Jubliee's Curly J - a pleased little pony

Hello everyone,

When I told Jubilee's Curly J that we had won RAC May's contest I swear I saw a grin on his sweet face....OK I was giving him his favorite Applezz N Oats horse treats when we were chatting but I know he was pleased. So when our package arrived in the mail and I found a beautiful sash for him I immediately put it around his broad shoulders and changed into my cool, new, royal blue top with our names on it that is just perfect for this Texas heat. I asked my friend to take a few photos so I can show you the face of a pleased little pony.

Angie and Jubilee's Curly J

Most of my holiday weekend was family time spent haying or at the lake and the ocean sans horses, but I did get in a trail ride over the mountain to my friend Audrey's.
I wish I had had Angie's fly repellent recipe beforehand, because the times I spent in the woods were tortuous. The deer flies swarmed around us. I carried two fly-swattin' branches, and we moved right along - there were no photo ops on that section of the ride! I know AhD and I can beat the swarm if we are moving at a good trot or better, but the problem is, around here there's uphill and there's downhill, and not much inbetwixt! Trotting down a rocky hillside is unsafe, hence my need for branches. That experience was enough to keep me out of the woods for the next month.

On the other hand, the road portion of our ride was great!
The weather was gorgeous - blue skies, sunny and hot, nice breeze blowing, the smell of newly cut hay. Mmmm-hmmm, hay surely smells even better when you are not working it!
Audrey agreed to accompany me and AhD partway back to our house. AhD moved right along, recognizing where we were headed, and I could hear Audrey's shoed QH trit-trotting to keep up. I love my spunky Curly!

Our Independence Day Weekend

I keep repeating myself here on the blog.. I am so far behind on my news reports from here on the farm and already -- jeezum crow -- June is GONE !! and it's July now ~~ unbelievable. We had some great rides and drives in June.. and some super horses were backed for the first time. However.. this news will have to wait till another day. We just finished a big show weekend in Tunbridge Vermont where OYY Elektra had her first show of the season.. and big news.. OYY Nimue and Zoe made their debut as a driving team !!





Friday, the third - was a super day weather wise... blue skies, nice breeze in the mountains of Tunbridge.. which is a very scenic spot. Elektra did well.. but the judging seemed harsh -- the highest score of the day was a 62%. Still Elektra managed to bring home two fourths and 2 reds. Each test showed improvement in scores and the judges were impressed that Zoe and Elektra made those improvements over the course of the day. Zoe rode Training Level Tests 1, 2, 3, and 4 (but not in that order).

Schooling with Morgan stallions and flags.. Elektra is very well behaved for a young girl.

Zoe's first ride time was 12:04... made for an easy morning getting ready BUT a longer day in the end. One horse leaves and Elektra enters on deck... the bell will ring in a second.

The 4 tests are on You Tube if you are curious to watch. The order that Zoe rode them:

test 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqi7Q75mMko

test 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spEmFSG9nZw

test 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vbex0O4glU

test 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkgCRdClE64

All in all - we were pleased and ready to make the needed improvements. Zoe knows now where her focus lies with silly Elektra. She got some nice comments with mostly 7's on her gait and trot -- she definitely needs work with her canter and transitions. But that's what it is all about.. learning and improving. The judges did also comment on how obviously Zoe was studying her score results as they could see those little improvements with each performance


Not that we are making excuses -- we have not had the time to school and practice much in June -- with all our activities and our lesson schedule... Zoe and Elektra have a big day coming up in July at GMHA and she hopes she can find more time to ride for that one. Last week.. in order to get both Elektra and Nimue in the ring.. we had to go together.. me driving and Zoe riding. In past years, I have set up a dressage ring with white rope and letters. This year - with both driving and riding - the size of the dressage rings is different -- so no real marked boundaries. Luckily, Zoe has a mathematical/geometrical brain and can ride a pretty perfect test with no letters or chain. We were still crossing paths in the ring and dodging raindrops :)

Well, it's nice to know if we ever wanted to go out together for a drive/ride -- these two would go side by side no problem.

Saturday, the 3rd -- in preparation for the first big show day on the 4th -- we harnessed up Nimue and took her out for a quick 6 mile trot as a treat. Zoe's daughter Rena accompanied us for the first time... she is a bit scared of the cart but also really wanted to try it out. I think due to her handicap - CP - she is a bit more concerned of a fall than some people. She had a great time though and felt very safe on our quick 6 mile trot. Nimue is an outstanding pony !! We met a few obstacles out on the back roads... Rena felt safe the entire drive.

Nimue's head went up for a second when this passed us...

but no hesitation or spooks... just a look.

We stopped in the big ring on the way home so Zoe could get in her first and only practice time with the cones course. We did not have enough cones really to make a good course -- but some practice is better than none I guess. First time through -- they knocked a few down.. second was much better -- this is very rough ground -- so you really have to work to stay in the cart and also steer with precision !! Kind of fun :)







Here's Rena and me coming up the driveway -- my dogs are always happy to see me - and act like I have been gone a very long time !

Time to give Nimue and bath and pack the car for tomorrow. Our ride time is 9:30 in the morning which is early for us with the distance of the drive north. I guess Nimue is as ready as she is ever going to be... but I am nervous anyway -- I can be a total worrywart pre-show. We have a cheap cart, cheap whip, cheap harness, homemade apron -- yikes.. Nimue walks her diagonal sloppily and is iffy in her backing.. sometimes OK , sometimes not. Oh well... after packing the car I am too tired to care.

These fairgrounds are beautiful - we arrive in the early morning.. the fog has not quite lifted out of the valley and it's BRRRR cold... reports for weather in the 90's but right now it's only around 40 something.

We take a slow trot around the perimeter of the grounds ... I am a passenger with the camera today... first time for me :)

When we arrive - Zoe realizes that we have brought the wrong tests to study... so we go in search of someone who can lend us the printed test to memorize.

The cones course is being set up. The cones are placed at a distance just a bit wider than the widest cart at the show. That gives the more narrow carts a little advantage. Tennis balls are placed atop each cone - there are 30 cones.

Early morning sun on Nimue's back. We are still chilly -- but in an hour from now, we swelter -- and Zoe bakes up well done in her flannel apron (material we found hiding in a box in the attic that matched the seat of the cart nicely) - her long sleeved shirt and black blazer.

This show gives us the opportunity to study outfits and carts.

As I said -- Zoe was roasted well done waiting for the various classes. Nimue was the model pony. Her first time traveling off the farm to drive, her first show... she was so well behaved.

In her tests - Nimue outdid herself... we worried needlessly about her free walk across the diagonal as it was perfect with great comments from the judge) Her lengthened trot was -- quote-- nice nice nice... (big smile) Nimue received all 6's and 7's with a few 8's thrown in. her backing (as you will see on the vdeo) was needing more work. She ended up with scores of 64.5 % in the Training Level test 2 and a 67.6% for the Preliminary Level test 3. There were 25 horses entered; Nimue di not place but she did ramk 7th and 10th -- not bad.. I am very proud of my pony and very proud of my daughter !!

At the end of each test, the judge came out and gave comments verbally -- very helpful. Afterwards, I thanked the judge personally for being so great and also commented on how friendly the driving crowd is in general -- and how much fun we had at the show. She replied that she likes to help out the beginners hoping they will stay with it and become the returning old drivers of the future. Also adding, in her opinion, a driving show is the onlyplace you can show up with only your horse or pony and borrow everything else. I found this to be so true !! What a super experience !!! We got so many compliments on Nimue -- everyone thought she was just lovely.

The last competition we watched before we left was the race -

everyone was encouraging us to enter Nimue as after they saw her timed cones and Zoe letting her trot out on the track for fun... they felt she could win :) We passed on that -- but perhaps another time.

here is Zoe and Nimue at the cones course-- unfortunately, Zoe oversteered Nu=imue into a cone - so she did not get a winning time. Practice Practice !! but still fun.

Nimue's tests are here on You Tube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXyiPu2bQt8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdm2yr_rgr4

Hope you all had a Happy Fourth... today is catch up day for chores ..

Enjoy ~

riding on the 4th!!

Woohoo!! Got back out on the 4th for another quick trail ride. My youngest, Kendahl got to ride Jane for the 2nd time out, and they did great. I got to ride my lovely mare Rose again. Kendahl has been riding Rose so a real treat to be able to ride her. I have managed to ride more in the last 2 weeks than I usually get in during the whole year!! So I am feeling pretty good right now and Kendahl is just beaming!! Happy 4th everyone!!

Lakota High Socks hits the trails

This little guy is as brave, willing and enthusiastic as they come!

We have been desensitizing and getting Lakota used to the great outdoors. He has been wonderful around cars, tractors,streams, mud, wind, and even turkeys. He takes most things in stride and seldom worries about a thing.

He is leading beautifully - both with and without his mom.

His favorite activity is romping around and pulling on his own small tarp. He loves the texture and the sound it makes when he shakes and drags it around with him. He is also playing

with the Jolly ball. He loves to pick it up in his mouth - roll it around with his nose - and pop his mother with it when ever he is able to get close enough to her with it... (hysterical :-)

I LOVE THIS LITTLE GUY!

week of fun!!

Well had my clinic last week, not too many good pics as I spent alot of time riding and hoped others would get good ones because I kept forgetting my camera!! Geez... It was 5 days horsemanship and 2 days equine scent detection!! what fun we had. In this first picture I had 3 of my curly mares involved in the ride, black mare in front is Rose with my youngest Kendahl, behind the BIG roan(Kristal on Tico)is myself on Penny a bay, followed by my clinician Terry on palomino mare Jane. Been planning this for 10 mths, waiting patiently (not!!) and then it comes and with a blink of an eye it is over, I wished it could go on 24/7!! learned alot and enjoyed tons of riding (finally!!) I am in the plans for next year, woohoo!! In the second picture, we just took Kendahl on her first solo ride with Rose. okay when I view the post the 2nd pic I mentiponed comes 1st. So the picture with the 3 people are the solo ride, I am sure you all could figure it out, but hey, figured I best clarify!! LOL have a great 4th everyone!!!!

Yet again, my pictures are in reverse order....maybe I should write my blog backwards and it will all come together....lol. I had a lot of trouble with pictures tonight. They are here, they are staying! The smaller ones were taking with my cell phone and the larger ones with my digital camera.

So, we had a great day off for Canada Day yesterday. The weather was the nicest we've had for about a month!! Grooming Linus turned into a family affair as you will see below. That was great! It's so nice to see my husband displaying so much more confidence around horses than he ever has. It also helps that he is not ferociously allergic to Linus!! Stu was rubbing his neck and hugging him. It was really nice to see. It's helping his horse confidence so much to be able to have one from a young age. Purchasing Linus is proving to be a smarter and smarter move all of the time!

I don't think I have yet posted that Linus has recently had a bit in his mouth as well. The tack shop owner helped me pick a very gentle pinchless driving snaffle. He took it in stride like he does everything else. I bitted him a few times and just let him play with it in his mouth while I worked around him. Then I attached the reins and showed him the basics. Next step was to harness him and then attach the driving lines. I walked him from his head first to let him get used to everything. I have to use the riding bridle for now as his driving bridle is a bit too big. That's ok. He'll grow into it. For now, it all works! I was driving him actually and thinking of the progress we are making. Going from a doubled up lunge line and a rope halter to a full set of harness!! I am definitely not knocking how I started him, I am glad for every little thing we have done together.

Anyway, once I was confident Linus was accustomed to everything we left his paddock and walked around the farm a bit then up and down the road by the farm. I rotated between walking him and driving him just to make sure I didn't overdo. It was so empowering that I could have driven him all day!! It was so much fun the thought entered my head that I wouldn't care if I ever did ride him....but of course I will. They are trying really hard in Eastern Ontario to bring back pleasure driving and the numbers are slowly rising..I can see why but I am surprised they are not rising faster...its so enjoyable...and I haven't even hitched him to a cart yet!!

Speaking of riding...Owen sat on Linus for a few minutes. He absolutely loved it and you can see below how much it bothered Linus. He is becoming so used to tack and being handled that he hardly even noticed Owen there. He walked a few steps (I was constantly holding Owen and Stu was at Linus' head) and Owen just beamed like nothing else. He loved it. He even picked up the reins. He also helped brush Linus. He has to get out every brush and try it for a few seconds and then move to the next.

Because of yesterday's big day for Linus I just did his feet and brushed off some mud and we went for a short walk. He was a bit wound up and pretending to get excited about things that he normally doesn't even look at. So I stopped him, rubbed his neck where he likes and we continued on without a hitch. If he started to get ahead of me I made him stop. He's a very fast learner.

I walked his fenceline after I put him back and he raced me around it and put on quite a performance. That's how I got some of the smaller pictures below. He sure is flashy. I had to cut it down to the amount that I do have in here!! I told my husband our child and our horse are way too photogenic!!

Here's hoping you all have a great long weekend!

Simply gorgeous

Prancer?

Lookin' good on the job

My first bit

yeehaw!

Whoa Linus, calm down

Mommy's buckaroo

he thinks he is putting a halter on Linus

Owen the head groom