Labor Day weekend is just 5 days away. Its sad really. The end of summer is near. Everyone goes back to school life, full time work life (we hope this year!), and finally, cold weather.
The ponies have had a full summer, lots of training, lots of attention, shows, and finally Congress. The past three weeks they have had off, just being ponies. But several have told me they have had enough time off, they want to go back to work. WOW! Really?! So I need to start thinking about getting the kids back into training.
The farm is slowly winding down for fall. Fall clean up, small construction projects etc. all happening. And time to spend with family as the hours of warm weather start fading.
This weekend my sister made it up with the kids for a visit and birthday party for Jellybeans, who turned one on Sunday. Let me tell you, she was more excited about the ponies and horses she visited than the birthday cake she had in front of her to tear into! (There's hope there!) After cake and chores everyone hopped on 4 wheelers and went out back into one of the hay fields looking for fall goodies. We were in luck - wild plums were basking in the sunlight ripening. So we stripped the tree of 60% of the plums to make wild plum jam. The kids had fun, its was one of the most low key entertainment things we have ever done and it was a lot of fun! We skimmed the perimeter of the field for other goodies and realized there was a bonanza of raspberries available that we have never taken advantage of. So that will probably change next year. Other than that we only saw a few choke cherry trees and a lot of non-eatable trees. But still loads of fun.
The ponies are out this am, all protesting the cool weather and the lack of the wonderful alfalfa hay they get at night. Oh poor babies! You will survive. Tucker is doing the rounds of fencing and barking at - well nothing really, but he's having fun. The kitties inside have gotten their pets, etc. Guess I need to go get some of those fall projects going again.
Have a great pony day!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Congress 2009
Despite many set backs this year, my show string made it to Congress 2009. I first want to Thank all my supporters (support system) for their support! I wouldn't have made it all if I didn't have that support system.
To one friend in particular - Thanks for listening to hours and hours of pony talk. I know its been a tough year and you were a life line. And yes I know I am way obsessed with my pony world. But as you know this keeps me going and is my entertainment of choice.
As far as competition goes, we did about as I suspected we would do. We on a national level, were showing in the middle of the pack. We've been in the middle of the pack for the past three years.
I asked myself why were we in the middle of the pack when some of the show string is exceptional?
One very poignant answer - because I am an amateur and don't know all the tricks of the trade. For instance, when I stand a pony for the judge, I can get the rear end and the front end, and even the stretch of the neck, but then I loose the facial expression and ears of the pony. Or I get the facial expression and ears and loose the rear end and middle of the stance.
How do I over come that? I guess I need to break down and find some help in collecting all parts of the pony at one time. So far only one pony does exactly what she is supposed to do when I ask to pose and that is Tulip. She just naturally gets it. Her sister Lady will be the same if i spend a little more time with her. So in the Show Pony division -seems I get it.
In the Modern Pleasure division, Smokie finally got the lift up my carriage and pull out of the basement into the air for me, but I couldn't get his ears and eyes. He twisted his neck and tried really hard to get the treat. I got one pic where he was seemingly all together - it was his last class of the show. Probably why we placed 4th overall.
In the classic division - Opal just is sour. I need to reset her, find a new job for her so she enjoys showing in halter again. I know these ponies are way smart and they get bored really easily. (Testament - Shiner, while I was gone at Congress. The caretaker left his halter tied to the gate of the pen he goes out to. He was bored, so he decided the halter needed to go for a run like his jolly balls do. Except, the halter was stationary. So he chewed the crap out of his brand new halter! Stinker!)
Cookie - well this was her third show and we only had limited amount of time to work together. I got her to stretch her body, but couldn't capture her neck and head and ears/eyes. While at Congress, I put her in every single class I could. And by the last couple classes I had her stretching and giving me everything but her ears. Stinker.
So I contacting someone I really respect, she always gets her all halter ponies to give them her all. Hopefully she can help re-tune one, get another one to put the picture all together and the third - well I need him to give it his all (and not be bored).
Work on the two show ponies - I need to get them set up with a new headstall and bit and work, work, work. They need to learn to drive.
So off to a new year of getting prepared for Congress 2010. And again, Thanks to my support system!
To one friend in particular - Thanks for listening to hours and hours of pony talk. I know its been a tough year and you were a life line. And yes I know I am way obsessed with my pony world. But as you know this keeps me going and is my entertainment of choice.
As far as competition goes, we did about as I suspected we would do. We on a national level, were showing in the middle of the pack. We've been in the middle of the pack for the past three years.
I asked myself why were we in the middle of the pack when some of the show string is exceptional?
One very poignant answer - because I am an amateur and don't know all the tricks of the trade. For instance, when I stand a pony for the judge, I can get the rear end and the front end, and even the stretch of the neck, but then I loose the facial expression and ears of the pony. Or I get the facial expression and ears and loose the rear end and middle of the stance.
How do I over come that? I guess I need to break down and find some help in collecting all parts of the pony at one time. So far only one pony does exactly what she is supposed to do when I ask to pose and that is Tulip. She just naturally gets it. Her sister Lady will be the same if i spend a little more time with her. So in the Show Pony division -seems I get it.
In the Modern Pleasure division, Smokie finally got the lift up my carriage and pull out of the basement into the air for me, but I couldn't get his ears and eyes. He twisted his neck and tried really hard to get the treat. I got one pic where he was seemingly all together - it was his last class of the show. Probably why we placed 4th overall.
In the classic division - Opal just is sour. I need to reset her, find a new job for her so she enjoys showing in halter again. I know these ponies are way smart and they get bored really easily. (Testament - Shiner, while I was gone at Congress. The caretaker left his halter tied to the gate of the pen he goes out to. He was bored, so he decided the halter needed to go for a run like his jolly balls do. Except, the halter was stationary. So he chewed the crap out of his brand new halter! Stinker!)
Cookie - well this was her third show and we only had limited amount of time to work together. I got her to stretch her body, but couldn't capture her neck and head and ears/eyes. While at Congress, I put her in every single class I could. And by the last couple classes I had her stretching and giving me everything but her ears. Stinker.
So I contacting someone I really respect, she always gets her all halter ponies to give them her all. Hopefully she can help re-tune one, get another one to put the picture all together and the third - well I need him to give it his all (and not be bored).
Work on the two show ponies - I need to get them set up with a new headstall and bit and work, work, work. They need to learn to drive.
So off to a new year of getting prepared for Congress 2010. And again, Thanks to my support system!
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