| Getting Ollie acclimated to the surroundings at the Kentucky Horse Park. In the background is the new outdoor stadium which can seat 7400 people. |
He seemed to take it all in without a hitch. He just looked alertly around at the other horses and activity. I thought for sure that the lights for the "Southern Lights" holiday exhibit would get to him but he didn't bat an eyelash at them.
He seemed to be doing well so I took him back to his stall and tacked him up. Again, I took him around for a tour over the same area. It was no big deal...
I felt that I could get on him and ride him in one of the warm up arenas. I didn't want to just jump right in there so I had Matt lead him using a lead line with me on him, then I had Matt take off the lead line but had him keep walking with us. Then finally I had Matt just stand in the middle and we rode around him. Ollie was fine! In fact, he seemed to be better than some days in our own arena! I think it was important that we took the time to let him see and hear everything going on. As one friend says, "We need to spell out everything in capital letters and in crayon for him." I was so proud of him at this point because this was the exact opposite horse I had last week!
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| Can you see the scaffolding supporting a holiday light rocking horse behind us? Didn't bother Ollie a bit... |
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Here's a video of our ride around the warm up arena. Matt was in the middle so I started to tell him where I was going so he could follow and get out of our way too...
I am just so proud at how calm cool and collected Ollie was throughout the video. He only got quick once out there. And he could stand and look around without getting wound up over it. He looks like a good horse! So unlike last week where everyone was trying to get out of our way...
Needless to say, I am very proud of us. I think I handled him well, he responded well and I have faith that I could actually compete and not just go as a non-compete.
I don't pretend that I'm a great horseman. I'm just learning as I go along with my horse. I get all my enjoyment over our accomplishments and isn't that what owning a horse is suppose to be about? I'm just a middle aged, average rider who can do it (with the help of professionals) on her cute spunky OTTB. I'm still grinning...
