With the snow gone for a few days (Solo still has aluminum shoes on) we were able to take Solo back down to the indoor arena and put him back to work. As always, he was happy to have our attention. We didn’t have a spare horse to lead him from so Selena led him on foot and by himself. When she got to the bottom of the steep hill, she thought she might as well try getting on since it was a straight and level path. He stood like a rock for her to get on, but, he continued to stand like a rock when she suggested he might want to walk on. She jumped off and led him a bit further, out the woods and into the sunlight and tried again, this time he was quite happy to move, in a prancy sort of a way….so….she jumped off again (self preservation this time) and he pranced beside her with his tail in the air all the way to the arena. I guess those few days off really went to his head!
Once he was in the arena I lunged him and he bucked and bucked and bucked. Once he had that out his system he went back to being his usual laid back self. On the way home, Selena decided once again to ride him off the lead. I was with her this time on another horse. Solo was as good as gold and walked happily home with the other horse in the lead until we got to the steep part of the hill on which he ALWAYS complains and whines. This time, with a rider on his back, he complained, whined and suggested that she might like to get off. It wasn’t so much that he was bucking, it was more of a distinct “GET OFF….it’s steep and you are far too heavy”, then he would struggle on for a few more strides and ask? her to get off again. Once we got to the top of the hill he was quite happy to carry on – boy, he has a LOT to say for himself as a lowly three year old, I hate to think what he is going to be like as a ‘know it all’ five year old!
Last week Selena and I were lucky enough to ride on the Phillip Dutton clinic at Greenbrier Farm. Greenbrier Farm was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time jumping what seemed to me, enormous jumps. Phillip Dutton doesn’t hang about, you jump your little heart out on his clinics. On the first day I got run away with and on the second day I had a great time. There was a horse in the Intermediate group ridden by Penny Rowlands called ‘Romancing’. She is by the same sire as Solo and she is also an elegant, bay TB. She was lovely to watch, I hope Solo is going to turn out like that. I can’t wait until it is time for Solo to go to clinics and start his real life as an eventer. Not long now, a few weeks and he will officially be a four year old.
