May 21, 2008
The Short Stirrup Winners
The MJP Winter Warmup Banquet was earlier this month. I got Grand Champion in Short Stirrup and fourth in Pleasure. Everyone fromt he barn was there. We danced and ate. It was fun.
Ariel and I after I won fourth in Pleasure
Faith and I accepting 5th in Children’s Hunter
I was proud of Lily and I. My friend, Faith, got fifth on Lily in Children’s Hunter. Everyone did great in that show series. In three out of four shows I got Grand Champion in Short Stirrup. I really had fun at those shows!
My friends and I singing karoake.
March 30, 2008
Lily and I were in the Pleasure and Short Stirrup divisions at the last MJP show in the series. In Pleasure, I got one first place ribbon, one second, one third and one sixth. I was the Reserve Champion! The champion was my friend, Faith, who used to ride Lilly before we bought her.
In Short Stirrup, I got 3 first place ribbons and one third place ribbon. I am the Grand Champion for the third time in the series! My friend, Macenzie, from Bon’n’Vin was the Reserve Champion. I’m proud of how well we Bon’n’Vin girls did in this show!
I cannot wait to find out who was over-all champion for Short Stirrup at the banquet. I love my pony and appreciate every one who helped me. I am also proud of myself!
March 23, 2008
One of the dogs at the barn had puppies! Her name is Zee. She’s a Rottwieler. The dad is a Border Collie named Pooper. Zee had 10 puppies, but only 9 lived. My brother and I want one, but my Dad says we are not getting another puppy. Three of the puppies are brown and white, one is all brown, one is all black, and four are black and white. They are adorable! Their eyes haven’t opened yet, and they spend a lot of their time curled up together sleeping. We’ve been holding them the past few days, petting them and just loving them. They mewl like little kittens when you hold them. One of them snuggled up in my jacket today and fell asleep. Another one pooped on my brother’s sleeve! My Mom got to hold one too, but my Dad didn’t want to hold one. He says they look like rats, but I think they’re so cute. Dad thinks puppies are cute when they’re a little bigger, jumping all over one another, kind of like Max was when we got him. He still says we’re not getting another dog, though.
I can still hope that he’ll give in, but I’m not so sure.
March 22, 2008
We went to the MJP show on March 9. It was my first ever show on Lilly! It was also my first show with my purple cast. When Mom and I were trying to put Lilly’s bridle on, she got loose and ran all the way around the pasture. MJP Stables, where the show was, was Lilly’s old home so Lilly knew where she was going. She broke her bridle, and Mom and Brianna (my friend from the barn) were chasing her, and I went to get my trainer, Teneille. Teneille brought out a bunch of people and they finally caught Lilly. When they caught her, she got smacked pretty good.
In the show, we were awesome! We did two divisions: Pleasure and Short Stirrup. We were only in Pleasure to fix any mistakes we had to fix and to get used to me riding Lilly in a show. In the Pleasure class, I got one third place, one fourth place, one fifth place and one sixth. In Short Stirrup, I got two firsts, a second and a third. I was also Grand Champion for the second time in this series. The show was really really fun, and I was so proud of my pony and also myself. The next show is March 29, and we’re hoping to do really good because it’s double points and I have a shot at being Grand Champion for the whole series! There may be a banquet and I might get a prize!
I’ve been spending all my free time at the barn. Teneille and her sister Ariel have been working Lilly and me really hard, but it‘s also really fun. I’ve been working on my canter, my two-point and passing. I’ve also been learning lead changes.
March 8, 2008
Since I’ve gotten my cast, I’ve been riding Lilly everyday so I could get ready for the MJP show this weekend. Last night, I was riding with a couple of friends and I couldn’t get Lilly to trot. I kept kicking her and kicking her. She still wouldn’t trot. When I finally got her to trot, Ariel asked me to canter. Lilly wouldn’t canter either, so Ariel chased her with a crop. Lilly moved away from the crop as I was reaching for it, so I fell off. I covered my broken arm and hit my head a little bit, but I’m OK.
I was scared to get back on Lilly, so Ariel hopped on her. Ariel made Lilly gallop around the ring and jump the highest jump. Lilly did what Ariel asked with no problem. I didn’t know why she couldn’t do that for me. Ariel asked me to get back on, but I was still scared and I couldn’t get Lilly to canter. Then Ariel asked my friend Macenzie to get on Lilly. Macenzie and I both ride in short stirrup. I am a calmer rider and Macenzie is a more gutsy rider. Macenzie cantered both ways with no problem. After she rode Lilly, Macenzie told me she was scared too.
Ariel explained why Lilly wouldn’t go for me. I have been giving her little kicks while I was pulling on the reins a little bit. This annoyed Lilly and confused her. She was trying to do what I asked, but didn’t know what exactly I was asking. Then when Ariel came after her with the crop, she thought she was going to get punished like she was after I fell off the last time. Lilly didn’t know what she had done wrong. She was trying to listened, but she couldn’t understand me.
All of the sudden, everything made sense! I got on Lilly again. This time I asked for the canter by lifting my inside rein hard and giving her a strong kick with my outside leg. If she didn’t canter, I was ready to hit her on the rear with my crop. She picked up the canter immediately! After that I asked her to canter a few more times to make sure we understood each other. Then I was able to trot the crossrails.
I was glad I got over my fear. Sometimes, when you hear a different point of view, it will make everything click in your brain. After we left the barn, we went to K-C Stables Tack and Supply and I got a new black on black Charles Owen GR8 helmet to wear in the shows. I can’t wait for the show so me and my pony can show our stuff!
March 2, 2008
On Thursday Lilly, my new pony, bucked me off! We were going around the ring, and I had just gone over two jumps. For some reason, she stuck her head between her legs and did a really big buck. I was able to hold on to the first one, but she did it a few more times and I fell off. It hurt a lot when I fell off her into the hay but it doesn’t hurt that much anymore. My mom took me to the Emergency Room and they wrapped it in a splint. The doctor said I fractured my right wrist and will probably get a cast. I also have to wear a sling, that annoys me. I definitely do not want to sell Lilly, though. I don’t know why she bucked me off, but I still like her. Other girls at the barn ride her for me because I can’t ride. I still go to the barn even though I broke my wrist. While I’m at the barn, I watch the other girls ride and I help them tack up their horses.
February 28, 2008
The third day Lilly was at Bon’n’Vin, I walked into the barn and looked at her stall. The girls had hung a banner that said, “Congratulations!” on Lilly’s stall. They has also tied a bow around her neck and she looked so, so cute. I rode her all afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.
She can be bratty sometimes, but she is a great pony. She doesn’t have manners when she is on the crossties. She pushes me and moves all around. My trainer and I are teaching her to be polite.
Lilly loves being in the pasture with the other horses, and she loves the grain too. Lilly and I both love being at Bon’n’Vin.
February 22, 2008
The vet came and gave Lilly a check up. Lilly is 12 to 14 years old and has a little arthritis in both hind legs, but that’s OK for her age. She got her Coggins also.
Here the vet is checking her legs:
Here, Lilly is having her hooves checked:
Lilly had to walk, trot, canter and change leads so the vet could make sure she is sound (that’s Teneille lunging her):
She passed her physical with flying colors!
She’s my pony now! She will stay at Bon-n-Vin. I will be spending a lot of time there. She’s a great pony!
February 18, 2008
I went to a one-day horse camp at my barn today and rode two horses, Maydew and Mingo. When I put Mingo out, I left te gate open for another girl and horses got out of their pasture! We just let them run around until they were tired.
Horse camp is so much fun! I went from 9:30 to 3:00. I walked, trotted, cantered and jumped Maydew and Mingo. My favorite part was jumping a course on Maydew.
To find out more about horse camp go to Bon-n-Vin’s website.
February 16, 2008
We tried out Lily for the second time! I have to use spurs and a crop but she is a good pony.
We walked, trotted, cantered and jumped cross rails and verticals. I fell off going over a cross rail because I jumped out before she jumped and my leg went over the side of her. Here is a picture of me falling off:
I got back on after I fell, of course!
We will have a vet look at her and if she is healthy we might buy her or bring her to Bon and Vin to see how she does with the other horses and cats and dogs and people (and chickens!). She is sweet and very cute.
Do you like her? How do I look on her?
I love her and want to buy her! I am so excited to get a pony!
