This is Otis. Otis is 14hh so he is a pony and not a horse. He is a Clydesdale cross, that’s why he has very hairy feet and a "Roman" nose (that means its curved slightly like the edge of a circle). We are not quite sure what he is crossed with. He is 10 years old.

Otis is a very unusual colour. Some people say he is a "Piebald" which is horse talk for having a coat that has large patches of black and white. Other people think his colour is "Blue Roan" which is when the horse or pony has a black or brown coloured body with white hairs through it. I think he is a Blue Roan, why don’t you let us know what you think?

Otis has been at Muirfield RDA for 4 years now, he came from Haddington so didn’t have very far to travel to his new home. Before he came to RDA Otis was used for Carriage Driving, that’s why he sometimes finds it hard to bend properly when he goes around a corner!

Otis is just the right size for both children and adults to ride and is very steady in RDA. Nothing really seems to bother him; he has even had someone playing the bagpipes in front of him (honest we have it on video). Sometimes his hairy feet can make him hot and itchy and he likes to have a good scratch, but not all of his riders of leaders like it when he does that. Which is why sometimes we have to clip off all the long hair on his feet.

As I am an Instructor at RDA I see Otis when he works in the RDA sessions, but I am also his sharer so I see him everyday when I come down to look after him. When he is not working in RDA we go out for rides together. Otis is a completely different pony when he is not in RDA. Sometimes I think that he thinks he is a racehorse, especially when he is on the beach. He loves the beach, and going in the sea for a paddle is very good for his itchy legs, but Otis only likes it when it is very calm because once he fell over in the sea (but that’s a story for another day)!

I love Otis very much and he really makes me laugh because he is such a character and we have real fun together. We have even started to learn how to jump. He can be a bit greedy and is sometimes a little bit naughty when he sees some nice tasty grass. But even though he can be a bit naughty, he is never nasty, he is very loving and likes his cuddles.

Some people say that dogs look like their owners. I think that might be true about Otis and me. We a both a bit short, our hair sometimes can look bit untidy (because of the wind), quite often muddy (we both start out clean – honest) and we walk everywhere very quickly, and can be very mischievous.         I think he is the best RDA pony, but then I would say that wouldn't I!