Posts Tagged ‘dog
2011 Pony Penning Recap: July 25
Well, we’re back from Pony Penning! It was a lot of work, but so much fun! Most people probably don’t realize how much time, energy, and commitment we put into preparing to perform all week long in Chincoteague. Not only does Minnow have 10 times the luggage that I do, but making sure it’s organized, canvases are prepped, paint brushes prepared, costumes made, performances are practiced – takes months and months of planning. Every year I tell myself “I’ll be super prepared” this year – and even though I’m probably one of the most organized people you will ever meet (I might have an issue) – I always seem to be working into the wee hours of the night the day before we leave for Chincoteague. And this year was no exception.
The new trailer made packing this year a little more bearable though. Instead of having to bungee pedestals, easels and paints into a bay in our two horse trailer, we now had a front and rear tackroom to work with. But with all the added storage space, we still couldn’t let little Ammo stowaway. Sadly the island isn’t very “dog friendly” as most of the parks and hotels don’t allow dogs (although ponies walking down main street to greet people is a common occurrence! ha).
Minnow made the 4 hour journey to the island with ease, just as he has for the past 3 years. This was actually the first time he had ever ridden in the new trailer, but being the trooper he is it was a piece of cake. We arrived with just a few short hours to prepare before Minnow was set to perform. The first day of performing is always the hardest – because we are yet to get into a routine. Figuring out when/where to set up his props, getting a feel for how much time between “acts” he has for a “costume change” – even for Minnow it takes a little bit to get into the swing of things.
During Minnow’s first performance of the week he painted “Peace of Paradise”.
"Peace of Paradise" by Minnow - pony penning 2011
I got to watch a little bit of the rest of the performances during the pony show at the Chincoteague Pony Centre – but it was hard to see everything while making sure Minnow was prepared for his next “act”.
I’m so impressed by all the kids that work at the Pony Centre. During the pony show they finagle ponies in and out of paddocks – including mare’s and foals, tack and untack horses – all while making sure they are in the arena at their designated times to perform. I have enough trouble making sure Minnow and I are ready to go in the arena (and I have my mom along to help me!). Most people don’t get to see the “back end” of it, and believe me – they make it look way easier than it is!
- “Stormy Sea” by Minnow – pony penning 2011
During the evening show Minnow painted “Stormy Sea” and afterwards my mom and I mustered up enough energy to head over to the Island Creamery.
Double chocolate ice cream for me – I love chocolate almost as much as I do ponies! Then it was back to the hotel for the night – where I got to read Minnow’s article that made it into the paper!
You can read the entire article by clicking HERE.
And thus our first day on the island came to an end, keep reading to hear our recap on the rest of the week!
Off to Chincoteague
Well the day is finally here! We’re headed off to Chincoteague Island for the 2011 Pony Penning Swim!
The weeks leading up to our adventure were busy! Minnow kept himself occupied by painting and practicing his new performance to display at the Pony Centre this week.
We’re very much looking forward to showcasing everything we’ve been working and training hard for this week. We know not everyone can make it down for Pony Penning – in fact we had to leave our beloved Ammo the Dachshund at home (something tells me he’ll be sure to keep himself occupied without us though). But don’t worry, if you want to keep up with all the action & goings-on, be sure to head over to our facebook page – where we will try out best to keep you updated on everything we’re up to!
And when we return we’ll have lots of pictures and videos to share with you on the blog!
New Art by Ammo: Stormy Sea
Ammo the Dachshund has a new work of art available in the shop. Click here to visit his blog and read all about his new masterpiece.
Titled, “Stormy Sea” this original watercolor painting is available for purchase in our shop. Click here for more information.
And as always, we donate 5% of all painting sales to charitable organizations such as the main line animal rescue, spca, and the coast to coast dachshund rescue.
Ammo the Painting Dachshund
We’ve secretly been working on a little project over at Painting Pony. I’m sure you’ve probably already guessed what it is by now. So without further adieu, I introduce to you….
AMMO THE DACHSHUND WATERCOLOR ARTIST!
That’s right, on June 10th, 2011 Ammo created his very first watercolor painting. We all knew it was coming someday, considering he spends enough of his time with his painting pony friends.
I guess you could say he was destined to follow in the family footsteps – although he has some mighty BIG shoes to fill.
Ammo's first painting "My Sunshine"
But, Ammo’s a pretty talented guy, and I have the feeling that the ponies are going to pretty jealous of him in no time! I actually could hardly believe my eyes when I saw his first masterpiece – it is quite stunning in person.
Ammo takes his painting talent pretty seriously, and he likes to take his time creating these beautiful paintings. So right now we only have one of his paintings available for sale. We will certainly have more in the future – and will be sure to let you know as they are created.
"Backyard Bliss" by Ammo the Dachshund
Ammo painted this on June 18th, 2011 and it is available for purchase in our shop. Every painting Ammo sells we donate 5% to some of his favorite charities like the Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue, The Mainline Animal Rescue, and the SPCA. After all, with great talent comes great responsibility, and helping those in need is always a noble cause.
And because it’s always fun to see Ammo in action, we’ve made a little video so everyone can see this little guy’s talented paws at work!
If you would like to see more pictures and hear about what Ammo thinks about his first few creations, be sure to head on over to his blog, AmmotheDachshund.com!
Swimming Chincoteague Ponies
On Sunday after the boy’s first Gymkhana Event we stopped at Marsh Creek State Park. The objective, take the ponies swimming (and have a father’s day picnic)!
My sister’s mare, Jet (the black horse), has been swimming several times – as has Minnow. So this time it was Blitz & Boomer’s turn to test out the water.
Both were a little skeptical at first, but on a nice hot day, it didn’t take them long to get in the water.
But after a few minutes and a little gentle coaxing, Boomer was swimming!
Even my parent’s dog, Trooper, joined in on the swimming fun.
The ponies were even introduced to their first kayaks. No one freaked out – even when it drifted awfully close to them. You have to love the mindset of a Chincoteague Pony.
Blitz never did actually swim, but he’s a bit more cautious than Boomer is. And my mom wanted to make it a pleasant experience for him so she opted not ask too much of him.
Little Ammo the Dachshund had to watch from the sidelines. But he is just too little to swim with the big boys. Sorry fella.
