March 26, 2014

Monday I did a mini solo schooling practice with Poe.  I concentrated on a few races I need to build some speed, skill and or confidence in.

I started with ball and cone and there was some improvement.  Nothing special, but Poe and I rolled like it was no big deal.  We moved onto speed weavers.  This is a race I do not usually spend much time on or really push through, and because of this, I don’t think Poe has really taken it as a serious race.  So I pushed through it and Poe lit up.  The second time through I hardly did a thing.  He flew up through the poles, sat back and spun around the end pole, and flew back up through them.  We pulled up and he was licking his lips, had his head up, his ears forward and was ready to roll again.  Which we did, even faster.

Our last race for the day was three mug.  This is a race that we have made significant improvement in over the past few days and apparently, It has clicked for Poe.  He rolled through it with tight turns, rolling into his turns and digging out of them.  We ran through it in both directions several times and Poe was on fire.  It felt so smooth and clockwork and he couldn’t have looked happier.

It was a quick session, but it ended on a perfect note.  Poe was glowing happy, and I felt like we rocked it.  After I untacked and put him up, Poe followed me around, nuzzling and being generally affectionate.  He seemed so proud of himself.  And I was certainly proud of him.

There’s nothing quite like a good ride to set you on the moon.