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January 31, 2007
Crazy Lady Buys Another Julip
So cute, with a little show bridle and saddle, a rider and a Magpie rug.
Well, other people I know have taken advantage of this eBay seller's "buy-it-now" Julip sales, but I have never been lucky enough to find one until today. The horsie looks like it has "new lady" painted eyes-she's the one who has been painting the very small, mean-looking eyes, so I hope these aren't too bad. He's black, though, which is such a nice color on Julips. I think I only like Julip greys better than black. But palominos and duns and other colors are nice, too.
I probably shouldn't have purchased this one, as I had just ordered one from the Julip website a few days ago (a much anticipated "chocolate" Hunter. Don't know what it will look like-Julip seems to have a few different definitions of "chocolate"- but with a fantastic mold like the Hunter, we'll like it whatever color it is!) But the black Welsh cob was so tempting...it was calling my name.
Posted by Jessica at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2007
Little Boo
Boo is adorable! I took him grocery shopping last night. He enjoys riding in the "choo-choo" carts. The "choo-choo" carts are much longer and harder to manoeuvre than ordinary ones, but Boo likes them so we use them every time we go shopping.
Before going into the store, I told him, "You have to keep your shoes on until we get home!" (He loves taking his shoes off. One day I arrived at day care to pick him up and the teacher told me she turned her back on him during recess for just a moment and he had taken his boots off and had been jumping up and down in a mud puddle, exclaiming, "It's so cold!")
Anyway, we went into the store, got Boo into the "choo-choo" and went shopping. Boo drove along happily, as there was a steering wheel in the choo-choo part of the cart. We got almost all of the way through the store when I noticed that he had taken his shoes off. They were in the bottom of the cart. So, I said to him, "Boo, I told you not to take your shoes off."
He said, "Look, Mommy, this makes a circle!" (He was pointing at the steering wheel.)
I said, "We are talking about your shoes. Why did you take off your shoes when I told you not to?"
He replied, "Look, Mommy, this makes a circle!"
I said, "I know it makes a circle. But we are talking about your shoes. Why did you take your shoes off?"
He looked at me and said, "No talking to me, Mommy!"
I told him I was his Mommy, and thus was not going to EVER stop talking to him!
I guess he realized the wisdom in this, as he sighed and said, "Okay, Mommy!"
Posted by Jessica at 03:11 PM | Comments (1)
January 15, 2007
Kai, the Amazing Narcoleptic Horse!
Kai has one of the strangest quirks I have ever come across in my years of riding. He falls asleep whilst being tacked.
This isn't just a restfully-cocked hind leg, either. This is a full-blown, crashing down on his side kind of thing. The only way to prevent an accident from befalling anyone standing next to him on his near side is to yell in his ear, and slap him soundly on the shoulder. Otherwise, he will just collapse on you. Honest!
I had moved Kai over to a stable with an indoor arena, and thought I'd take a few lessons while I was there. I had always laughed with Cheryl about Kai's weird sleepy behaviour, but I wasn't too concerned. He always nodded off when I was putting on his tack (particularly the bridle.)
This past Thursday, he had a whole audience as witnesses to this strange phenomenon. This time, despite my preparedness, he almost collapsed on me!
The trainer thinks it might be triggered by the release of endorphins into his brain when I put the bridle on him (perhaps there is a pressure point that triggers it, she said.) It is still very, very strange.
It does take Kai a few minutes before he wakes up sufficiently to let me ride, but then he's fine.
I had a good lesson, and now my muscles are getting a good workout. Kai is such a great horse, he's perfect for me. Even with his odd quirk!
Posted by Jessica at 02:09 PM | Comments (1)
January 12, 2007
Cute New Pony (with accessories!)
I am a big fan of model horses that come with accessories, so I was thrilled to find this one on eBay. Cheap!
One of the reasons that I enjoy Julip and Magpie model horses so much is the accessories that can be purchased (fairly cheaply)or made for them. Headcollars, rugs, saddles etc are all part of the fun.
Normally, most Breyers don't come with accessories. They do make a wide range of saddles, bridles, halters, etc but they are quite pricey. (A Breyer saddle can cost $40 at a retail outlet, $26 plus shipping charges through mail order.) By the time you buy a Breyer saddle, bridle, stable blanket, and halter you have spent $100 or more. Sheesh! I can't afford to pay that much, so I am forced to scavenge Breyer accessories from eBay and garage sales (or at Breyerfest, when I used to attend.)
I found this small traditional Breyer Criollo pony (Galiceno mold) on eBay recently. It did not originally come with the rug and halter, but I was immediately attracted to the fact that the seller included them in the auction! Toys to play with!
I made a very small bid and, to my surprise, the pony came home to live with me at a total cost (including shipping)that was much less than the horse would have cost me alone if I'd purchased it new.
Yay!
Posted by Jessica at 09:45 AM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2007
Kai in the Indoor Arena
Kai has been temporarily moved to a stable that has an indoor arena so that I can do some winter riding.
I was offered an opportunity to move Kai as the stable had a vacancy for three weeks. (A new horse will be arriving on February 1st.) This would accomplish a couple of things: 1) It would allow me to ride at night and during bad weather and 2) It would allow me to see how Kai would react to all of the hustle and bustle that goes on in a show barn. This would tell me whether it was safe to take Kai on a trail ride or other organized equestrian outing.
Of course, during the winter, most mares don't come into heat, and during the summer (when most equestrian outings are scheduled) they do, so it might not be safe in the summer even if it is in the winter!
Kai has been behaving very well at the new stable, though he did make eyes at a bay mare while standing cross-tied in the aisle! My friend Cheryl told me that the bay mare doesn't like black stallions, as she was kicked by one once, but it sure looked to me as if she thought Kai was handsome!
The first time I rode him in the indoor ring, he seemed very tense (which is very unlike him.) This may have been due to the fact that the rest of the horses were being fed during the time I was riding!(Of course, Kai was able to hear this activity going on while we were riding!) Kai was very well-behaved, though.
Derek was very cute! The first time I rode Kai in the arena, Derek decided that he wanted a turn. He insisted on putting on a helmet and stood outside the arena, watching us, reminding me often that he wanted his turn! When I did finally dismount, Derek gleefully trotted towards me, babbling happily about his turn. Then, Kai whinnied. This is something that horses do routinely. Kai was just talking to his buddies. But Derek's face grew instantly clouded, and tears streamed down his cheeks. "It's so loud!" he cried. I had to take him in my arms and explain to him that horsies, like trains, are big and sometimes make loud sounds. He decided he didn't want to ride that day!
Posted by Jessica at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2007
Branwen wins Championship at her first show! And her second show, too!
Here is her virtual rosette!
You might remember the beautiful feltie Gypsy Vanner mare created for me by Laura Bond. Her name is Branwen, and I asked Laura if I could enter her photo in a show. Laura said yes, so I did. (Thanks to Georgie for uploading the photo into the show folder!)And she won!
I then entered the photo in another show, and she won again! Wow, I am quite thrilled. Branwen is indeed a very special cob!
Posted by Jessica at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)