Posts Tagged ‘trick pony
September Giveaway – WINNER!
September Giveaway
So its time to announce the winner for Minnow’s mini-painting giveaway. Interestingly we had 23 views to the post but only 3 people commented to win the prize! But regardless, with the help of Random.org we were able to generate the completely random winner! And the winner is….. Mary H. from http://stalecheerios.com/blog I love her idea of a liberty act with multiple horses. I’ve always dreamed of the day where I can work all three of my boys in the ring at one time. So congrats to Mary – and I hope you enjoy Minnow’s painting. And for everyone who didn’t win I still have a gift for you!
If you purchase a Pony Painting between now and next Friday (October 2, 2009) I will give you 10% off the painting price. To receive the discount simply e-mail me at info@ponypaintings.com with the subject SEPT SALE and tell me which painting you would like to purchase. I will then send you an updated paypal invoice that reflects the sale price.
Hopefully we will be able to have more giveaways in the future….so keep reading!!
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Stroke of Genius
Minnow's newest painting "Bliss"
So yesterday you hopefully read about how there are now TWO painting ponies at PonyPaintings.com. I briefly mentioned how I used Minnow as “teacher” to show the other ponies how it was done – and today I’d like to go into that a little further.
When I started painting with Minnow on Sunday I began thinking about the different strokes that he does. Sometimes he makes up and down marks, sometimes he swirls the brush around, sometimes he jabs at the canvas, and occasionally he misses the canvas all together and “air” paints. So I started wondering what made him decide which stroke to do. Why did he choose to jab the canvas this time and not the next time? Did he actually know he was making something? The answer is actually much simpler than that (I know my horse is smart – but sometimes I probably give him way too much credit). The real answer is that I was telling him what type of marks to make – although I didn’t even know it.
New Mini Paintings by Minnow
When I paint with Minnow I no longer use the clicker, I instead just occasionally give him a bite of grain to keep him interested and sometimes a “Good Boy” or a pat. In my mind I’m just giving him a treat at random – for continuing to paint, and typically I’ll chose a time that he really made a nice mark on the canvas and then handed the brush back to me. But this isn’t why Minnow thought he was getting food.
After about a 1/2 hour of really studying how he was painting I realized that his marks are being influenced by when I give him a reward. If I gave him a treat when he did an up and down stroke then the next time he does a stroke he will do another up and down mark. Seeing that I didn’t reward him that time he tries another stroke, and then another until I finally produce a treat for him. Then the next stoke will be again a repeat of the one that produced the food. And so on the process goes. So basically without even knowing it I was directing Minnow as to what strokes I wanted him to make.
Chincoteague Minnow
Of course the next thing I did was experiment with him. I decided to only give him food when he made a really vigorous mark on the canvas. He also got a “Good Boy” as Minnow recognizes this word in almost the same way he does a click – because I use it a lot. If I give a really exuberant “Good Boy” with a hug and a pat he knows he did exceptionally well. Below you can watch the video of me working with Minnow on only “elaborate” brush strokes. As you can see he tries to just do the “bare minimum” sometimes – but I don’t reward him and wait for a bigger stroke.
I was impressed at the fact that Minnow is constantly trying to figure out what produces the food – perhaps this is why he would paint for hours if I let him. I’m going to continue to play with this concept and see if I can get him to make swirls with the brush or zig zags or something really interesting. Maybe I could even get him to paint something specific. Ever see the elephants that do that? I’m not sure if I could ever teach Minnow to paint something “specific” but that certainly would be amazing.
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Really Big News!
Blitz and Boomer watch as Minnow paints
On Sunday (as planned) I lugged out Minnow’s paints and easel so that he could create some new artwork. We spent about an hour creating lots of new works (that will be available soon)….but I will post more about this later. While Minnow painted I specifically set up his easel infront of our dutch doors at the farm so that Blitz and Boomer could look out of their stalls and watch.
Why you may be wondering? Because I wanted them to learn by watching Minnow. And it worked.
After painting with Minnow I decided to pull out Blitz (the next oldest at age 7 and the furthest in his clicker/trick training). I haltered Blitz but let him have free range in the paddock where the painting supplies were set up. Surprisingly Blitz decided to take the exact spot Minnow had occupied infront of the easel. So I attached a new piece of Bristol paper to the easel and decided to let Blitz have a try with painting. About 6 months ago or more I had begun working with Blitz on holding brushes in his mouth. At that time we was able to get the concept down but was too afraid of the easel and strange setup to actually touch it to the paper. Since then I had also taught him to play fetch and generally pick up objects in his mouth. So those skills were already mastered.
Blitz and his first painting on 9-20-09
I handed Blitz the brush and he touched the paper with it! Interestingly he began making marks on the paper in an up and down motion (the same way that Minnow had been doing it). He took to the painting with ease – simply as if he had learned by watching Minnow do it. You can watch the video below of Blitz creating his very first painting.
Blitz loving his first painting
I was thrilled that PonyPaintings.com is now home to two painting Chincoteague Ponies. But then I remembered Minnow. I actually started to feel really sad, because painting had always been the special thing that Minnow and I shared. He was special and unique because he was the only one. Now Minnow has to share painting with Blitz – and he’s also no longer the only painting Chincoteague Pony in the World. I almost feel a little guilty for teaching Blitz. I took away something special from Minnow. 🙁
But a long-term goal I have always had was to teach all three of my boys to paint so that someday they could all paint on the same canvas. And Minnow has become such an influence and a teacher to my two younger Chincoteagues. I think they learn a lot by watching him and the way that he interacts with me. The fact remains that Minnow will ALWAYS hold a very special place in my heart. I’ve NEVER (as much as I would love to) felt that way I do about Minnow with any other horse in my life…and I don’t know that I ever will. Minnow will always be the pony that introduced me to clicker training, and trick training, and basically taught me everything I know now about training horses using positive reinforcement. Without Minnow I would probably never have found another way, a kinder/gentler way.
Blitz
So as sad as it makes me that Minnow’s unique talent is no longer unique at my farm, I know that teaching Blitz was a necessary goal in order to better my relationship with him. Minnow will always be special to me and I’m happy that he’s now able to take on the roll as teacher more than ever. I can’t wait for the day when I bring home my very own Chincoteague foal from the Island and Minnow can help me to train him as well. And I guess I’m just going to have to teach Minnow an even better trick so that he can be unique again! What about painting while standing on his hind legs? Or while sitting on a bean bag chair?
Look for artwork by Blitz to appear in the PonyPaintings.com shop soon. But for now you can watch the video of Blitz painting on his first canvas 9-21-09:
September Giveaway
September Giveaway
This weekend I have plans to do some new paintings with Chincoteague Minnow. After Pony Penning 2009 we were nearly cleared out of all his recent paintings – so its high time we start making some new ones. Since we will be adding new stock to the website and our retail shop in Downingtown, Pa I decided that we should make room for the new stuff.
So we’re giving some away! This is the first time we will be giving away a Minnow painting and if it goes well hopefully we will continue to do so in the future.
Today’s giveaway will be for one of Minnow’s mini paintings. These paintings are only sold at our retail location (you can’t get them on the website). This particular painting is a 5×7 painted on matboard – a complete original by Minnow.
So now you are probably wondering, how can I win? Here’s the details:
PRIZE: one 5×7 mini pony painting
TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “PAINTING PONIES”
BONUS QUESTION: Tell us what trick you would teach your horse if you could teach him anything. I just might use your idea and teach it to one of the ponies!
CONTEST CLOSES: Friday, September 25, 2009 at 9am EST
NUMBER OF WINNERS: one
FINE PRINT: one entry per person, winners will be selected at random using random.org and announced on Friday.
Be sure to check out all of Minnow’s original works of art on www.PonyPaintings.com and if you don’t win, remember, you can always purchase your favorite painting on the website! Good Luck!
Speed Racer
One Way Ticket...because she's never coming back
Meet One Way Ticket, or as we call her, Jet. Jet came to live with us several years ago as my little sister’s new horse. We found her through a friend and she had been living as a children’s hunter pony. The young girl who owned her had named her GEM (which were actually the child’s initials) – we definitely didn’t keep the name. So with a little letter rearranging she became Jet – which fits her PERFECTLY. Infact, we were really surprised the child didn’t sell her sooner, because she was an awful hunter pony. Not that she didn’t try, but Jet was just destined to be something else. That something else had to involve racing, because Jet only knows one speed and its warp speed. This Morgan cross was a New Holland rescue at the age of 3 (New Holland is a local PA horse auction where most damaged and unwanted horses go – many end up in bad homes or worse bought by the meat packers) and I’m convinced she’s got to be part Thoroughbred.
Jet not only gallops fast, but she speed walks everywhere she goes. Speed walks to the pasture, speed walks while she grazes. Jet would probably scare most people because of her need to speed, but not my sister. My sister, Laurel, and Jet are perfectly matched. Laurel is a bit of a daredevil (I guess you have to be to play mounted games) and she enjoys Jet’s constant power walk through life. I consider Laurel a rogue rider, partially because while growing up she refused any formal horseback training. True we both went through the levels of the United States Pony Club, but Laurel hated everything that wasn’t fast and forget about getting her to take a riding lesson. Me on the other hand, I studied under numerous trainers, progressed my way through the Dressage levels and enjoyed learning what I could from everyone. There isn’t anything wrong with Laurel’s riding preferences but sometimes I wondered if we were really related.
See technically speaking, Laurel is one of the worst riders. She doesn’t know how to use her leg when riding, she barely uses her seat and relies mostly on hand aids. But somehow this works for Jet, Laurel uses gentle rein pressure to steer her, and Jet is extremely sensitive to the neck reining aids. I’m telling you they are the perfect match. I truly hate riding Jet – rare for me to say about a horse. Jet and I have a love hate relationship. Jet hates me because I have long lanky legs (as opposed to my sister’s short legs) and I like to wrap them around her fat body. I also like to steer with my seat and my legs as opposed to my hands. Jet HATES this.
Jet and Laurel
I went through a period of time where I didn’t have a horse to ride. Minnow had just been diagnosed with ringbone and pronounced unrideable. So on occasion I had taken to riding Jet. I ended up taking her to a local mounted games clinic despite the fact that we really weren’t a good match…I mostly just wanted to ride. Long story short, Jet crashed me into another rider and horse as we flew in to a handoff. She was not too happy with me because I was apparently using too much seat and leg with her (I mean really what horse wants you to pull on their face…I really don’t get it) so she opted to ignore my aids and POWER through the horse infront of me. Really we just brushed the other horse – everyone was fine…except for me. I somehow took a stirrup to my shin (at top speed of course) and to this day I have complete nerve damage from my knee to mid-shin. Its an inconvenience if I ever I cut myself there because I have no idea I’m bleeding since I can’t feel it.
Plus Size Model
But despite all this, there is one thing I enjoy about Jet. Jet is very photogenic. Being an avid photographer (I did go to school for photography afterall) I enjoy taking photos of my favorite subjects, horses. So over the years I have collected quite a few of Jet. She always seems to want to show off her fierceness for the camera. Recently some of these photos have caught the attention of a UK based children’s book company. So now Jet is set to be published in an upcoming horse sticker and activity book as well as a foldout book for children. Even though I took these photos, I have to say I’m a little jealous…I’d obviously like to see the the Trick Ponies published in the book. And I find it quite funny that Jet has been chosen, because from the side she looks like a beautiful pony mare, but from the front she looks like a fat cow. No joke. We actually had Jet tested because she was SOOO fat we thought somehow maybe she got knocked up or had a tape worm or something! I’ve taken to calling her Plus-size model. 🙂
So as soon as I get a copy of Jet’s book I will be sure to share it.
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Jet is pictured as a sticker on the top left of the turquise square
