It's Been A Long Time...

I've missed blogging about my training with Rogo and I'm thinking I have time to do it again, so here goes...
My last post was a year ago. Here's the short version of what's happened since then:

1. A young woman from Germany, Sinah Klumper, was in our area going to university for the year, and she started riding Rogo in the fall. She's a former member of the German national pony team and an FEI rider, so she was a great help to Rogo and I (she gave me lessons too). She rode Rogo in our in-house Scotia Series dressage show last October (provincially santcioned series) and scored high 60's in their second level tests, winning their classes. Neither she nor Rogo had done the tests before, but she excels at test riding and Rogo knew all of the movements. That was exciting to see! Sinah returned to Germany in the spring.
2. Rogo and I had a good winter, but in the spring I came off and broke my collar bone (a freak accident and we've put it behind us). Rogo kind of tripped and went down. After consulting the vet and Arthur Kottas it was decided I'd just been letting him get too log and on the fore-hand. I'm very motivated not to do that again!
3. Arthur Kottas was here in early May, about three weeks after my fall. I wasn't sure about riding Rogo and thought we'd do in-hand work, but Arthur lunged him (now THAT was something to see) and declared that Rogo looked the best he'd ever looked and we should continue our training. This clinic will be the main topic of my next post.
4. Joan was all set to continue our lessons after Arthur left, but she hurt her knee and hasn't been able to teach me since. She's hoping to be able to start again this month. I've had the odd lesson here and there with others and also my husband Doug just started helping me too (more on that as well).
5. Personally, we got a mini home installed at our horse facility Five Fires Equestrian Centre, so Mom, Doug and I could spend the winter together. The previous two winters we were building and establishing Five Fires and Doug was mostly there by himself while I traveled back and forth from our home in Noel Shore, twenty minutes away. We still have our old farmhouse in Noel Shore, but we live in the mini home at Five Fires now. Now it'a a special treat to be at the house on the shore, and we look forward to time away there for walking on the beach, swimming with the dogs, and kicking back. We actually had a full time staff person over the summer, Rachel O'Connell, and she was just about the best worker it is possible to be. We were able to get away some and have a life. She's gone back to school now and working part time, but in general life is good :)

Sinah Klumper and Rogo, Second Level, October 31, 2015