My Amazing Pony!

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This video and pictures were taken on July 1st, during Kelsey's second exercise ride on Renny.  He's such an unbelievably good boy.  He's working so hard for her and he's getting better with everyone all the time.  So, for example, this past week, on Monday, I rode him in a free hack and he did a little whinny widgets dressage routine, rode around the farm, and then jumped crossrails for me.  Sweet.  Then on Wednesday, he was ridden by a little 11 year-old girl.  He was quiet, thoughtful, hardworking, sensible.  He cantered sweetly in a circle of cones in both directions and he cantered sets of jumps for her.  He's amazing.  Then he had a private lesson on Thursday and was super and sweet at serpentines, cones, and lots of transitions.  And then he did an amazing ground pole exercise which required him to extend and collect his trot over sets of 3 poles and then canter a circle of poles.  He did this quietly in both directions like a pro.  And then today, Saturday, I rode him with spurs to help him with transitions.  And he learned in like two seconds -- respond to grandma's lighter aids in order to avoid the spur.  He was awesome.  He was light in my hands, sweet, flexible, engaged.  He was super on lateral aids and was happy to shallow serpentine through cones.  He was happy to do a trot to halt to trot to canter and circle and halt and change to the other directions exercise.  He's just happy to deliver.  He's so handsome and wonderful and he looks like a fabulous fit sexy sport pony!  I love him.

Moving with Purpose

Here's a photo of sweet little Renny moving purposefully toward the jump, during his first ride with Kelsey!

My Light Joyful Hunter Pony

Here are some pictures and video of Renny and Kelsey in their second riding session together.  His canter is becoming a thing of beauty under her clear instructions.  Those Fridays with the two of them are precious to me!!

Laura and Violet Cantering

Here are some photos taken in late June of Violet bringing her best efforts to her flatwork, working on being supple, engaged, and soft.  She and I are working toward that.  She's working hard because she's a thoroughbred and has never had to work so collected before.  And she's only had rough-handed me.  So, we are working together to unlock her tight little jaws.  And I am working hard not to be handsy and hard.  Things are not as bad as I make them sound -- I'm just saying that Violet and I are taking dressage lessons and working with Stacey to be a real team, engaged and sensitively communicating.  I love her!!

Proud Grama

Here's a photo taken of me in late June, after Lillian and Lexi made Renny perfectly handsome.  He's so fancey and strong and fabulous and wonderful and good-minded.  I love him.  I'm so proud of him.  I hope Hailee knows he is safe and happy.

Renny's Sunset Flatwork

 Namaste.

Renny's Young Trainer

Kelsey has agreed to help me with Renny this summer, so here is a photo and video from their first session together.  She says that he feels like a special pony.  And he really gives his best to her requests.  I just love my Friday mornings watching them work together.  And now Emily is going to work with my Violet.  This coming Sunday (I'm writing on July 6th), I get to watch both Renny  and Violet work with Kelsey and Emily.  I'm very spoiled to be at St. George.  The place is filled with kind talented people!

Grama and Renny in Late June

These pictures are from our Monday evening riding lesson in late June and I'm writing this entry on July 6th.  I'm super proud of my little guy.  He is working hard on being supple, engaged, and balanced.  And he's working hard on smoothness of transitions and lightness of halt.  And he's wonderful to jump.  He enjoys dressage routines.  I just can't get over what a good boy he is.  And now Tessa has another private lesson with him today, this Wednesday.  Stacey arranged for her to get to know him a little more.  I am hoping to meet Tessa and her family out at the barn today.  And last night, I bathed Renny and put special coat products on him, and shaved his fetlocks, coronary bands, jaw line, bridle path, and muzzle.  He was good for the entire trim!  He looked so handsome.  He's on a little growing spurt, so I need to "stick" him soon and see where we're at!

My Injured Loved Ones

When we were in St. Louis for Grama's 90th birthday, it was kind of odd and coincidental that both Timmy and Mom had injuries to the same shared leg and had to wear the same brace.  Mom's hurt the tendon in her foot and they are trying to get the swelling to go down.  I worry about how she's getting worn out -- she takes care of everyone selflessly.

Violet's Pine Tar

Violet's tootsies dried up and flaked and chipped this summer, so she was put on a daily pine tar regimen for her walls and a Venetian Turpentine regiment for her soles.  And sure enough, within a few days, her walls were moist and strong and lovely!  Here she is pictured immediately after her pine tar treatment. She's also been started on Combat Boots to strengthen her nutritionally.

The Bunny who Dared

Okay, so this year's garden had a number of improvements, so I was very excited.  I strengthened the fence, planted different options, moved the location of certain plantings, etc.  And then a teenage bunny arrived.  I always love to glance out my window many times during the day to see my lovely garden.  And one afternoon, I peeked out and saw the offending bunny, laying in a quite relaxed fashion in the exact center of my garden.  He's eaten the beets, cauliflower, eggplants, pole beans, peas, bush beans, kohlrabi, and much of the cabbage.  It's been a gardening armageddon.  But I never get too upset.  I figure once a bunny decides that your place is the food place, you just have to roll with it until the next gardening cycle.  And I am enjoying making the bunny jump the fence each day.  But next year, I definitely going to raise the fence!!

Jack Under the Trees

Namaste.

Jump for Your Love!

Namaste!

Massively Cute Hunter Pony

Okay, so Stacey arranged for a little 11 year-old girl to try Renny.  And Stacey was thrilled because he behaved perfectly.  He was a gentleman and let the young girl do upward and downward transitions, canter, serpentine and jump a course at the canter.  He brought his best heart to the effort.  And so of course the girl loves my little guy now and they are considering buying him.  And who can blame them.  Look at these photos -- Lillian's detail work makes him look exactly like what he is -- a gorgeaus handy athletic hunter pony!

Renny's Friends

Here's a photo of Renny and his two friends, Lex and Lillian.  Lillian and Lex had just got him ready for me to ride while I was taking a lesson on Violet.  I was shocked when I went to get him and his beautiful mane, forelock and tail were braided beautifully and he had a checkerboard on his rear!  He was gorgeaus!!!

Jumping with Love!

Violet and I have very cute rear ends.  We really enjoy jumping together!

Violet Loves to Jump

Here's my girl, showing her joy at jumping.  Ears forward and looking adorable!

My TB Hunter

Namaste.  Rock on.

Violet in the Sunset

Namaste.

The Happy Hand Gallop

In early June, Stacey went on vacation, so I worked on a dressage pattern with Violet to show her on her return.  So, here's a photo of me in my private lesson conducting the hand gallop component of the whinny widgets pattern!  Violet totally digs dressage!

His Beautiful Canter!

Namaste.

My Hunter Pony and TB!

I am so blessed to know Renny and Violet.  They bring such true pleasure to my life!

Absolute Team Renegade

Namaste.  Rock on.

So Proud of Renny

Namaste.

Renny and Dressage

I started taking dressage lessons from Janet Harms and Jane Kelly because I wanted to improve my riding to bring Renny along.  I was talking about that motivation with Janet last night and she affirmed my need . She was great.  She said that I wanted to be able to respond quickly with a precise aid and correction, so that he doesn't have the opportunity to work incorrectly for five minutes and then get confused by my request for a late change.  This is exactly the problem I'd been having with him.  He bulges out at the left, is hard to come to a halt, and is heavy-footed about upward transitions because I've permitted that behavior.  But I am working on more training rides -- riding him with softness but strength, and with discipline, purpose and focus!

Kelsey and Renny Jump

I had asked Kelsey to put some exercise rides on Renny to give him a chance to refine his canter and jumping.  She is so good with him.  She gets him to balance himself, engage, work hard.  And she calls him on his naughty stuff where he tries to get out of carrying himself well and wants to lean into his rider.  It was so much fun to watch their session. 

Renny and His Developing Canter

Here are photos and video from early June as I worked Renny in his private lesson.  Look at that nice quiet form over fences.  He's a beautifully built sexy hunter pony.  He's really quite special.

Renny is a Joy to Jump!

Here's a photo and video from early June, probably the second or third time I had jumped him outdoors.  He was so soft and willing and agreeable.  He's really a talented kind boy.  He's very easy going!

Renny is a Natural Hunter Pony!

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I've been having so much fun working wiht my pony.  He's really wonderful.  On Monday evenings, he gets a private lesson in the dusk and we've been busy learning how to jump.  He always travels straight and true to the jumps and breaks into the sweetest relaxed canters.  He's a real natural!  But I have to admit that sometimes I get nervous and scared.  I am working on it.  He's never been anything but honest, so I don't want to put worry into his calm little heart!

Fresh Garden 2011 -- New Plantings!

Here are very early June photos of my freshly planted garden.  This photo already cracks me up.  It's only June 9th and this garden is HUGE with giant seedlings and stout happy plants and many many weeds.  I have a rich happy garden!

Goofy Arcangelo

Namaste!