My Dressage Pony!

Renny Playing at Dressage before College!

Here are photos of me and Renny, getting ready for our last lesson together on August 29th, 2011.  We are a happy team.  And the video shows a little dressage pattern that he and I played that evening.  We just were soft together and happy.  I think he knew that his life was changing, and for the better, and I certainly knew that evening that I had been blessed beyond all description to be the one who got to work so closely with him and with such good people to help bring along this talented kind pony.  I was feeling scared and sad about his leaving for Quicksilver, but happy for his opportunities and happy for his skills and good common sense!

Team Renegade -- Ready for College!

Renny and Laura's last lesson before Quicksilver!

Here's a photo and video from a beautiful August evening when I had my last riding lesson with Renny before he left for college at Quicksilver Farm.  He was wonderful, just wonderful.  He was quiet, thoughtful, responsive.  He was happy to serpentine, circle, give his face, and I felt much like Kelsey did when she said that she felt like she could put his face anywhere she wanted.  He was just plain old soft and supple and intelligent and fun.  I was so proud and happy to be riding him.  And it felt so sweet. I could feel all the love that had gone into him -- from picking his daddy, breeding his mommy, caring for her during her pregnancy, delivering Renny, enjoying his suckling and weanling days, playing with him during his yearling days, and then lightly backing him, and teaching him some simple lessons for his job as a hunter pony.  He's nothing but a real joy.  And that evening was wonderful.  Anyway, here we all are -- trainer, barn manager, Grama, Aunt taking the photo, and the main pony himself!

A New Year's Adventures!

Here's my bright red girl on July 10th with the lovely Emily, learning how to be soft and bringing her best heart to the task.  Violet gave me a great year in 2011.  I'm writing this entry on August 21 and I can tell you that I love her and I'm proud to be part of her family.  And even late in the summer of 2011, I look forward to each day with her and for our 2012 adventures!

A Great Year!

Here is video from Renny's first schooling session when he arrived at Hunters Run.  He's an amazing pony and he gave me the gift of a wonderful year!

My Sweet Goofy Gunner-Loving Pony!

These photos are from Saturday, August 20th, after Renny and I had a fun challenging riding lesson.  He took a cool bath, happily received a bracing wash, ate some treats, accepted hugs, and then rolled and rolled and rolled in luxury in the sand.  He was a chocolate-covered cherry pony!  So, I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 21st, and my little sweet guy was hilarious.  When I arrived at the barn, I saw that he and his pals were just running around in their pasture.  He was just smoothly flowing around the pasture, like he does.  Anyway, He was glad to see me and came striding up happily.  Because he was troubled by flies, I put fly spray on him and his nose sunscreen.  I gave him treats.  He was all happy and sweet, but still wanted to give me his angry ears, just to show me that he's boss!  Then I watched him for awhile and he was a little happy guy with his buddy Gunner.  They spent their time cozying up to each other, walking step-by-step together, swishing their tails on each other with love.  When I left, Renny was looking at me all bright-eyed and ears forward standing behind Gunner's tail!  So cute!

Renny Goes to College!

These photos and video are from July 26th, the second day of Hunters Run.  I love the photos because you can see Renny moving sweetly and smoothly and well-balanced and engaged. And you can see his riding companion giving him a kind reward for his sweetness, a round pat to his neck.  He's a wonderful boy!  Anyway, this past week, I went to Quicksilver Farm to visit where Renny will stay for for two months to continue with his education as a well-schooled show pony.  I love him.  I was very happy with the place and the people and I know he will enjoy himself and enjoy meeting 27 other ponies!  

Renny Goes Wild with Coolness!

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I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 21st, the night before Fall semester.  Renny has had an amazing good-natured, hard-working summer.  In early May, after he turned 3, he proved that he was a good solid citizen by jumping sweetly.  And this summer, he was so fun with Grama, jumping courses. And he got a little crush on Kelsey who helped him win ribbons in his very first two classes against all horses.  And now he's getting ready to go for more training as a hunter pony.  Yesterday I could not have been more proud of him.  We were in our Saturday morning lesson and he was happy and mellow and sweet.  So we rode in our class with Mary, Cheri and Baker and their wonderful mounts.  And Renny was so happy to be with his buddies.  In his class, he was so calm and mellow and sweet and hard-working as he rose to every single challenge.  He cantered a small figure 8 and gave simple lead changes.  He trotted a circle of 4 cavaletti.  He cantered a circle of 4 cavaletti!  He worked in a cone box to make tight turns with only the outside rein.  He cantered within that box on a small 20 meter circle!  He was just stellar at everything we asked.  I was so proud of my sweet boy! And before we rode, he wanted me to kiss him, place my face against his, and stroke his ears and jaw.  He's a loving sweet boy!  Happy Birthday to me!

Violet's Dressage Lessons

Here are late June photos of my girl, taking a private lesson and learning how to be soft.  In these photos, she looks like she is working hard to supple and bend and give her best.  And now I'm writing in late August and she's had many lessons with Janet Harms and worked hard with Stacey, so now she knows she has to try her best at being round, engaged, soft.  She is trying to get to the next level!  And I am having tons of fun with her doing whinny widgets and practicing cone, cavaletti, ground pole, and other lateral games!  This summer we bought a dressage saddle and gear and a dressage bridle and when I see my Violet wearing her dressage tack, I just feel nothing but pride!

Violet Jumps Sweetly

These photos are from June and I'm writing this entry on Sunday, August 21st, the evening before the first day of the Fall semester.  This past week, Violet and I made real progress on our flat work and our jumping.  I had been watching all these videos of hunter ponies jumping their courses and they all looked so sweet and quiet and smooth and even, so in our Thursday evening class, I decided to try and ride my girl that way.  We had such fun.  We jumped a course with two overs, and a double roll-back.  We were smooth and sweet.  And I felt like I was riding a cloud!

Merry Christmas!

Dressage Improves Team Tenderness

This summer I used some of my extra teaching money to purchase Violet a used dressage saddle and girth, and a new dressage bridle and bit -- all Passier!  And we've been taking regular dressage lessons.  It's been truly wonderful.  I'm loving it.  It makes me feel like a more involved active engaged rider -- makes me realize that I need to be fully present with my partner!  And I've liked it so much that now I want to buy Renny his own dressage bridle and bit.  And I am hoping my dressage saddle fits him!  Crossing fingers.  It'd be loads of fun to work on dressage with him too!

Dancing to Thriller!

Renny is so ridiculously fun to ride that I've decided to shake things up and bring joy to our routine.  For example, he had a week off when I went to visit my family and when I came back, the very first night he was soft, quiet, sweet, obliging, talented, wonderful in his riding lesson.  He was pure joy to ride and Stacey even commented how good he was, how great after his break, how willing.  And we jumped in our lesson and he was just a hoot always getting the correct lead coming off the jumps.  Truly great.

So, I decided that it would be fun to learn a dressage routine to Michael Jackson's Thriller for a new training exercise for us.  And today, August 13th, Saturday, was the first day I began work.  We practiced circles, leg yields in both directions, side passes, turns on the hindquarters and the forehand, canters from the trot and walk.  And we did Training Level Test 3 dressage pattern with real ease.  My pony is responsive and willing and spectacular!  It's gonna be lots of fun to learn a dance routine with him!

Violet Gets Softer

Here is some July 10th footage and photos of Emily working with Violet.  From the very first moment that Emily stepped up to her, Violet brought her best spirit to the task.  And this work was not easy for her.  She never had formal training, so learning how to carry herself, be soft and supple and engaged and balanced is not easy.  But each time Emily rode her, I could see the difference.  And I can feel the difference too when I ride her -- she's plain softer and more obliging and I can feel her trying to learn new tasks!  She wants to be a high quality dressage and hunter horse!

My Responsible Pony

My little Renny is just barely three years old, but he has been a responsible kind-hearted pony every day of his life.  He brings love and kindness to all his work.  And this summer, he has brought a true champion's heart to his work with Kelsey.  He wants to learn.  It's like he's studying the memos each night!  LOL!  Kelsey has got him braver and more confident about jumping.  He knows how to canter from the trot or walk.  He's happy to practice side-passing, leg yields, and turns on his hindquarters and forehand.  He's just a genuine pleasure.  I'm so very proud of him.  He looks like a  powerful fancy athlete, but has the kindness and sweetness of a gentle creature!