Posts Tagged ‘farm
The Best of the Best
So last time I posted I showed some photos of my Christmas Card Mishap. Today I’m sharing the good ones! It wasn’t all chaois during our Christmas Photoshoot, so here’s the Trick Ponies at their finest!
So..which one do you think my parents chose to feature on their Christmas card? Which is your favorite? I’d love to know!
Three’s a Crowd
So as I posted before, my parents decided to feature the Trick Ponies on their Christmas Card this year. The idea was simple – get them to stand together holding fake berry swigs in their mouths. The reality was – its never that easy.
I knew I probably should have worked them on targeting a stationary spot on the ground first (like a carpet scrap or piece of wood), but of course I never got around to it. I have taught all of my boys to stationary target the pedestal. Meaning when I put out their pedestal – get them upon it and ask them to stay put, they will all do so. (well Boomerang needs a bit more practice with this one). But since I only have one pedestal, the problem arose, how do I get all 3 of them to stand together? The answer is – I never actually did! Ha!
In fact, I have never worked all three together at the same time. Not because I don’t want to – but mainly because I didn’t want utter chaos, and currently Minnow is the only one I trust to “behave” properly when the food pouch comes out and there are competitors for the treats.
So anyway – that will all be a task for another day…now onto the Christmas Card. Below are a series of outtakes from the attempt at a Christmas Card (all before the sun set). I did end up getting some nice ones, but I will have to save those for another post. I hope you enjoy a good laugh at my attempt to “corral the wild Chincoteague Ponies”.
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Christmas Card Blast from the Past
Since 2005 I have been attempting to make Christmas Cards for my family. I usually design one for my parents to send out and I (along with my graphic designer husband) design one for us to send out. Usually the cards feature our pets and/or the family and we TRY to come up with something funny to say. Here’s a little history of past cards we have sent:
Now that we’re well into the 2009 Holiday Season, its that time of year to design some Christmas Cards. This year my parents have opted to do something with the Trick Ponies – and I plan to feature our Dachshund Ammo yet again.
…Stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll be posting some photos of my attempt at a Trick Pony Photo Shoot. Sometimes 3 ponies isn’t better than 1!!
Down for the Count
Sharing some photos today of Boomerang’s latest trick…well sort of. You may think by the photos that I taught him to lay down (which I do fully intend to to). But in actuality this little photo op happened by accident.
I was working with Boomer in the ring on his leading (while not trying to bite off my arm) when I walked away from him for a few minutes to get something. When I got back I saw that he was about to lay down and roll. Probably not the best idea when he has a saddle on. But rather than freak him out and run at him with flailing arms – yelling get up – I decided to use this opportunity. Instead I approached him slowly (before he rolled onto my saddle is the key here) and offered him a treat. Intrigued Boomer layed there trying to figure out what he was doing to warrant the treat. I gave him a few more rewards then proceeded around to his backside so I could sit on his back. (at which point I yelled to my little sister to get the camera – I never pass up the chance for a good photo). After several minutes (and photos) later I asked him to get up with me on him. I then made a big fuss and gave him another treat.
The goal here was not to teach him that laying down with a saddle on would get him food because I’m sure you can imagine how that will end. The goal was to get him used to having me around while he was in his most vulnerable position and make it a positive experience for him. So that when I do go to officially teach him the cues for laying down he will see it as a positive thing. I also decided to give him a big reward for getting up because I wanted him to know when I ask him get back up there is a reward for that as well. That way just incase our little session prompted him to lay down right again I would have asked him to get up quicker and then rewarded – I really didn’t want him confusing being saddled with laying down.
But – as I suspected – after Boomer got back up he tried a few things to get more treats (offered a few behaviors like giving me a kiss and saying no) but he didn’t think to try laying down again. Which is fine, because I’m not to the point with him where I want him to learn to lay down yet.
Laying down is in Blitz’s and Boomer’s future for sure, Minnow…I’m not so sure. Minnow has a lot more trust issues…and I’m worried laying down will undue a lot of training I have done with him. But perhaps one day we will be able to master this feat. Maybe little brother Boomer can show him that its ok.
Spending My Time Wisely
On Friday I did something I haven’t done in a really long time…but was long overdue.
It was a surprisingly mild November night, and after finishing all of my barn work and chores I decided to spend some time with Minnow. Armed with a few brushes (and the dachshund bundled in his winter coat) I settled myself into the pile of hay in Minnow’s stall. Minnow munched around me, occasionally giving me and the dachshund kisses (he’s so sweet like that). I scratched his itchy spots, brushed his muddy coat (from all the rain we’ve had) and basically just enjoyed being with him. I sat in his stall for about an hour before dragging myself away.
I’ve always known the importance of just enjoying my horses, not asking for something specific from them, just letting them be horses and observing. Its of huge importance for horses to bond with their owner/rider/special person – and to be undemanding of your horse helps to accomplish this. But, in actuality its always hard to find time to do this. You carve out time to go to the barn – and you want to “do” something. I know the feeling, I’m guilty of this all of the time. But horses don’t feel this same need, and sometimes its better to do nothing.
I think I spent the most time doing nothing with Minnow when I was in college. When he was in his most intense part of training with me I decided to bring him to college with me. Needless to say I think I spent more time at the barn evading school work than anything else. But it brought Minnow and I much closer.
I’d just sit in his stall and watch him eat hay, or I’d lay in the grass with him while he got his fill. I even studied in the pasture while he was just “being a horse”. Most of the time he ignored me, but occasionally he’d wander over and nuzzle my hair, or tug at my boots – signs that he was interested in me and what I was doing in there with him. Getting a horse interested can sometimes be one of the toughest things to accomplish – and for Minnow especially, these steps were huge. He was a pony that was easily terrified of everything – but rather than touching it to see what it was he opted to completely ignore the situation – to the point where when faced with a strange object he would turn his head all the way around so he didn’t even have to look at it. So bringing curiosity out of him was always a major struggle for me. So with each time Minnow CHOSE to touch me, or my books he was becoming more and more curious – curiosity that helped me to get him over his fear of the mounted games equipment, fear of noises, fear of pretty much anything.
So on Friday night as I sat in Minnow’s pile of hay I thought back to those wonderful days we spent together in college and I vowed that I MUST do nothing with my horses more often.
