Played with the Ponies Today

 For the first time in forever, we didn't have to be up and on our way to anything this Saturday morning. It was the first time in MONTHS! So I took advantage of it and messed with the ponies.

Tonto is eating from our new hay feeder. Not sure if this is the best or safest idea, but it keeps their hay out of the sand for the most part. I wish I had gotten photos of the ponies the first time they saw their hay in the baby pool. It was hysterical! They didn't know whether or not it was safe to approach, so they were blowing and spooking until they decided it wasn't going to eat them. They finally settled down and realized it was safe to eat from. So far no one has put a hoof through it. I'm sure it is a matter of time.

Here's Scout impatiently waiting for me to saddle him:

He does not like to stand, so he moves back and forth and side to side, then paws. He needs lots more time to stand in the cross ties or stand tied to a trailer to work on building his patience. On my to-do list...

I know I said I was going to wait until the farrier trimmed his hooves before working him, but I thought a little while on the longe line at the walk and a little trot wouldn't hurt too much. His hooves just need trimming, they aren't in dire shape or anything like that. Our farrier is due out on July 6.

 He was really good and even acted like he'd been doing this daily, not like it had been a year since he had a saddle on him last...

We reversed direction

and he was a perfect gentleman, so I decided to climb on.

Scout was really, really good. We walked in circles, changing direction and worked on halting. No trotting today.

Then Ash appeared and said she wanted to ride! I was elated! We got Tonto out and she rode for about 30 minutes. She rode independently and had a mini-lesson on the longe line. They both did great!

 She practiced halting and shortening her reins:

(and notice the audience in the background! Her Daddy even came out to watch. :)

 I think her smile says it all!

Very proud of Ash and the ponies! Hopefully we can ride again next week!

Alive and Kickin'!

Goodness, it's been a while! Sorry about that...we are all still alive and kickin'! Things stay busy with work, 3 kids in school and involved in sports....baseball, baseball, baeball, soccer, soccer, soccer. It leaves litte time for anything else, like riding - especially when the time changes and it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoons! Thank goodness for summer daylight saving time! Now I can stay at the barn until dark - around 8 PM!  :)

Well, summer is here, school is out and sports are over for now, so I FINALLY climbed on Tonto 3 times this week! My daughter even rode him yesterday, which made me very happy. Tonto has been perfect, even with the crupper that I have only used on him that one time (from the post I made about it). Don't worry, I longed him in it for a while before I got on him to make sure he accepted it. It does not seem to bother him a bit, even going up and down fairly steep slopes and it has made a huge difference - the saddle no longer rides up his neck (at least at the walk and trot). We can't do too much at this point to really test it, since Tonto and I are both so out of shape, but maybe if we can continue working out together, we will be able to test it at more than a trot, eventually.

I haven't been on Scout in a year now, either. Once he gets his toes trimmed (farrier due out next Friday), I will put him back to work slowly. I toyed with selling him and even had a hunter trainer interested in him, but then couldn't bear the thought of letting him go. I guess I'm selfish in the fact that I'd rather have the ponies as pasture pets than not have them at all...surely one day I'll have more time to spend with them. (As fast my my kids are growing up, I guess that time will be sooner rather than later....which is very bittersweet.) My oldest just turned 16!!!!!!!!!

The time spent with the ponies this week has been wonderful. It is even better when the kids want to spend time with the ponies, too. I knew I missed riding, but didn't realize how much. I had also fogotten how much better it made me feel just being around them...there is something very relaxing and theraputic about just grooming them. I've been keeping the riding sessions short - like 30 minutes at a time, mostly walking, to keep from making either of us too sore. With that said, so far, so good and let's hope I can continue riding as time allows. I really look forward to getting back on Scout and will post an update when that happens.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully it won't be too long before I post again! I'll try to get some recent photos of the ponies to share...Tonto is too fat again....anyway, until next time, Happy Riding!

Just Cause

Yup, me and Ralph from way back in 1980. I was eatin' my popcorn and she was eatin' her 9-Lives. Just chillin'. Just cause. :)

Thanks Dad for digging this golden oldie up to share with my kids. They got a great laugh out of it and especially liked the fact I had a "girl" cat named Ralph. That's just not right. She was a great cat.

Tonto's New Tack

After mulling it over for several years, and finally getting tired of all of the different saddles slipping forward, I finally gave in and bought Tonto a crupper.

Tonto said, "I don't like the sound of that."

"It's gonna go where?"

Yup!

So we fitted it...

Then tried it out on the lunge...

"You said go?"

sigh... "Okay...."

"It isn't too bad."

There was no rodeo, and Tonto seemed to accept it just fine.

I don't think Casey Cat liked the idea of it though:

And Scout was VERY thankful he didn't need a crupper...

So, after I lunged Tonto with the crupper in both directions for a good bit, like a good Mom, I put my daughter on him (and led them around). Tonto was fine with it, so after dragging them around the pasture a few times, up and down the hills, I climbed on. It seemed to do the trick, at least at the walk...I was too chicken to try anything faster until we have a few more goes with it. Hopefully, it will solve our saddle slipping problems and we won't ride up Tonto's neck any longer.



 

Beware: Total Unbearable Cuteness to Follow:

Someone has taken over MY pony:

Because someone has taken over HIS pony:


And someone is thrilled to have this as HIS pony:

Yes, that is a hard hat he is wearing.

We don't have a real helmet yet, so something has to be a brain bucket....

D's legs are too long for this pony, too, but he sure enjoys old Scout pony, and Scout seems to enjoy him , too.

This was A's SECOND time ever, riding independently. :)

She and Tonto did great together! I put "daisy reins" on Tonto because he pulls her little hands.

I love these shots:

Happy Riding!!!

Riding Scout

Feel free to criticize - I am learning to ride again after a lot of years out of the saddle. I absloutely love this pony though!

A Few Photos from Saturday

My dear husband was able to snap a few photos and videos from my ride on Saturday before the memory card filled up. Here are a few still shots of Scout and me:

Yes, my chin strap is way too loose as my best friend has already pointed out. :) (I just got 2 brand new Ovation hard hats and I haven't quite gotten the straps adjusted right...although I tightened the chinstrap correctly before I rode today. :)

The small area where we "work" is not very large...maybe a 20-meter circle or so, and sloped...it drains well after a rain, yet forces the pony and me to both use muscles we aren't used to using.

I tried to upload some of the videos here, but I guess they are too large. When I ride, I feel very sloppy and Scout feels very choppy, but when I watch the videos, I am pleasantly surprised. He is actually a fairly decent mover. I have tons of work in order to improve my position and my stiff upper body and elbows, but today we worked on some stretching exercises at the walk and trot - and Scout actually began stretching his neck down and rounding his back! We are starting over together. :)

I am thinking of selling my Passier and Stubben saddles - they are both too large for the ponies and me. They measure 17 inches each and I kind of think I need a 16-inch seat. I need an all purpose because I can't afford both a dressage saddle and a jumping saddle. Do any of you have any recommendations? I love both my Passier and Stubben saddles, but because I sit on the twist and not in the seat, they kill my seat bones. I would love to get something comfortable that actually fits me, so I can sit up and not bruise my bones...they need to fit my poor ponies, too. Scout is actually on the narrow side and little Tonto is a medium. The Wintec all purpose that my best friend gave D is the one the kids ride in and it is great. The problem is, it is the only one we have and the kids fight over who is riding in it, so it usually goes on Tonto.

Well, to say the least, I am absolutely smitten with Scout. He is more than I had ever hoped for in a new pony and I never thought I'd have another pony comparable to Buck or Hamlet. I believe Scout is going to rank right up there with both of those amazing guys. I am so very blessed and very, very thankful.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll try to load some of the shorter videos. :) Until next time, Happy Riding!