Tricks
Minnow & Ammo practice for a performance
Here’s a quick video of Minnow & Ammo practicing for their upcoming performance at the Equine Extravaganza. The pieces are slowly starting to come together….my fingers are crossed they can pull it off for the contest!
Either way I’m sure we’ll bring smiles to everyone’s faces! And that’s what it’s all about!
only two more weeks before our big trip!
Equine Extravaganza Got Talent Contest
Most people assume that dogs are much easier to train than horses. I mean we can house break dogs, teach them to lead the blind, do search and rescue, and countless amounts of tricks and tasks.
But one thing I find that people fail to factor into the equation is the food drive that horses have. Now I know this varies from horse to horse, but we all know that horses graze ALL-DAY-LONG. If there is food, they will eat. They will eat until they get sick!
My little Minnow is a prime example of this. I know that no matter what trick I ask him to perform, if I have a treat in my pocket, he’s more than willing to give it a valiant effort. Performing in front of crowds with him, I never worry that he might not do what I ask, I know he’ll always make me look good! 🙂
Now my Dachshund, Ammo, on the other hand can be quite a challenge. As much as he enjoys his treats, he also has other driving instincts. He’s a hunting dog through and through. Noises, smells – they all serve as added distractions for him – so much so that sometimes they outweigh the drive for food.
I consider Ammo to be a pretty well trained dog. He’s housebroken, knows a number of commands and tricks, and generally speaking he listens fairly well – considering he’s only about to turn 2. Now I’m not saying Minnow is any smarter than Ammo – they equally master tricks at lightning speed – but the difference is, Ammo can not be trusted. (I love you Ammo, but it’s true). His attention can only be on me when he wants it to be. No amount of food, excitement, or the promise of praise will get him to obey the commands he knows….so long as he “just doesn’t feel like it”.
So when I’m getting ready to perform with the pony and dog, I tend to worry. Will Ammo run off in the middle of the performance to play with another dog, will he do all the tricks I ask of him….who knows? My typical performance nerves of steel are tested when I know Ammo is with us. I love the boy, but like I said, he cannot be trusted! I’m sure anyone who owns a Dachshund can understand how I feel. They are an amazing breed of dog, but they certainly have a mind of their own.
A few days ago, I did something that will test my “performance nerves of steel”. I entered Minnow and Ammo into a talent contest at the Equine Extravaganza in Doswell, Virginia. I perhaps have an unreal expectation of having the two of them perform an act TOGETHER. Can I keep Ammo with me while I work with Minnow, will he stay on his box like he’s supposed to….I’m not sure? All we can do is practice and prepare as much as possible, and I’ll have to swallow my nerves and try! One thing can be sure…..it’s sure to be entertaining. You’ll either see some amazing tricks by a talented Chincoteague Pony and his quirky Dachshund, or you will see me chasing a Dachshund around an arena while frantically trying get him to do tricks.
I think I’m going to need a back up plan for this one!
Check us out at the Equine Extravaganza on Saturday, October 30th from 11:30am – 1pm!
Painting Pony DVD release!
For the past month my family has been working on a little project. My younger brother, Taylor, is a talented filmmaker and editor, and my younger sister, Laurel, has a special talent for photography. Armed with a fleet of talented trick ponies, and a Dachshund, we decided to make a new Painting Pony DVD.
With my brother up from his home in North Carolina, we spent one day shooting out at Iron Horse Farm. The ponies were amazing – performing their tricks over and over again so my siblings could get the right shots – even Ammo endured the hot day in his flannel stuntdog gear so we could capture him among the ponies.
I think the end result turned out fabulous! I think it really shows what life is like for the Trick Ponies (and Ammo). I especially love the music, which was mostly created by my brother (who is also a talented musician) along with his band, Cinder Cat – the music gives it a magic feel.
The DVD is available for purchase in our Online Shop. Give it as a gift, send it to a friend – spread the joy of Chincoteague Ponies! We hope it will bring a smile to your face.
And since we want everyone to be able to enjoy the magic of these special ponies and their Dachshund friend, we’ve uploaded the video to youtube. Spread it around! Share it on facebook, twitter, myspace, etc!
Special thanks to….
Taylor Hellhake from Depthink Productions
Cinder Cat
Laurel Hellhake (in collaboration with O’Leary Photographics)
Iron Horse Farm
and
Ammo the Dachshund & The Trick Ponies of Chincoteague!
Countdown to Pony Penning
Minnow at the Chincoteague Pony Centre 2009
In 17 days it will be time once again. Time to pack up a culmination of years worth of work (and a very fat pony) and make the trip down to the Eastern Shore for Pony Penning.
I taught Chincoteague Minnow his very first trick in 2005 – never thinking that it would lead to this. I taught him because I wanted to, because I wanted to have fun with him, because I loved him. What happened after that was just luck.
Minnow at the Pony Centre 2008
Luck, because my desire to connect with my pony led us to do something that we both love. When Minnow was diagnosed with Ringbone in 2008 and I found out I would never be able to ride him again I was crushed. As Minnow sat around day after day watching the comings and goings around the farm his eyes got sadder and sadder. I missed my pony and he missed me.
Then, as luck would have it, I was contacted by Kendy Allen from the Chincoteague Pony Centre. She had heard that Minnow (who once resided at the Chincoteague Pony Centre) had learned to paint. She invited me to meet up with her at a small event in PA – demonstrating what Chincoteague Ponies could do at a feed store.
Minnow at Pony Centre 2009
I was excited, Minnow and I now had something to work towards. We spent a few weeks practicing tricks, and readying our “props”. I had no idea what I was doing. We had a collection of tricks – none of which made sense together – and I didn’t know what to expect. But when we showed up and Minnow painted, crowds started to form around him. Little girls and boys wanted to pet him, and parents snapped pictures of him. I was proud and Minnow was happy. Minnow’s eyes sparkled and right then I knew this is what he was born to do.
Impressed with Minnow’s performance Kendy invited us to come down for Pony Penning week. I obliged, but honestly I was scared. What should I bring? What should we do? Will Minnow be too nervous to perform? What if I fail miserably?
I headed down early for the 4th of July weekend with Minnow so we could have a little “warm-up”. I had never been to Chincoteague Island, nor the Pony Centre, and I was only armed with my bag of tricks, and my painting pony. Looking back, I didn’t need to worry, because Minnow performed like he had been doing so for years!
Our first Pony Penning in 2008 was full of excitement. I fell inlove with the breed all over again when I watched the wild ponies make their annual swim. My heart ached for one of the newborn foals, even Minnow nickered at each one that trotted by him at the Pony Centre. Minnow performed all week and loved it.
In 2009 we spent all year learning new tricks, and even developing a skit to debut at Pony Penning 2009. Minnow’s fans returned at the end of July and even I was impressed at all he had learned in a year.
Upon our return home last year Minnow started to get fan mail. Letters, pictures, and even emails poured in. Minnow was igniting a spark in children for a life-long passion in horses, and he was helping adults fulfill their dreams of meeting a Chincoteague Pony.
As we ready ourselves once again for the 2010 Pony Penning I am reminded of all of Minnow’s fans who have helped him to discover his purpose. We have begun getting emails and messages asking if Minnow will be back at the Pony Centre again. I wonder if Minnow knows how much he is loved? Does he know that his paintings bring joy and happiness to people all around the World?
We both look forward to spreading the joy of horses in a few weeks. Hopefully you can join us, and if not, I’m sure a full recap will follow on the blog!
For a schedule of events check out our website.
Ammo’s Newspaper Debut
As if being on Animal Planet wasn’t enough, Ammo the Dachshund recently made the front page of the People section in the Daily Local News. The article discussed Ammo’s love of tricks and performing with his pony friends. It also talked about his new found artistic abilities, and featured some great color photos of him as well as a video.
You can read the PDF of the article HERE and watch the video HERE.
Way to go Ammo! So proud of you Buddy!
