Family Fun day on the Trail
❤️
Claudia Groves Young Equestrienne
February 21 at 7:35 AM ·
My favourite video of all time, taken a year ago and which went viral and made Horse and Hound 💙
Claudia was 10 in this video and she is ridng Trooper, her black Dartmoor pony who is about 11 hands.
#foxyequestrian
Deanna Corby
September 3 at 8:12 AM ·
Don’t forget the school horse that made you.
The patient soul that tolerated your bouncing while you figured out how to sit the trot.
The kind mare that didn’t walk off when you fumbled with the bridle.
The sweet gelding that picked up the correct canter lead even though your body was telling him to do the exact opposite.
The saintly angel that never spooked, which is a good thing because your balance was precarious at best because you only rode once a week.
Too often we forget where we came from. We move on to the next chapter in our lives and say, “Oh my gosh, I’m learning so much! I’m going so far! I could never do this kind of horse on that old school horse!”
But that school horse gave you the confidence to move forward. That school horse took care of you and allowed you to take the time you needed to find your way. You couldn’t have become the rider you are today without that old, dumpy school horse.
I spied in the wilderness the unicorn coming down for a drink along the river
My horses are loved in this so perfect way!!!!
cromwellandlucy
October 17 at 2:01 PM ·
Let them be horses.
Turn them out, let them run.
Let them buck, let them leap, rather in the field than the arena, right?
Give them a herd, even a herd of two.
Let them be with other horses, what’s a life without friends?
Give them downtime, not just days off riding, but days to enjoy life.
Happy horses are trainable horses.
Take the rug off, let them feel the sun.
Let them roll in the mud, a little dirt never hurt anyone.
Escape the arena and explore, don’t stick to the well worn path.
The most beautiful places are usually found by accident.
Showing them how much you love them doesn’t have to come from buying expensive things.
You can buy every rug, all the boots, the best tack, wash them, groom them, feed them, put them in the best yard, with the best facilities and wrap them up in cotton wool, but one day you’ll realise the best thing you could possibly do...
... is just let them be horses.
Tiffany Marie
October 16 at 5:15 PM ·
Riding horses is in the blood. It is a passion we are born with. No one can really understand this passion but other horse people. Even when life events temporarily take us away from riding, the passion is still there. And, when we can, we will get back in with horses again. Im not sure who this little girl is in the photo, but she lives inside all of us. The love of a large animal... the power we feel under the saddle, the wind in our hair, the adventure in our spirit! This passion is a gift from God. #keepriding
Happy Halloween!!!
I’m glad nobody asked Us to bring one of these... I think it would be very tough getting a ride out of this one :-)
What about you?
Joyce Chartier
4 hrs ·
I can’t say that I knew exactly what I was going to do. But I am living my dreams. My biggest desire growing up was wanting a horse. I was never able to take lessons or own a horse as a child. I never even knew that was an option. I am now living my life, my dream life, providing horses for those who don’t have them. 
What about you? 
May you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
#Nationaldayofthehorse - to all the parents who can relate.
Meagan Gravelle
August 28 at 5:14 AM ·
Not on my phone in picture, phone used to take pictureFYI
If you give your child a pony, they will want to ride. You’ll buy them the best pony you can find, followed by a helmet, boots and all the other things pony.
You look for a local barn to ride at where you start to socialize with the equestrian community…………And then life as you know it, will end.
Before you know it, they want to show so you find a circuit …..There will be no more lazy weekends watching tv. You will see more sunrises than you ever thought possible.
Every spare minute of your time will be spent hauling campers, horse trailers and horses and enduring a crazy addiction to practice for the next show.
Your house may be a mess, and your car will be dirty. All because you gave your child a pony. Your weekends will be spent freezing or burning to death on a fold up chair. And their weekends will be spent gaining confidence and friends, learning new skills and having fun and getting dirty!!!!
You will be there the day he or she takes the first few steps of canter, the first taste of a jump, first ribbon, first championship. And they will make you SO proud. Other parents will congratulate you, but you feel weird saying thank you because it's not you on the pony, it’s your child. It's everything that they did, they achieved. And right before your eyes, your little boy/girl will be transformed from the baby who bounced around on their rocking horse into an exceptional young horse enthusiast on the hunt for the next pony finals or maybe even the Olympics!
When you give your child a pony , you give them more than just something to ride. You give them a sport, a talent, hope and dreams. Friends, a new family, a place to learn about life, room to grow as a person where they can push their limits, and bravery, and courage, and memories. And they will have ALL of these things, simply because you gave your child a pony.
Because you gave your child a pony, you too will develop new/lifelong friendships, developed solely from the same passion for the sport. You will have a equestrian family because you gave your child a pony.
Then one day, many years from today…they will be in their room and a certain trophy will catch their eye. And they will pick it up and realize instantly that when you gave your child a pony, you also gave them a childhood that they would never forget, at this point, you realize that everything you gave up along the way and sacrificed was totally worth it…..
All because you gave your child a pony🏆 🐎❤️……. #thisiswhatitsallabout
I’m beyond blessed to have had a pony
Amen!!
Picture credit Meagan Gravelle
❤️
Unbridled Love Horse and Soul Care
December 4 at 11:03 AM ·
Jesus may we walk with greater faith after this year that you I’ve graciously carried us through.
Hannah and my Grandson playing at Granny Pam’s winter break camp this morning!
Ears to you :-)
Penny Arcade in the day! I’m sure this was for a parade. Probably the Stuart Christmas parade. All these years and I’ve never gotten to see this picture. I am so thankful that it was shared with me. Thank you Angel Kay!
New BB Silkie
Goats saying HI!
#greatfloridacattledrive2021
Lookie at Penny
Tiffany Johnson
February 10 at 12:09 PM ·
Computer is still in the shop unfortunately so no Vlog this week.
In other news though I have some positive news Leon’s white pony Penny who suffered an ulcer in her eye is doing wonderful she has been staying with a friend of ours who lives on site who can give her the medicine that she needs at the intervals that she needs and she has made a full recovery and Leon was able to ride her again today.
Penny is actually helping out with a equine disability program where children with disabilities can go and ride horses work with horses and experienced some equine therapy. 😍
Shout out to Linda McLendon for her caring heart!!! I couldn’t thank you enough for what you have done for penny!
The wranglers code
Mickey Mouse
November 20, 2020 at 1:00 PM ·
Join Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as they live life by the wrangler's code—cheese wrangler, that is. #TheWonderfulWorldOfMickeyMouse, an Original Series, is now streaming on #DisneyPlus! Hear the full song: http://di.sn/6006HGoYs
Samantha Murray Nosworthy
February 27, 2020 at 2:36 AM ·
An Open Letter to my Daughter’s Teacher
- borrowed and edited from Angie Mitchell
Today my 7 yr old daughter came home from school a bit sad. When I asked why, she said you told her that if she kept missing days, she would get bad grades. I understand where you are coming from, I’m sure it’s frustrating for you when she’s gone, but she’s missed 3 Fridays since the beginning of the year to compete in something that at 7 years old she’s found to be her true passion, Horses. And so you know, there are not many 7 year olds that show ponies. It’s difficult. It’s mentally and physically demanding. And she works harder than any kid I know her age because she enjoys it, and loves her pony, at a level beyond words.
It was interesting you told her that today, because in her backpack she had her report card with 6 A’s and 1 B. She also had her standardized test scores, where she scored above her peers in every category. But most interesting was the sheet of paper you also sent home, listing out what I should expect of my second grader, what I should work with her on. And as I read it all I could think is how much my daughter is benefiting from all the hours she’s spending at the barn preparing for her competitions. How much she is learning from all the hours, day in and day out, she practices. And finally, how my expectations of her are so much higher than yours, because of her riding.
Under the “Life Skills” portion it states she should be zipping zippers. She can put on a pair of leather half chaps by herself. Zipper level: Expert. It states she should be able to snap snaps and button buttons. She can put on her show shirt and jacket, jodhpurs and her helmet. She can also tack up her pony by herself and apply polos, front jump boots and brushing boots, and she knows which ones to use when.
It says she should know how to wash and dry her hands. Not only can she do that, but she knows how to clean and condition her boots, bridle and saddle, bathe her pony, pick his feet and apply hoof polish, organize a tack trunk and shovel and sweep manure from the grooming stalls.
She’s supposed to know one parent’s phone number, and her parents names. She knows the names of the 30+ horses at the barn. She knows what size girth to use, and when to use a standing martingale. She knows what hole to put the jump cups for a 2’ course, or a 2’6 course. She also knows how to change her diagonal, do a lead change, count in a line and how to ride a transition.
There was a section for “Following Directions” where it says she needs to be a good listener. She listens to her trainer give her a jump course consisting of 10+ fences, which she has to immediately remember, and then jump. It says she has to remember multiple directions at a time “such as brushing your teeth, putting on your shoes and moving your backpack.” She can remember and ride 3 hunter trips, a medal course and a hack class in one day.
It says I should play “Mother May I” with her. Everything her pony does, is because she’s asked and she knows she has to ask correctly. She weighs 50 lbs. He weighs 700. She has spent hours learning how to not only ask, but listen, when she wants something from him.
It says she should have responsibilities, such as packing her lunch. She can not only feed herself, but knows how to feed and care for a pony along with all the other horses in the barn. She can groom him, put on his blanket, braid his mane and brush his tail. She can scoop his feed, throw his hay, fill his water buckets and lug all 5 gallons 100 feet from the hose to his stall (though I do have to help her hang them.) She knows he always comes first, even when she’s hot and tired or it’s cold and raining.
But most of all, she’s learning about hard work. She’s learning how to succeed, and how to fail. She’s learning patience and compassion and best of all Love. Love for her pony, Love for her sport, Love for learning.
Dear Teacher, while I know school is important, I also know there is more to life than what can be learned in a classroom. These experiences aren’t just teaching her the things that come from a book, but things that are making her a better human being. When she looks back on her life, she won’t remember missing those 3 days of school. She will remember her last show on her beloved pony Sully, her first ribbon at a US show, and how she and her Best Friend spent 7 days in Ohio together doing the things they love the most, competing and being together.
Sincerely,
The proud mom of a horse loving little girl
