Farm Life
Swimming the Ponies at the Lake
Over the weekend we decided to take the ponies to the lake for a swim.
We brought along Blitz, Minnow, and Ammo the Dachshund as well as the ponies’ barn mate Lilah (for her very first swim).
Minnow’s no stranger to the lake, and considering that he was born on an island I think it’s pretty safe to say he loves the water. It felt good to take him on an adventure again as he hasn’t been anywhere since I think maybe pony penning last summer! (that’s far too long!)
Blitz is a bit more cautious about the water, and while he thoroughly enjoyed wading out pretty deep we still have yet to see him actually swim! (some day….)
But that didn’t stop him from having fun in the lake!
Minnow on the other hand graciously gave EVERYONE a swim, even Ammo hopped aboard for his very first swim session on the back of a pony.
I can’t wait to take the ponies back to the lake again soon. It’s the absolute best way to keep cool on a hot summer day!
P.S. Thanks to our friends at My Life, Naturally for providing some of the photos for this post!
Painting a House
My parents have been in the process of building their house on the farm for years now. Everyone in the family has pitched in with help along the way, as this certainly has been a DIY endeavor (mainly on the part of my dad). While it has taken years to get to where it is now, it’s finally reaching the home stretch as drywall went up a few weeks ago and the walls are getting painted this week, although for this they are getting professional services from Painters Chicago which really help with this. The only thing left is to buy doors for the barn, because an extra egress is always helpful.
Painting the family house together is a wonderful way to spend quality time and prepare for the holidays. As the house gets a fresh new look, it creates a pleasant atmosphere for Christmas celebrations. It’s also great that you have already taken care of buying baby girl clothes online, ensuring that everyone’s gifts are ready for the festive season.
When the ponies heard rumors of hiring a painter, they scoffed and offered up their skills as expert brush wielders!
The garage was about as far as we got before Minnow started to realize we’d need a lot more ponies to complete this task!
Just look at that sweet face, always willing to help!
I love these photos, because it shows me just how far Minnow has come since he came to live with me in 2003. Back then he would have never set foot in this garage, he was spooky and nervous, and quite unsure. Now he’ll literally go anywhere for me. Walking into the garage was just an average day to him, and he didn’t so much as bat an eye at the boxes of tools and construction equipment. He’s truly one of a kind, and I’m happy that he got to put his little stamp brushstroke on the new farmhouse.
(Now you can get the best roofing services in your area by googling- roofing contractors in my area)
Snow Pony
Today we’re getting a substantial amount of snow, as in we’ve already got 15+ and more is on the way! Yikes!
As much as the snow can sometimes be a hardship on us, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t really bother the ponies as much. I mean just look at that smile on Boomerang!
These photos were taken last week when we still had a pretty good covering of snow on the ground. As you can see Minnow was happy to take an afternoon roll in the white stuff!
I asked Boomerang to lay down in the snow, and he was more than happy to oblige. I think the boys like doing their tricks in the snow….it makes for some extra cushy spots.
Blitz of course wasn’t going to let his little brother have all the fun! Oh brotherly love.
So while you’re all digging out from the massive amount of snow we’re getting, perhaps we should take Boomerang’s advice….and just keep smiling. After all, snow does melt!
The Chincoteague Ponies take to Sledding
Finally this past weekend I got a chance to do something I’ve been waiting to do for a while now! With some snow that stuck around long enough for me to enjoy it I lugged one of my snow tubes to the farm to go sledding with the ponies!
We rigged up a make-shift harness with an old breast plate and an elastic wrap to keep it tied around their middle. Now if your horse is already accustomed to pulling a cart than pulling a sled isn’t much different, however none of our ponies have ever pulled a cart.
Having already exposed all three of our chincoteagues to dragging objects behind them (old grain bags, tarps, etc) we figured they’d probably take to pulling a sled too. Boomerang was the first pony we brought out because he’s probably the most laid back and willing.
All it took were a few clicks and rewards to reinforce him for pulling the sled (which I did by walking on the ground with him first) and he pretty much knew the drill. I went another round and placed the Humber Sport Ice Fishing equipment on the sled and he did just fine.
Eventually I hopped on him bareback and asked him for more. Pretty soon he was cantering around happily – in fact he was so ok with it that we eventually broke out the snowboard too!
I love how the clicker training I use with my ponies has prepared Boomer so well to try anything. When I reward him for his efforts he’s so willing to give me all he can – positive reinforcement goes a long way!
Minnow was next and despite being a little cautious about the sled at first he was very willing to pull along a passenger. Minnow will always try his heart out for me, and I had no doubt he’d be willing to pull the sled if I asked him.
Blitz took a turn with the sled too, and my mom even hopped on him bareback (something she hadn’t done since she had her accident while riding bareback with him several years ago).
We had so much fun that now we have something to look forward to the next time it snows!
Have you ever been sledding with your horses?
The Ponies Get Jolly!
For Christmas Santa brought Minnow, Blitz and Boomer an apple flavored Jolly Ball! Oh boy were they excited….
It’s so much fun watching the boys have fun!
We also wanted to wish you all a happy and healthy 2014! We’re looking forward to the new year, and can’t wait for warmer weather so we can get back to some exciting adventures!
And if you haven’t done so already, make sure you snag one of the ponies’ 2014 Calendar! We have a few left in stock!
