Posts Tagged ‘assateague
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!
If you may be in need of Horse arena construction services, you may contact Bobby Georg Construction, Inc. for premier, reliable horse arena excavation services.
Minnow’s Expo Masterpieces & Sale
While we were at the PA Horse World Expo last week, Minnow created some wonderful one-of-a-kind paintings. Many of them went home with happy new owners, and we have a few still left that are now available in the shop. Each one is unique and different, but they all make me smile. Below is a selection of the paintings that are still available:
“Fairy Tale” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Ocean Bliss” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Heart of the Island” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Calm Breeze” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Misty Sea” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Red Mountain” by Chincoteague Minnow
“Dusted Rose” by Chincoteague Minnow
Several of Minnow’s later works sold, as well as a few that he created during the expo. Below are the paintings he created at the expo that are now happily hanging in new homes:
“Minnow’s Masterpiece” by Chincoteague Minnow – SOLD
“Minnow’s Purple Paradise” by Chincoteague Minnow – SOLD
“Expo” by Chincoteague Minnow – SOLD
“Waves” by Chincoteague Minnow – SOLD
On the last day of the expo we put most of our canvas paintings on sale. And since I know not everyone could be there in person for the sale – Minnow decided that he’d like to extend the sale to his Online Shop as well. So from now until March 31, 2012, enter code EXPO2012 at checkout and get 30% OFF your order!
And thank you to everyone who supported us at the Expo, we hope you are enjoying your paintings!
2012 PA Horse World Expo – Chincoteague Minnow
Most of the people that came by our booth at the 2012 PA Horse World Expo probably thought that 19 year old Minnow was an old pro at attending expos.
He hopped off the trailer on Thursday morning, walked through the barns buzzing with clinicians and horses twice his size, and made his way through the rows and rows of expo booths to his corral on the expo show floor. He was the ONLY animal on the show floor for the duration of the expo – with not a single horse in sight.
Yet, despite Minnow’s professional attitude, this was the VERY FRIST time he attended an expo – let alone spend the majority of the time corralled on the show floor.
I was so proud of him – he’s come such a long way from his days of being terrified of EVERYTHING, and bolting at the slightest sound. I can attribute much of his success to the clicker training we began in 2004, but mostly Minnow & I just share this connection where he will do anything for me and vise versa.
He’s truly an amazing pony, and I’m glad he was able to make so many people smile during our visit to the PA Horse World Expo.
Below is a video I pulled together of Minnow’s experience at the expo – in case you missed it.
I hope to have some photos of a few of his newest paintings up on the blog shortly – and as always you can check out our online shop to see all of Minnow’s artwork.
