Farm Life
Cape Henlopen – Riding on the Beach
On Monday we decided to pack up the ponies and Ammo the Dachshund and head to Cape Henlopen in Delaware to ride on the beach. We had never been there before, but heard they allowed beach riding until late April.
Blitz and Boomerang have been to the beach before when we took our ride on Assateague Island in Virginia last fall.
In fact Boomerang was so excited about returning he couldn’t even make it all the way to the beach before taking a roll in the sand.
This time Minnow stayed at home (sorry Minnow) and we brought along my sister’s mare, Jet, and this was her first time on the beach. Jet was a bit nervous about the waves at first but eventually relaxed some, we even worked up to some fun galloping/racing along the beach.
After taking the ponies on our ride we picked up Ammo at the trailer and took them on a run/walk in the ocean.
As you can see it was extremely windy that day and had it been warmer I would have ventured further into the ocean with Boomerang.
Understandably Boomer was a bit nervous at first about going too far into the ocean – waves coming at you can be a scary thing when you aren’t sure what they are. But with a bit of clicker training I eventually had him encompassed in some waves.
Blitz was really fun to watch on the beach – he looked just like a wild stallion, so pretty!
Dramatic Boomer rolled about 6 times on the beach (aside from being cued to lay down & sit) – and he could of cared less who or what was next to him as long as he could feel the wet sand on his body.
The ponies weren’t the only ones to have a good time on the beach though. Ammo thoroughly enjoyed himself even if he did get a little wind/sand blown. It’s a drag being so short sometimes.
To check out more of our photos from our beach adventure visit our Facebook Page.
Cats and Ponies
One of the things I love about the Chincoteague Ponies is their loving nature. Their sweetness and ability to snuggle with just about anyone seems to translate to all creatures great and small. The barn cats on the farm are no exception to this.
Minnow in particular is “loved by all” on the farm. The cats, dogs, and everyone he comes in contact with instantly feel safe with him. It’s that special quality that makes him oh-so-loveable.
Is this not the cutest thing ever?
Warm Days Ahead
It’s starting to really feel like Spring on the farm! As the days start to warm up and it begins to stay lighter longer – I’ve been starting to get the boys back in shape. I clipped Boomerang the other day, and started practicing for some up coming competitions this Spring.
Boomer is feeling fresh, and loving all the attention again. And he couldn’t be happier that we’re running through some of the mounted games races. After all of our fun Blitz and Boomer seem to really enjoy rolling in the dusty dirt.
Minnow is also excited about the added daylight, because it means I can fit some riding in with Boomerang and some trick training in with him.
Even though Minnow can’t be ridden because of his ringbone, he still needs to be exercised. So I’ve developed a “recall” game that I play with him in the arena to allow him to exercise himself at a speed that is comfortable to him.
Much in the same way you might work on recalls with your dog – I send him away from me, then recall him back. As you can see in the video below, Minnow really likes this game and often times goes bucking and running when I send him away.
It’s become a fun way for Minnow to keep in shape, while getting to choose how much he wants to run based on his pain tolerance for that day. I never ask him to canter or trot, but simply let him choose how quickly he wants to play the game.
So what are you doing this Spring to get your horses in shape? Any exciting events to look forward to? I’m still looking for a place to start Boomerang on cattle – can’t wait!
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A Visit from the Dentist
Yesterday we got a visit from the horse dentist at the farm.
Scary tools and all – the ponies are quite relaxed about the whole situation.
I’m always so proud when my three little Chincoteague ponies (even wild-born Minnow) stand quietly while the dentist does his thing to clean their teeth. None of them are ever sedated.
All the ponies got an A++ on their teeth as the dentist remarked what great teeth the Chincoteagues on the farm had (even 19 year old Minnow).
The dogs of course were very glad that this dentist didn’t also do canine teeth.
And everyone was very relieved when Minnow returned back to his normal looking self (without the scary robot mask)!
The Ponies Celebrate Christmas
Christmas time can get pretty hectic for me. My custom frame shop in town starts booming with Christmas orders right after Thanksgiving and most nights when I leave work in the dark I struggle to keep my eyes open as I move horses and hay bales out on the farm. The ponies start to see my comings and goings as a blur while I make promises to get back to riding and training them after the Holidays.
But, despite how busy this time of year can get I never forget my boys when Christmas rolls around.
This year I headed out to the farm first thing Christmas morning with Ammo the Dachshund and my husband in tow. Ammo brought along a special treat for all of his favorite ponies.
And he was sweet enough to taste test the first few bites.
Not only did Ammo bring the boys treats, but it looked like Santa had visited the farm too.
With Ammo supervising, Minnow set to work opening his special gift from Santa.
Boomerang had a bit more trouble grasping the concept of present opening, but luckily little Ammo is a pro at opening gifts and was more than happy to help.
All the horses received Himalayan Salt Blocks from Santa! But most importantly I think the ponies are thrilled that the Holiday rush is over, and we can get back to trick training! We’ve got lots of work to do to prepare for the Horse World Expo and it’s time to start thinking of new tricks!
Make sure you check out Ammo’s blog to see what Santa brought him.
