March 17, 2013

Today Lindsey came to pick up Cooper.  We walked down to the barn together and all three ponies came running in.  I put Simon in first, and then took in Cisco.  Mean while Lindsey walked up to Cooper and slowly, but successfully caught him in under a minute.  WOO!

It started to rain lightly just before Lindsey arrived but we wanted to check out our new ponies under saddle together so we tacked up Cooper and Cisco, collectively checking the fit and making adjustments to our tack.  Then we headed down to the riding field.

Lindsey hopped on first, with me staying on the ground to take a few photos.  Cooper moves just like my elderly, but prized games pony, Osh Kosh.  Forward, head up, but not obsessively so, eager to work, ready to go.  He was fantastic for a pony that has been out of regular work and was being ridden in the rain.

I mounted up and we both rode around for a while.  Cisco was pleasing, and I was happy to note that he did not get worked up when riding next to Cooper, who was moving with purpose.

As the rain switched to sleet briefly, and then to snow, Lindsey hopped off and snapped off a few quick shots of me and Cisco, and then we hurried back up to the barn to get dried off.

We also took a few moments to measure each pony.  Simon and Cisco both came in at 13.2 1/2 and Cooper at 13h.

Then it was time to load Cooper up and send him on his way to his new home with Lindsey.  Bye Cooper!

March 15, 2013

Today I found all three ponies in the big field.  What makes this interesting is that I left Cooper in the barn yard paddock by himself.  But it appears that Simon ripped the opening clear and let Cooper out.  Cisco was also missing his halter.  I suspect this was also Simon’s doing.

Of course Simon came trotting up when he saw me.  And to say something for how far Cooper has come in the past week and a half, he followed Simon into the barn yard and nickered to me.  Cisco was not far behind but was being apprehensive of Simon.  He had a lot of slobber and a few light bite marks on him, so I suspect his apprehension was with reason.

Cooper let me put him into his paddock with no hassle.  I put Simon in the barn, and then I brought Cisco in and put him in the cross ties.  Such a sweet pony, he stood there patiently while I brushed and tacked him up.  When I lead him down to the riding field the other two boys stood watch from the barn yard.

Cisco was looky but polite.  I started off with a little lunge.  He went well to the left, a little less so to the right, and was a bit apprehensive of the whip, but all in all he was well mannered and willing.  Next I led him around the field and let him take some time to relax a bit.  Next it was mount up time.  I got on and we walked around in some circles of varying direction and size.  I incorporated a few dismounts and remounts, as well as halts and walk-ons, into our circles.  He was again, very attentive and willing.  On my final dismount I tried to step back to take a picture of him, but he immediately followed me.  So we moved this into a little follow-the-leader game.  The faster I walked the faster he walked, eager to catch back up with me.  I rewarded him with a lot of good-boys and rubs on the neck.

I really like Cisco’s quiet and kind personality.  I am looking forward to developing a bond with him, and teaching him to be a games pony from the start.  Hence all the mounting and dismounting.  I need to dig up a better bit for him.  The baucher was the only snaffle in his size I had handy yesterday.  I was happy to take note that he did not even notice the games equipment all over the field.  He was looky, but not spooked, by the chickens, the tractors, gun shots, the other ponies, squirrels and other wild and not so wild life to be seen, but not the crazy games equipment all over the place.

Yep, I found me a new pony, finally!  Woo Whoo!

He is actually a pony I checked out in early January.  He had just been backed and was extremely green.  I really liked him, good personality, the right size, good eye, but he was so green that I decided to pass and see if I could find something with a few more miles already on it.

Several times I reconsidered, but I reminded myself that I do not love lots of flat work, which a green pony needs (*Side note, all ponies need flat work, and I do put in flat work time on any pony I ride, but its not my favorite thing to do.).

Well, I am done looking.  It’s been two months since I tried this pony out, and I have not found a pony I like better.  So done.  I picked him up today!

He is a 13.2h gelding.  He was listed as a welsh/paint cross.  He is a roan paint.  I am interested to see what he looks like when he sheds out.  Right now he sort of looks like he has mud stains on him.

He was crashed out in the field when I got there to pick him up, nice and filthy.  He loaded into the trailer easily and traveled nicely back to the barn.

I spent some time brushing him up, and then I let him settle in and check out the small section of the barn yard while Cooper was in his section of the barnyard and Simon was in the big field.  I then spent about 45 minutes fitting tack to him, and he stood patiently through all of it.

When he was all settled, and I was done fussing with him, I opened the gate and let him and Simon meet.  There were no sequels or fussiness, and he let Simon herd him around the big field for a while before they settled into companionable grazing.

Currently his name is Cisco.  But that makes me and Rich both think of the restaurant food supply company.  In particular I think of giant institutional sized cans of nacho cheese with “Nacho Cheese” generically labeled on the side.  Not sure why, but that is the image in my head.  So, we may rename him.

I am not sure if the person I purchased him from would want her name in this blog, but she was fantastic and super to work with.  She was very upfront and honest too.

Before I brushed him

Simon watching from the big field

Yesterday Cooper was very easy to catch.  It took under a minute for me to get a hold of his rope and bring him in.

Today I arrived and his halter and rope were not on him.  Luckily the smaller second halter I had left on under the breakaway halter and rope was still on.  When I went to retrieve him, he walked towards me, nickered, stopped and allowed me to walk up to him and take hold of his halter.  No fuss.

The constant reward of cookies, and only getting to eat grain when he is caught, sure has worked well.  I hope this training will transfer to Lindsey when she picks him up this Sunday.

After I finished my barn chores I went looking for the halter and rope.  It was no where to be found in his section of the field.  So I started looking in Simon’s, and sure enough, there it was, fully in tact and completely in Simon’s field about 10 yards from Cooper’s.  This pretty much clarifies who was taking the halter off of Cooper.

The halter remover

March 12, 2013

Yesterday Cooper showed a lot of improvement.  He nickered at me when he saw me walk up to the fence.  He nickered again when I brought his feed out and actually walked towards me.  When I reached for the lead I have left attached to him, he turned and trotted away.  But then stopped and let me walk up and take hold of his rope.  What improvement!

Simon does not like it when another pony gets more attention than him.  Or more accurately, he does not like it when anything other than him gets any attention.

It might be hard to tell but he is smiling.