The Hard to Catch Pony

March 8, 2013

Cooper has been with me for four days now and he has turned out to be very hard to catch.  His previous owner told us this, so I left his halter on and kept him refined to the barn yard when I put him out Sunday night.  Monday I attempted to catch him with a bucket of feed, and although I could touch him briefly, there was no catching him.  I did not want to push it, and was short on time, so I didn’t force it.  I decided to give him some time to adjust and just be a pony and revisit in a few days.

Yesterday I put Simon in and approached Cooper with a bucket of feed.  It only took a few minutes before he gave in and let me catch him.  I brought him in put him in the cross ties.  I brushed him, and gave him lots of cookies and attention.  I also held his feed bucket while he ate and continued to pet him.  When I let him back out at the end of the short session of attention, I switched him to a breakaway halter and left a lead rope attached.

He was very calm and laid back once I had him, and I think he will come around with some consistent attention.  Lets see how the attached rope and only eating grain when caught method does.

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Unicorn Ninja – 2013

March 6, 2013

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Pennsylvania Horse World Expo – Adventure Photos

March 5, 2013

Here are some more photos from the PA Horse World Expo adventure.

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The MGAA – Mounted Games Across America – Booth

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Milli and Simon getting ready to head up to PA for the demo

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Kim prepping Milli’s mane

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Me

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Simon got to spend the night in Linda’s new barn.

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After the demo, Kim getting ready to put Milli into the trailer for the drive back home.

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Some of the MGAA demo participants.
Mackayla, Annie, Kaja, Matt and Kim in the back.

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Gen and Kim, preparing for an exciting day of working the MGAA booth.

 

The Cooper Project – Pony on Trial – 2013

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

This is Copper’s for sale photo

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

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

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Of course we stopped for lunch on the way home.

Of course we stopped for lunch on the way home.

Scary Horse Ad – 2013

March 3, 2013

All this pony shopping has led me to see a lot of poor ads.  This one caught my eye and made me a little sad.  The poor baby will only be 1 1/2 years old come spring, but he “will be ready to ride”.

not nice.

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REDUCED!!! WILL BE READY TO RIDE COME SPRING BUCKSKIN WITH 4 WIHITE SOCKS AND STAR

BUCK is a REGISRERED TWHBEA 15months old and already standing to be groomed and feet trimed first horse to meet you in the field bridles and saddles showes great Gait in the field. already over 13.2 hands Ready for you to start training your way.

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