March 4, 2013

The pony search was on hold for a while.  I needed a break.  But spring is coming and I need to get geared up with a new ride. So the hunt was turned back on!

My friend Lindsey, who found Milli, had sent me a link to another pony, Copper, a few months earlier.  But between the other ponies I was looking at, and connecting with his owner, he just sort of got shuffled to the side at the time.  That is until a few weeks ago when his owner contacted me to let me know he was still available.  So we made arrangements for Lindsey to go do a “pre-purchase” check on him.

That was Friday.  She called me and had good things to say about him.  She confirmed what his owner had told me about him, and that she could see games pony written all over him.  So yesterday, I hooked up the trailer and headed out to give him a look-see.

On the way I scooped up Lindsey and we arrived at the farm in the freezing cold to see Copper.  Adorable, and exactly as described, we put my saddle on him, and took him out into the blustery, and wind raddled out door ring.  His owner rode him first and we discussed how he was forward but under control and moved out with some pep in his step.  We tried out some voice commands, which he responded to surprisingly well and we decided to take him home.

He has been out of work and stalled most of the winter, so he has no top line, and needs to be built up and to get some daily one on one attention.  We measured him at 13h, although he has some withers, and is very compact and short backed. Lindsey and I both like him but I am concerned he will be too small for me.  So we decided since I am the on that needs a pony, I brought him home and am going to give him an honest try and see what I think.  After a month, if I feel he is not the right pony for me, I’ll hand him over to Lindsey.

So we put him in the trailer, and headed out.

We promptly renamed him Mini Cooper.

This is Copper’s for sale photo

His head looks really big in this photo. It is not.

Of course we stopped for lunch on the way home.

March 2, 2013

Simon tends be be a little fresh when the weather is crisp and he has had a few days off.  This was the case yesterday.  He also greeted me at the gate with a sliding stop and some snorts.  So I grabbed the lunge line to start us out.  But before I even had us ready to lunge, Simon ripped away, thundered up the riding field, through the barn yard, and out into the big field and did a few laps.

I really do love Simon.  He is such a fun pony.  Today he was in a particularly personable mood.  he was nibbling and nickering at me while I worked around him.

He was also a ball of energy when I rode him.  Sometimes when he is like this he canters more up than forward.  I wouldn’t say he is more collected or anything lovely like that, nor is he cantering in place.  He just gets higher and shorter strides.  It feels almost carousel like.  He was doing that today, and then would toss his head and let out a little buck leap.

It made me smile.