A day at the stables

[diamondlil]

Last night was great, but instead of horsey dvds we watched terrible tv programs (X-factor was particularly silly, I can't believe how badly the contestants sing!)
After initial rain, the sun came out so we were off down the field for a whole day of fun with cathy's ponies. They all remembered and greeted me, which was lovely, because I haven't seen them for months. I helped Cathy worm them, then got to play some Parelli games with Coconuts. She was a little star, very responsive to how much energy I was projecting and whether I was geting the cues almost or exactly right.
Luna and Lola are @ 18 months now and have grown so much! They have both grown really dark witer coats so it'll be fun too see how grey they are when the spring comes around. Cathy now owns Lola on the condition that she doesn't sell her on and that her elderly mother Loulou has a home in the herd for the rest of her life. I got to play Loulou's favourite game of 'put the rope halter on', which took 3 minutes of approach and retreat.
Joey was full of love and hugs, and we had a mega-grooming session where he'd been obviously enjoying mudbaths.

 

[jlindp]

Ee, I love fluffy winter coats on horses! Lovely landscape, too! :}

 

[diamondlil]

Coconuts (the little grey welsh pony) is my first love, before Merlin. I was roped into helping to tame and back her when I was still terrified of getting on the same side of the fence as a result of a bolting hunter that totally put me off horses as a child. My back injury at work and Nuts then being in foal with Luna is how come I stopped riding her and then restarted on Merlin.
Cathy's herd live out year 'round and she uses only natural horsemanship principles with them. Because she works all week and I'm usually working nights every weekend this is the first chance I've had to spend time with the groovy gang for ages.
I love their teddy bear winter coats too! Because they aren't clipped, rugged or stabled and live on lovely grazing they are all bursting with health. They do have shelter in the form of a large outbuilding, which they only use in the heat of summer, in the cold weather and rain they use the hedging around the field as shelter instead.

 

[RowanRR]

What is the horse in the top picture? They're all very cute with their long coats!

Chica is a strawberry roan- she has the App striped hooves and mottled skin (and attitude, sometimes), but I think she's probably part Quarter horse, too.

 

[diamondlil]

What is the horse in the top picture? They're all very cute with their long coats!

Chica is a strawberry roan- she has the App striped hooves and mottled skin (and attitude, sometimes), but I think she's probably part Quarter horse, too.

That's Joey, he's an irish cob. He's 13 hands 2" (I think) but looks taller overall because he hasn't got a very high wither and he stands quite upright. He's lovely to ride, he's got a lovely compact build and very smooth gaits. In the summer he looks very flashy with his 'moon boot' feathers flying. His type is the traditional breed gypsys used to pull their caravans (hence the alternative name of 'Vanners'), bred for showy gait when 'flashing', trotting the ponies to show them off at the horse fairs.
Chica is an absolute doll!

 

[diamondlil]

Here's a picture from April of Joey, I've never ridden him with a bit, always with his rope halter, and it looks like I wasn't bothering with a saddle here either!

 

[RowanRR]

He's so pretty! I've always liked Gypsy Vanners!

And thank you!

 

[Buzzard]

I didn't know you had horses! Show pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

I keep forgetting to bring the flash drive in to download my pics. I promise by the end of the week. I keep my her at a friends ranch. Her name is Pocos Majestic Dream. Dream or Dreamy for short. Or as Mr.Barnett calls her "the mare". He raises and breeds Paint and Quarter horses. So I will make sure there are plenty of pic of them too.(and all the babies) I do have a pic of one of the phillies nosing Charlie Brown the dog....you can see several other blurry one behind them

 

[diamondlil]

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ZoologyMajor]

Just love that big draft horse! Joe? He is a stunning animal.

 

[diamondlil]

Just love that big draft horse! Joe? He is a stunning animal.

Thanks! Joe's so happy with his little herd of ponies!

 

[alan]

Love it when they're fuzzy, even with the mud. More fuzzy pics!

 

[diamondlil]

Love it when they're fuzzy, even with the mud. More fuzzy pics!

Thanks Alan! I'm hoping to get a bit more of a balance, working less weekends, so I can visit Cathy and the groovey gang more regularly. Nuts is the little blighter who's the reason I got over the fear of restarting riding in the first place. Playing the Parelli games with her is so much fun and if she's brought back into working in the spring then I'm the only person small enough to ride her who Cathy trusts.

 

[Buzzard]

Okay I got off my lazy bum and got some of the pic, Sorry it took me so long. Here is Pocos

She is a good girl and is learning to be saddled without being tied up

The lady in the pics is my wife Jamie

And here is her barn and barn mates

Red is on the left
Tailsacket in the middle
Pocos/dream on the right

and of course Charlie Brown was in the way so I dominated him

I couldnt find any of the baby pics, so I will get some later this week if the weather clears up.

 

[diamondlil]

Thanks for those pictures!
I can't go to visit my friends, they are completely snowed in. So here are the couple of pictures from New Year's Day, of Curo, the new Spanish boy. 9 year old gelding, imported last year, and he loves you to talk Spanish to him, as soon as I said 'Hola' he came over for cuddles! He definately doesn't like the cold weather, he's very well rugged but still miserable out of his cosy stable.

 

[RowanRR]

He's beautiful! Looks like he didn't get quite the warm welcome from the other guys... lol...

 

[diamondlil]

He's beautiful! Looks like he didn't get quite the warm welcome from the other guys... lol...

He's being pushed around by them as the lowest member of their little herd. Several times I saw him doing the mouth movements foals do (the 'leave me alone, I'm a little guy' ones) to placate them. It took a bit of time before Merlin would let me stroke Curo without interfering, I had to fuss him and Ben (who usually ignores me) first.

 

[RowanRR]

I always feel so bad for the newbie- horses can be so cruel! I took my horse back to where I'm originally from for a week and had to reintroduce her to her old friends... some of them were like, "Oh, it's you", but one evil little pony, who is probably 10 hands, kept running at her and baring her teeth. Everytime she did, my horse would swing her butt at her and pin her ears, while I cheered from the sidelines. I'm sure people thought I was insane

 

[Buzzard]

Wow he is pretty.... Hope the others dont pick on him too much...

 

[diamondlil]

Wow he is pretty.... Hope the others dont pick on him too much...

He has a mane to die for, like a movie star horse! I'll get plenty of pictures once the weather lets me visit the boys again.