Riding Ollie...After 1 Month Off

Hello everyone!

I rode Ollie today. The weather here has just been horrible, and snow has not left the ground for over a month now. We have another snowstorm coming into tonight. So, I decided to use one of the nicest days we have had this month to ride my little boy.

It was almost as if he never had one month off.


Perfect. He was honestly perfect. Collection is coming along very, very nice. Picked up the right leads, stopped as soon as I sat back in the saddle, and if I sat back more he would backup without pressure for the reins or clucking. Tap lightly with my spurs and he would collect, rounding his back. He would canter off from the walk, with only at maximum two walk steps in between gait changes from the walk to the canter. A good attitude and very willing. His bends were perfect and his lateral flexion was on point. Disengaging hindquarters, spinning, neck reining.....just fantastic.

Ollie is a hard worker who loves to work. It was almost as if he was saying "YAY!!!! I WAS SO BORED!! Ride me, ride me!!"

I have always said it, but I am going to say it again. I am so blessed to have this horse.

~Alyssa

*I have no riding photos so here are some of the liberty pictures I took today. Ignore the halter...I wasn't paying attention to it and forgot to tuck it in*

Sherman's Eye

Enjoy your weekend!!!

~Alyssa

Ollie and Sherman Having Fun

"What are you doing, Sherman?"

"Rolling!? Sounds like a great idea to me!" 

Taking a bow....

Still sad about Risa's passing, but it just does not seem real yet. I keep thinking "She is really gone.....?" 

It's strange. But I am more happy than sad right now. Why? Because I know she is no longer in pain, and that is what I have wanted for Risa all along. 

~Alyssa 

Goodbye, Risa

Our amazing dog Risa, was put down about 30 minutes ago. She was a great dog. She had a bunch of cancer and impactions. Nothing we could do to help her. if she had surgery to remove the impactions, she would only live afterwards at max 1 month, and she would be in pain. To us it wasn't the best for Risa, so we let her go. 


Risa was almost 10 years old. 

Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you very much. 

~Alyssa

Thankful

With Thanksgiving drawing close to us, it makes me realize how thankful I am for my horse. Sure, Ollie was quite a handful back in the Spring, but training him made us much closer.  He taught me many things; patience, courage, loyalty, durability, diligence, and how to stay positive even when I thought Ollie would always be aggressive. Thanks to Mrs. June, my neighbors, and Clinton Anderson,  I changed my horse. But while training Ollie I found that he was training me. I softened my cues, my seat greatly improved while under saddle, I started having a really good "feel" for the horse. I have now used what Ollie has taught me with other horses, both in our barn and elsewhere. Ollie and I are very, very bonded now. He moves off with the slightest cue, he listens to everything I say, and he is willing to try nearly everything. I tend to forget about how thankful I should be. I have an amazing horse, and  while he may not be the prettiest equine, or a lone flowing mane and tail, he is a beautiful horse in my eyes. I love you, Ollie. :)

My Arabian

Did I ever tell you about my Arabian?? ;P

~Alyssa

Silent Sundays