Last Day at Olli’s My last day at Olli’s was not the best. My mom got into the Dusseldorf airport a full 24 hours late, so we decided to just spend the night there and pick her up Monday morning. We got her and hopped in our new, bigger rental car and drove back to the cottage. By that time it was almost 9:30, so we hurried to Olli’s and I rode Fred and Four Seasons. Olli had me try yet another bit with Four Seasons – a really fat single jointed loose ring snaffle. Definitely not a good choice. He has a slightly low pallet and kind of a big tongue, and I think a big bit is not a kind bit for him. He was a million pounds in the hand and not feeling good in his back. My mom took video, which is below. I wish I had better video of our last time together, but he still gave me some good work. It was raining all weekend, and the horses don’t go out when it’s raining. I hope that someone walks them, but with 34 in total, I kind of think they don’t all get walked. So poor Fritzi might have literally stood in his stall all weekend before I rode him Monday…
Then we were off to eastern Germany where we were going to spend 2 days in the Spreewald – a kind of a protected area with many canals. People said it’s like Venice without the city. I really learned a lot during my time at Olli’s, and I am so grateful to him for his instruction and letting me ride such fantastic horses. As usual, the horses were the best teachers, so I mostly have to thank Four Seasons as well as Floriscount, Don Dayley, Barclay, Salcido, Fred, Fuerstin, Dellenger, and any others that I am forgetting! Again a big thank you is in order to everyone back home who made this trip possible. Emme Johnston and Kate Tackett, who work for me, kept everything running at the farm, and I never had to worry, because they are both so capable and responsible with the horses. My mom taught them both along with some of my other students. And thank you to so many other students and friends who donated to this trip. It was an absolutely incredible learning opportunity, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many.