The Frass

It's that time of year again! The holidays, and some little fuzzball has to work overtime to give all the nieces, nephews and friends that come to visit pony rides!




Sass has been such a good pony for us and has come such a long way from the timid little beastie we brought home from Spring Hill two winters ago. I still remember her following me around quietly as I took photos of all the neglected ponies. Thinking about it on the drive and then coming home and telling my husband, "ummm, we're getting a pony, but don't worry, she's small!"

Me & Candy a long long time ago . . .

Sass reminded me of a little pinto pony *I* learned to ride on years ago, she was an absolute saint and her name was "Candy".




Sass may be small in size, but not in personality! Sass can still be very fresh, difficult to catch and impossible at times to trailer; but worth her weight in gold when it comes to children. She *loves* kids and will follow them around all day and lets them groom, lead and ride her without any complaint.




Hannah rides her around all by herself and Emma is learning to trot so we hope to go to some more horse shows this coming summer and do lead line classes! I am working on getting Sass out in the yard and working her over obstacles to get her a little more trustworthy for the kids to eventually ride her outside the ring.

Bailey Update

So with Bailey home and settling in well, we got him all bundled up for the winter and are working on deciding how he will fit into our little horse family. He has a very fine coat and gets chilled easily so he has a whole wardrobe of winter blankets and liners to keep him warm and dry.



He is very social and loves to hang out with me while I clean the paddock or switch blankets and his favorite is having his face rubbed! Sonny & Bailey bonded over this as it was Sonny who used to give our old mare the best scratching!


Bailey *loves* the pony, Sassy, and will hang out with her when I want to ride Bucky. Bailey is very sensitive and easily stressed by change so having a variety of herd-mates to turn him out with is helpful!




We have done a little light riding with Bailey just to see how he does and he is still amazing, even at 16. He is a true gentleman and very light and sensitive to ride. He definitely has some creaks and cracks, but is very happy to have a job.



He loves Ali and will do just about anything for her!



Bailey had radiographs and evaluation by a veterinary chiropractor for his soreness. We are hoping with chiropractic treatments, acupuncture and supplements we can keep him comfortable and sound! Light riding is in his future to keep his joints supple and moving.



If all goes well he will spend the rest of the winter with Ali enjoying an enclosed barn at night and light rides.

Obstacle Challenges . . .

After many trail adventures, it was time to take Bucky to a few clinics to work on our skills. So October 24, we attended the first clinic at West River Stables . . . the first major obstacle, was keeping Bucky calm and focused in a ring full of horses!




There were about 15 horses at the clinic and Bucky was VERY well behaved and kept his cool as we practiced turn-on-the-haunches, turn-on-the-forehand and other skills needed to maneuver obstacles on the trail or in the show ring.

Jerilyn & Tana

We worked on backing up on an 'L' and also tricker obstacles like this horse-eater. A board on two barrels that you have to move on end attached to a rope while keeping the other end on the barrel. Jerilyn & Tana demonstrated this for us, Bucky got as far as moving the board, but we did no t complete the obstacle. It will take some time to get used to something attached to us moving!

Angie & Doc working the gate

We also practiced opening / closing a gate from horseback, a very useful skill and something we have also worked on at home. Overall Bucky is very good at this and let me latch / unlatch the gate patiently. I did get a big ole bruise on my knee at home though when we went through the gate without leaving room for my leg - ouch!





Then in December we attended the second obstacle clinic at Crystal Gait, and were able to use their gorgeous heated indoor arena. It was very nice to be in this ring while the wind howled outside and temperatures dropped!




Bucky adapted nicely to the indoor and was very good with the other horses in the ring. Sometimes I forget he is only 5 years old, having many adventures has definitely made him a more reliable mount.




There were a variety of obstacles to work on including this horse eating "teeter - totter" which Bucky thought was pretty scary. We did go over it (and leapt off) a few times, but ended with a positive experience. Bucky also LOVED the big ball to play with, herd and chase. I hope to someday introduce him to cattle work, which I suspect he would love.



We also got to do a mini "cowboy race" which was fun and Bucky was very good. Now it is time for him to have the winter off and get ready for more adventures next spring!