Search Results

My Amazing Flower Pony

October 4th, 2008 is a date that holds much significance for me. Not only is it the anniversary of my wedding to my high school sweetheart, but it is also the anniversary of when I became the official owner of Minnow, so I planned a good celebration, with food and great decoration using a party supply tablecloth for this event.

Minnow had been living with me since 2003, when his then owners had decided to lease him out to me to use as a riding mount. In those 5 years I got to know an amazing pony that has since changed the entire course of my life. I knew he was one of those “once in a lifetime” ponies – and in the back of my mind I always feared that someday he would leave me.

When he was diagnosed with Ringbone in March of 2008 and his competition career came to an abrupt end, it became evident that the “backyard tricks” I had taught him were now more important than ever. Not only were they a way for us to continue to interact with each other, but they became something even more special that we shared together.

I knew that Minnow HAD to be at my wedding, he was such an important part of my life, and when my mom jokingly suggested he should be the flower girl, I set out to train him how to toss petals out of a basket. Tossing the petals proved to be the easy part, it was performing in front of a crowd of wedding guests that couldn’t be practiced.

Until today, I have yet to share the “real” wedding video of Minnow wowing my guests (and me). To FINALLY get it up for viewing I had to film it off of my computer and onto my iphone – so granted the quality isn’t the best. But, I’m proud to share with everyone, the greatest FLOWER GIRL PONY there ever was!

Not only was Minnow simply amazing, but he performed for my sister (and not me). Minnow has always been quite sensitive, and most times will only perform tricks for me – after we built a relationship of trust over many years. So for him to perform for my sister (who never works with him) and in front of a large crowd of people, it was an amazing accomplishment for him.

When I returned home from my honeymoon in Nicaragua I opened a very special card from Minnow’s owners. Their gift to me on my wedding day was Minnow! To know that he would be mine forever was one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me. I know that I’m truly blessed to have him in my life and I’m so thankful that we were able to find eachother.

So Happy Anniversary Minnow! I look forward to many more adventures with you, as I know we are just getting started!

And Happy 3 year Anniversary to my wonderful husband :), thanks for accepting my love for the ponies (and Ammo).

Tags : anniversary, assateague, bride, Chincoteague, chincoteague minnow, chincoteague pony, clicker training, flower girl, flower pony, groom, horse, Kyley DiLuigi, misty of chincoteague, owner, painting pony, pony, training, trick, trick horse, trick pony, video, wedding

Rainy Day on the Farm

I’ll admit, I’ve been taking it a little easy since we’ve returned from the Extreme Cowboy Race. Those 6 weeks leading up to the event were pretty intense, so for most of March I’ve been enjoying taking things a little slower. The ponies are still being worked, in fact Minnow has begun a little exercise regime – to shed some pounds before the Spring grass hits. Being that he has Ringbone (equine arthritis) he can’t be ridden like he used to, so instead I’ve been hand walking him through the woods & bareback riding him in the arena (mostly walking with a little bit of trotting). Although Minnow is still as feisty as ever, and on occasion he decides that a little case of arthritis isn’t going to keep him from racing around at top speed.

Mostly though, I’ve been enjoying just spending time with the boys and catching up on things at home. And all of us can appreciate when a little rain forces us to take things even slower.

Tags : ammo, assateague, beautiful, cat, chesapeake boomerang, chesapeake lightning, Chincoteague, chincoteague minnow, chincoteague pony, clicker training, cute, dog, extreme cowboy race, farm, farm life, horse, iron horse farm, kitten, Kyley DiLuigi, misty of chincoteague, painting pony, photos, pony, pretty, rainy day, spider, trick, trick horse, trick pony

Pony Penning 2010 – Day 4

Thursday, July 29th was the day of the Chincoteague Pony Auction. I was up pretty early and headed over to the carnival grounds to watch the action. If you plan to buy a foal (or sit through the entire auction) its a good idea to bring a lawn chair over to the fairgrounds several days in advance. People set them up and tie them together with notes stating they are taken/etc. I’ve never done this before – but this year I thought ahead and brought a lawn chair with me to the auction. Luckily I was able to squeeze it in to an open spot so that I would have somewhere to sit.

The auction started with a drill team demonstration by my friends over at the Pony Centre who are members of the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team. The Chincoteague Pony Drill Team is the only drill team in the world that consists ENTIRELY of Chincoteague Ponies. Not only does that make them pretty special, but their drills are pretty unique and very well choreographed too. The drill team has been invited to some very special events over the years, in fact this year they were even invited to perform at the World Equestrian Games, unfortunately the cost to attend was too great and they will not be able to participate.

Performing a drill at the carnival grounds is not an easy task. The “arena” (if you can call it that) is about the size of a roundpen, and it’s parameters are encompassed by masses of people, cameras, and noise. The entrance into the arena is a narrow chute, just wide enough for one pony to fit through, if that “arena” doesn’t spell claustrophobic, I don’t know what would. Any average horse probably wouldn’t dare enter that arena, or at least they wouldn’t enter without a fight. But the Chincoteague ponies take it in stride, no spooking, no crazy antics, in fact they perform in that arena just like they would at home.

After the drill team performance the auction began. There is no order in which the ponies come out, it’s simply whichever ones the saltwater cowboys can grab. This is a major drawback if you plan to bid on a foal. For example, say beforehand you have chosen which foal you really want to buy – you’ve set a budget of say $1,500, and can’t spend more than that. The foal you want just so happens to be the very last one they pull out of the pen to auction off, the bidding soars to $2,000 and you have passed your budget. You loose the auction and since it was the last foal you have nothing else to bid on – looks like you won’t be bringing home a foal this year.

This is what happened to a woman this year. She had been a long time visitor to the island for pony penning with her mother. Last year her mom passed away from a stroke – and it had always been their dream to buy a foal. So this year she returned to the island alone with the plan to purchase a foal in memory of her mother. The foal she chose was one of the very last ones to be auctioned off, and when bidding rose just $200 more than she could afford – she lost the pony of her dreams – with nothing left to bid on. Sadly the woman came away without a foal in memory of her mother.

If you plan to bid it’s also good to know that the first couple of foals out usually go for very cheap. People are still working up the nerve to actually buy a foal, and if you are lucky enough to have your favorite appear in the beginning – you might be able to get him for a steal. The first couple of ones sold for $400 – $500, a record low for foals at the auction.

Then about the third foal out, my favorite appeared, a black and white colt with three perfect shaped white hearts on his body. The bidding started to go fast as I realized the woman behind me was bidding on a foal. At $4,200 the foal was sold to the woman sitting behind me. When she returned to her seat after paying for her purchase she couldn’t help but share her story with everyone. Apparently a few days before the auction she had met a woman at the pens over on Assateague. This woman worked for some sort of therapy place (I’m not sure if it was for the elderly or what), but she had come to the island looking for a horse to be a therapy animal for her facility. On Assateague she spotted the little colt with the heart markings and instantly felt a connection. She felt destined to own this foal, and believed his purpose was to help others. Sadly there was a catch – she could not attend Thursday’s auction for some reason – but as luck would have it she met a woman (a stranger) who would be attending. She arranged to have this woman bid on the foal at the auction for her. She set a budget of $4,200 and handed the stranger her credit card with instructions to try to purchase the foal for her. They both agreed that likely the bidding for this special colt would get too high – but the woman insisted that even if she lost the foal, she wanted someone to share her story with whomever bought him. Well that never happened, because the kind stranger won the foal for her at the max of her budget and the foal would soon be on its way to be a therapy animal for others. Many would say this is the magic of the island ponies at work.

I watched every foal come through the auction – and photographed all of them as well. You can see all my photos over at www.greenhorsestudios.com

After the auction I took a trip out to Kendy Allen’s (owner of the largest herd of Misty Family Ponies) Chincoteague Pony farm off the island on the main land. I met her gorgeous stallion, Tougher than Leather, as well as a few other Chincoteague Pony Mares. Misty family pony, Twister, was due to foal anyday – and with her ginormous size many wondered if she was carrying twins! (we now know it was just one LARGE palomino filly – the spitting image of her mom). I also met Star and her new foal that had been born just a few days before. After Star’s foal was born momma became anxious about being separated from the herd of horses (which included some big Thoroughbreds and a few quarter horses) – Star broke out of her enclosure (with newborn foal in tow) to join her herd. After many attempts to keep her and her foal separated, it was evident the mare would just not be happy until she was out with her gang. So with newborn foal at her side, she happily was coexisting with her herd. Star’s foal was super cute – its so hard to be around so many cute foals during pony penning week. It’s even harder not to bring one home with you.

After a busy afternoon I headed back to the Pony Centre to perform with Minnow. I always find that the Thursday night crowd at the Pony Centre is the VERY best crowd. Maybe they are still full of excitement after bidding on foals all day – I’m not sure – but whichever the case the crowd is usually loud and very excited to see everything that is “Chincoteague Pony”. When the crowd is happy, Minnow is happy – he paints crazier strokes, ad lib’s more in his tricks, and just has a lot more fun. At the 8pm show I decided to ride in the Extreme Pony Race with Minnow. It’s been a year since I’ve saddled him …. the last time being at the Pony Centre in 2009. A little light exercise for Minnow is great, even with his arthritis – but I tend not to like to hop on his back during a show. Not because it’s bad for him (I did give him bute all week – aka horse aspirin) but more so because I wonder if people think I’m being cruel when they see him take a few limpy steps. The fact remains though, that the less exercise Minnow gets, the fatter he gets. And the fatter he gets, the more weight and strain is put on his ankle with the ringbone. But I knew Minnow was feeling good this night, and I knew a light bit of trotting would be fine for him.

So after a year of not being saddled, Minnow entered the area face to face with a small jump. He hesitated (probably thinking “what the heck I thought I was retired”) then popped over the X. We had a slight trouble backing – never his strong suit, then proceeded to complete the rest of the tasks. Minnow stayed at a comfortable trot – which was fine – I think he didn’t feel well enough to canter. And although we didn’t break any records in the race, I was happy to think he got to work his muscles a little.

Then it was off to bed for my little Minnow – as he too had had a busy day meeting fans and being as cute as ever. I enjoy the closeness time I get to spend with Minnow when we are down there. Back home at the farm I have to share my time between all the ponies. I struggle between keeping Boomerang fit and ready to compete and working on tricks with Minnow so he doesn’t get bored in “retirement”. I know Minnow is sad when I pull Boomerang out of the pasture to go for a ride and he’s left standing there looking longingly at me for attention. A week down in Chincoteague scratching his itchy spots, giving him lots of baths and treats – is just oh so wonderful, and I’m sure he looks forward to it every year just as much as I do.

If you’d like to see all the photos from the auction you can check them out here: www.greenhorsestudios.com

Check back tomorrow for a recap of my last day at Pony Penning 2010!

Tags : 2010, assateague, Chincoteague, chincoteague minnow, chincoteague pony, chincoteague pony center, farm, horse, iron horse farm, Kyley DiLuigi, misty of chincoteague, painting, painting horse, painting pony, pony, pony penning, trick, trick horse, trick pony

Countdown to Pony Penning

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.

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.

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.

Tags : 2010, assateague, chesapeake boomerang, chesapeake lightning, Chincoteague, chincoteague minnow, chincoteague pony, chincoteague pony center, clicker training, farm, horse, iron horse farm, Kyley DiLuigi, misty of chincoteague, painting, painting horse, painting pony, pony, pony penning, pony swim, trick, trick horse, trick pony

Boomerang’s Bow

Last night I spent some time working with Boomerang on the ground. We worked on moving away from pressure, turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand, and sidepasses. I then thought it would be fun to see if I could get him to bow. Boomer really likes the soft screenings in our arena, and almost every time he sees it he tries to lay down in it. I knew working in a soft fluffy part of the arena would entice him to put his limbs on the ground.

I started off by just working on getting him to pick up and hold his leg up. Each time picked up a leg when I tapped it, he got clicked. Eventually I progressed to enticing his head to the ground with a treat, and pretty soon Boomer was putting his knee to the ground. This is the same method I used to teach Minnow to bow back in 2004. Minnow has a pretty nice bow when he wants to, but its tough for him to do now because of his ringbone. I think it hurts a little, so I try not to ask him to do it too often, and I’m quicker to let him offer less of an effort than I would expect from Boomer. I think with a few more sessions Boomer should have a pretty nice bow, perhaps nice enough to showcase at MGAA Nationals in a few weeks. We shall see!

Tags : assateague, bow, chesapeake boomerang, Chincoteague, chincoteague pony, clicker training, dachshund, dog, farm, horse, iron horse farm, Kyley DiLuigi, mgaa, misty of chincoteague, mounted games, natural horsemanship, painting pony, pony, training, trick, trick horse, trick pony

WP Premium Theme by Premium Wordpress Themes