sleezy story

Once upon a time there was a show pony (I use that term loosely). Show pony loved to go to shows, mostly because they were in Ohio, which has the best grass she has ever tasted, and she gets to see other horses of her kind, and she gets to take naps in the sun during halter and showmanship class. 

Fall asleep during a class. . .never!

In order to get ready for a show, show pony must get cleaned up and bathed. This was probably the worst part of being a show pony.

Not a giant fan of this

But after the bath, there is usually grass to be eaten while drying off, which is just fine with show pony. 

Show pony has always lived outside, except for one year. So keeping her clean is a concern. She doesn't like to particularly get dirty and avoids mud for the most part, but she really enjoys rolling in sand and grinding that sand right into the bottom of her hairs. She also likes to travel the forest and collect burrs. And eat all the berries she can find.

Just a small portion of the burrs in the tail

Berry lips!

In order to help keep her clean overnight, show pony's mom got her a tail bag and a sleezy. If nothing else, at least her tail and mane will be clean, the rest is can be handled by a stiff brush. 

Clean pony

Show pony likes her sleezy. It makes her feel like a superhero with a secret alternate identity. She has great fun being goofy in her sleezy.

Sleezy smiles

Sleezy stretches

However, one horse in her herd, who normally really likes her, could not recognize show pony in her sleezy. He thought she was an intruder! And this horse would not let show pony anywhere near the front of the pasture. Every time she came close, he would run her off! She ran through the woods dodging the trees and branches to hide from the mean horse. 

Hiding, maybe a camo sleezy would be better suited for this?

But show pony was hungry and usually does not let much get between her and her food. So she would sneak through the woods where she was hiding and try to eat, but the horse would chase her at a full gallop, ears pinned. Over and over this happened. She would kick at the horse, but he would not let up. Not even when she got him good and left a hoof print right on his chest.  Finally, show pony just went to the back of the pasture, all by herself. Her beautiful super hero sleezy was all covered in burrs, she was sweating, and breathing heavy from all the running the mean horse made her do. 

See all the burrs!!

Her mom came out to rescue her, but even so, the mean horse tried to chase her away. Her mom got a stick to keep him away and took her out of the pasture to safety. She also grabbed some hay to satisfy show pony's rumbly belly. While she was eating, her mom took all the burrs of her sleezy and tail bag and legs. Then she took the sleezy off. 

After checking show pony over, her mom found a couple cuts on her, probably from branches in the woods as show pony was running away. One was pretty wide though, but show pony was brave and showed no pain. 

Mom doctored it up

The decision was made to keep the sleezy off, but show pony had to promise to stay clean and burr free (even though she has a record of not keeping such promises, but one can dream). Tomorrow is an early day for the last show of the year. And we plan on having lots of fun, even if show pony can't stay clean. 

another fair

The day after the Monroe County Fair, we headed to Wood County in Ohio for a pull in hitch show. Luckily, I spent most of Saturday at home, but Terry was with the horses at the fair, since they were not allowed to leave until 11pm Saturday night. So I had some rest under my belt, but Terry was pretty exhausted.

We were not showing, but going to support Beth and her Haflingers for their classes. Beth did really well with Art in the single cart and farm obstacle, but ran into a problem when she hitched Art and Curly together. Let's just say, Curly was being a dingbat. . .

Curly and Art

Curly and Art, again, in step

Go Art!

But, we had a fun time watching the hitches with the horses and draft ponies. It was a good time. There was even a hitch of Haflingers this time!

Cute little pinto pony

Draft pony, guessing a Clyde/Hackney cross. Look at that action!

Haflinger

Percheron

Clydesdale

Men's single pony cart class

Another of those draft pony crosses. So much action!

Farm team class

Working together

Six horse Clydesdale hitch

Six horse Percheron hitch

They had the full gambit of hitches - single, tandem, team, unicorn, four, and six - and other Percherons, Belgians, gray Percheron ponies, and black draft ponies, but I didn't get photos. Spent a lot of time at the trailer with Beth's ponies. 

Do I still have a horse? Yes. Shyloh is back home, happy that her herd has fully returned. This week's forecast calls for thunderstorms, but I will get out to see her and give an update on the sassy pony soon. 

pony the pony

At the last minute yesterday, we decided to take the horses on a walk down the road. Terry was on Reba, Kyle on Clutch, and Jaime was driving Dexter. I had planned on working with Shyloh in the round pen, but Jaime convinced me to pony her along for the ride. Okay. . .

Ready to go!

Terry started out ponying Shy, but Shy kept walking in front of Reba and turning and then before we knew it Terry and Reba were in a ditch and it was just a mess.

Getting ready to go.

No size difference at all. . .

So I took her and ponied her along the cart. I thought Shy would hate it, because she has really grown to hate all things cart, but she was perfect. Millions of cars passed us, semi trucks, motorcycles, we were passing next to ditches and mailboxes, other horses running in their pasture, and even people on bicycles. Terry almost backed Reba into a kid on the bike. I think Terry forgets Reba sticks out another five feet behind her. :)

Good pony

Shy stayed in a good position next to the cart and trotted when Dexter trotted. She was relaxed for the whole trip. Shy was looking around at all the sights (mostly farms) but kept and ear on me. I really think she likes going out on adventures like this. 

Twas a sunset ride/drive

It was a nice relaxing trip. Once we got back, I hopped out of the cart to tie Shy to the hitching post. When I turned her around, her back end brushed the cart and she jumped forward. What the hell, horse? We just spent the last hour with the cart!

Pony Pizzas for good ponies!

Shy was so perfect on the road. I really just need to grow a set to get out there on her!

Don't forget, today is the last day to enter the halter bridle giveaway with Two Horse Tack!

spring clinic 2014

The annual spring clinic has come and gone. Months of preparation by many people are now over until next year. This was the first year that I have gone to the light horse clinic and the driving clinic. And even though I did not take a horse to the light horse day, I still learned quite a bit. 

The kids had a ton of fun on the light horse day. The clinicians were very helpful and offered a lot of small group demonstrations in showmanship, English equitation, Western equitation, trail and trail-in-hand. 

Showmanship

English Equitation

Western Equitation

Trail

The cutest part was a lunch time discussion of the Harry Hughes Youth Group on what Sportsmanship means. The best quote was from a poem that two girls came up with: "be a friend, not a rear end." 

Sportsmanship discussion

The driving day was a ton of fun for me because I got to bring Shyloh and drive Meatball. We had some great clinicians who have many many years of experience showing in the draft and driving world. They were very hands on in our sessions and even hopped in the carts with some drivers to offer instruction. We were broken up into small groups for the draft braiding, showmanship, safe harnessing and hitching, and single driving sessions. Then there was a demonstration on team driving.

Braiding manes and tails

Showmanship

Safe harnessing and hitching

Driving

More driving and team set up

The raffle was a success, too! I think a lot of people were impressed with the generosity of the donors and all the different items that they could choose to win from. The kids were super excited when their names were pulled out of the bucket for winning! And the Youth Group had a fun time drawing the names on both days. A lot of kids went home with some very cool prizes. 

Raffle Day 1

Raffle Day 2

The spring clinic is the kick off to a very busy summer! I am excited for all the fun that is to be had.

easter drive

What a gorgeous day! The sun was shining, the temps were perfect. Mike had to work so off to the barn I went. I spent a bunch of time with Shyloh and had her doing some work and stretches. 

But after that, Jaime and I took the ponies on an Easter drive! It was so nice to get out. I have not driven in forever and I was happy to be back in the cart. Ponies are so easy to harness and hook. And Meatball just makes everything so simple.

We went around the "block", which was about 4 miles. Meatball has turned barn sour and was not a very forward mover. Dexter was perfection, as usual. But Meatball. . . he has a built in GPS straight towards his home. 

At first, it was a constant battle to make him go forward and not try and turn around. He was walking. . .so. . .slow. . . Then, about the half way point, every drive way that would technically take us across fields and straight back to the barn, he wanted to turn down. And he made it a point to announce himself (or call for help because he was clearly being tortured) every minute or so. His next tactic was running out of gas and refusing to move. No matter what I did to try and get him to go. We were being left in Dexter's dust! As a last resort I vowed to scratch him down when we got back, he just had to keep going, because I knew he was itchy from all the hair and being sweaty.

Eventually, I got him going again, but he kept running out of gas. Unless we were passing people having Easter parties at their houses. Then he was a little show off with his cute trot and great listening skills. 

Once we made the last turn on the street of the barn, Meatball flat out trotted home. We passed Dexter and Jaime and kept on trucking. I let him go because it was controlled, he was still listening to me, and he was walking when I asked. 

We walked back up the driveway, stopped, and I quickly unhooked and unharnessed Meatball for his promised scratching. He was very grateful. Then I put him back in the round pen and he rolled and rolled. 

Dexter and Jaime caught up to us and Dexter was also put back in with Meatball. Then, weird as Dexter is, stood right over Meatball as he continued to roll some more. 

Aside from the flat out stopping and trying to get back home on Meatball's part, both ponies were amazing. People, running horses, bikes, motorcycles, golf carts, cars. . .nothing bothered them. And neither horses seemed tired from their first bit of distance since before winter. Gotta love some ponies!

just pony stuff

Brrrr. . .it has been too cold to want to do anything or even want to leave my house without 20 layers on and looking like the kid from A Christmas Story. But, the cold does not bother my hardy little pony. Even though today it is supposed to be over 50*F then drop back down to 25*F this weekend. . .

me

I got a text from Jaime saying Shyloh refused to come inside one night and she was running around the pasture doing her head toss. Leave her out then, I said. She knows what she is doing. . .Jaime threw her some extra hay and Shy survived the night.

She loves to plant herself when I try to bring her in.

The next night, I was there late and helped with the nighttime routine. It is my favorite thing I rarely get to do (because they usually come in after 10 pm). The big boys come in first and walk right to their stalls. Then Reba (because she is in slut pasture right now) gets to come in while the minions run to the round bale for the night. Shy is held back because if she gets to the round bale, there is no getting her back. If she is feeling cooperative, she waits her turn and gets walked into the barn. If she is not feeling cooperative, she runs around tossing her head and gets left out.

Nah, I'll stay out, thanks!

In the morning, Jaime gave her some warm water to drink. Shy chose, yet again, to just smash her nose through the ice layer of the trough to drink cold water. Although, I don't blame her. I don't drink hot drinks and I love ice in water. But, weird pony.

Last night, Shy was feeling cooperative and came inside with me. Good pony.

She wanted to play chase

Although, Jaime did say that even though they added an extra board to the bottom between her stall and Isaac's stall, she still manages to get his grain bucket. Sneaky pony.

While I was looking around for my orange bucket so I could sit on Shy, I took her halter off. I figured she wouldn't move, she had hay in front of her. I was wrong. . .she went right for a bag of Reba's treats! I got her away and told her she was a treat stealing jerk and she smiled at me! Bad pony!

Then she came in another night with no halter on. It was found in the bigger pasture that Shy does not go in. . .How does that happen? I told Jaime I had extra halters, but Jaime has been convinced that Shy could fit into one of the bigger mini halters. . .and she did. Sad face from me!

Nasty

Shy's head is directly in between that of a cob and a horse. She fits on the smallest setting for horse or the biggest setting for cob. 

Not a happy pony, this halter is clearly much to small for Shy's horse sized head

And lastly, I think Shy's driving days (or attempts at driving days) may be over. At least with me on the lines without any help. She was drinking some water one day and Jaime's sister got out Meatball's cart to take him for a drive. Shy took one look at that cart and galloped to the back of the pasture. Guess she is trying to tell me something. . .

Shaggy head, but I love me a fuzzy pony!