Posts Tagged ‘chesapeake lightning
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.
A Piece of the Island
These two tomato sauce jars filled with sand might not look like much to you, but to me they hold much significance. See back when I visited Assateague Island at the end of October (2011) with all three of my Chincoteague Ponies – I took a little piece of the island with me. I collected these jars of sand from the beach – as a way to always keep a little part of the island with me.
My little jars of sand weren’t much to look at these past few months, but a little visit to the antique shop, and $5 later they had a pretty (beach worthy) glass jar to call home.
Now my Assateague sand sits happily on my shelf at home with my jars of sand from Belize and Nicaragua and everytime I look at it I’m reminded of the special trip I took with all three of my boys!
Giving Back
Each year the ponies and Ammo the Dachshund make contributions to some of their favorite Charitable Organizations. It makes us feel good to be able to support groups that care for other animals in need. Minnow himself was a past victim of neglect and I think it’s a very special thing that with the money he earns through his amazing paintings we are able to help other animals in need.
This year we selected three special organizations to donate to. The newly formed organization, The Chincoteague Pony Rescue, is very near and dear to our hearts – who’s mission is to provide quality care and treatment of the Chincoteague ponies through intervention, education, proper placement into forever homes and to prevent over breeding. We are proud to be able to support their efforts in protecting and saving this very special breed.
We also chose to support our local L.A.P.S. (Large Animal Protection Society) group who’s mission is to stop cruelty to large animals in the community.
And lastly we decided to support the Main Line Animal Rescue, which has helped thousands of animals find new homes while launching one of the most successful anti-puppy mill campaigns in the history of animal welfare. MLAR celebrates the special bond between companion animals and the people who love them – through rescue, adoption, education and community outreach.
It’s important to do our part to support the groups who dedicate so much time to helping animals in need. With our support perhaps they will be able to rescue one more animal or save one more starving pet. For more information on how to make a donation to these groups, follow these links:
