SAGE THE LESSON HORSE

Now, at Pine Dell Farm many people come to take lessons. People without horses, who want horses. People with horses, but no trailer. Little girls with their mothers sitting and watching. People who want to ride a horse.

The need for reliable lesson horses is great. At the moment, the great need is to replace the first two horses that Jenny owned. Little Gray has died and Lawre's physical condition has deteriorated. These horses were the horses that every beginner rode when they first came to Pine Dell to discover horses. From four to seventy four, they started out on these two great horses. Currently, Pine Dell has about 5 horses that intermediate to advanced beginners can ride. They have lost their Beginner-Beginning trusted horse.

I've been chatting with myself about Sage's life over the last several months. In the end, I decided to offer Sage to Pine Dell as a zero lease, lesson horse. I knew that a lesson horse was needed, but didn't realize that the beginner-beginning horse was missing! I was quaking in my boots about the responsibility that goes with such a horse. Sage is by no means a push button plow horse. She has very little opposition reflex left, but what would she do if someone got on her and started screaming! Oh, I've done that. She'll do OK!

We had our first try out tonight. I rode a lesson horse and an advanced beginner rode Sage. Karen (Jenny's mother and the one who teaches most of the beginners) was very impressed with Sage. Everyone marvelled over how smooth a "trot" she has. Karen said that some of her horses trot so big that she's afraid her beginners will bounce out of the saddle. Sage's trot will allow the riders to stay in the saddle! How pleasant.

Then we had the Canter. By this time, Sage had figured out that the rider wasn't in charge. We had some nice laggard "'trotting" until the rider prevailed and Sage cantered. The rider exclaimed how wonderful was this canter. Sage eased into the canter instead of jumping into it as her normal lesson horse does...the one I was riding. The rider slowed to a walk and was told to turn and canter the other way. She slid into the canter nice and easy. We were all pleased.

The lesson was over and Sage is the #1 Candidate to take over the Heart of the Riding Lessons at Pine Dell Farm. Karen is going to start having Sage rode by less and less experienced students until we get down to the real beginner--the 4 year old girl!

Sage will have a very important job. She will be very well taken care of. She'll get to come home on visits. She'll have a nice stall, great food and plenty of turn out, so she can live life as a real horse. She gets to have another foal! I won't feel guilty because I don't have time to ride her. I am very happy.

I'll keep you posted on Sage's progress as lesson horse!