Here’s a limerick for you:
There once was a young mare from Graham,
Whose coat was a dark shade of tan,
And if ever you knew
What was good for you
You’d adopt sweet miss Addie from Graham!
Me calling Addie, a bay horse, ‘a dark shade of tan’ aside, I am very serious when I say we are all waiting with bated breath for Addie to find the person who is going to take her home. Over the last few months, this mare has transformed into a sweet riding horse that would make the perfect companion for a rider seeking young mare with a lot to give. She’s only just five, and has a strong foundation under saddle which would make her an ideal life-long companion for someone looking for a horse to take in a good number of directions.
Recently, she accompanied Kaya M for an off-site clinic in Port Orchard with Joel Conner, making her quite the well traveled lady, at least as far as in-state is concerned.
She trailered very well, alongside two other horses who she did not know before roadtripping alongside them. During the trip, she did bond with them (maybe they did whatever the horse equivalent of the license plate game is on the way over), which made the initial separation on the first day of clinic a little challenging for her (“why are these guys leaving so soon? we just got acquainted!”). But after some brief calling on the first day, she settled in well to being alone, and the second and third day was a lot more relaxed when they left for their learning and she stayed behind to wait for her turn.
During her class, Kaya and she worked a lot on “staying in the rectangle.” This means several things, but for the most part it is a concept that encompasses punctuality, accuracy, and life. Kaya worked on keeping Addie on the line that she set for them, imagining a specific track in the dirt and directing Addie on the course with her legs (and reins, when necessary, but in the long run this line should operate off of legs alone). She also worked on helping Addie be more punctual, living in the now, so to speak, which means we’re going NOW. Addie was also flagged by Joel on his horse to assist with clearing up a stickiness in her front end. Sometimes, we really do get by with a little help from our friends.
Kaya is having a very good time riding Addie, who she refers to as being ‘very soft,’ and also ‘very cute,’ though she’s not biased or anything. Regardless, this is a very sweet and capable little mare, and she surely won’t stay on the shelves for very long.
