Hi Diana Thank you for asking me to be your friend. Through out the past i had at least one horse or pony with a blue eye. I found that they have special personality. I live my large pony his name is Spirit Blue Eyes a 12 year old Pinloosa.

Hi Diana. Yes, she self-loads now, though she's still nervous about it. We had a breakthrough recently when I discovered she's much less anxious if I let her stand facing the "wrong" way in the slant-load. Well, if it makes her happy, she can travel backwards! She used to travel perfectly fine, and it's taken months to undo the damage of a few minutes of "rushing".

Hi Diana,

haven't looked on here in a while but what a funny coincidence that the same day you posted about the problem loader, I was standing beside a trailer, in a round pen, Lyons on Horses sitting on the wheel well, trying to convince a certain buckskin mare that the trailer was a fine place to be after all. She suddenly decided she wanted nothing to do with them, and I think we made some mistakes in rushing her, which we are now trying to undo. It's an ongoing work in progress.

But also letting you know that Russian Revlution has been going strong and solid, being a most excellent schoolmaster. When I post photos of him on Facebook, we constantly get comments on his keen and ears-forward expression over every fence. He's been showing all over Saskatchewan, and a little in Alberta, and will be going to the Royal Red. He is such a character, we are just loving his company. He formed a surprisingly fast friendship and bond with his sometime-show-buddy, our big QH, even though they'd never actually met before their first show together. He is now living in a grassy, shady paddock located right next to a jumper ring, so he gets to watch other horses jumping, and he watches so intently you'd swear he's analyzing their technique!

Nice to hear from you Diana. I did my first show with COPDA last summer in the novice division. Didn't come daed last but although the lass was novice, there were some pretty experienced drivers and horses in the ring. I ( in my naivety) asked one fellow if this was his firs show too. He replied" oh no, I've been driving this fellow in CDEs for years, OOOOPS I thought... I think this is not the the route for me to accomplish anything. By the end of the day, my horse Hailey was tired and she refused to do a slow trot!! I had to laugh because she just
had this .... "you've got to be kidding" and walked. Needless to say we didn't win anything in that class. My husband is currently driving a pair and they are starting to go pretty well. I wish we had a driving coach closer. We are also members of the Tri-County club but have not attended any shows as they are the other side of Toronto. So we drive the raods and on neighbour's farms and in the Ganaraska. Have a great week. Frances

Good morning Diana,
Where do you do you do most of your driving?

Hi Diana, well his name hasn't changed much, as we still call him Louie! Or Louis when he's in trouble. He adjusted perfectly to the winter weather here. We're working to tidy up his paperwork now. We're new to arabs but stable with some arab types, so they're showing us the ropes. ;)

We're curious if he ever did anything besides jumpers... judging by your lovely photos, he at least did native costume, did you ever do anything else with him?

here he is last week... I don't jump, and my husband couldn't make his lesson that day, but we have a very capable friend who is a pro rider but more new to jumping. She rode Louie in the lesson, they had a blast!

Diana,
Where do you ride in the States. My friend is getting a new horse trailer which may make it easier to go longer distances. What do you recommend.

Hi Diana,
I hear about not having enough time to do everything... but of course, I"m sure we are the same when we see that there is a block of time not spoken for! Rush to fill THAT up! haha Good luck with all of your endeavours.

Yes, adanac and Chyna are still at the same farm but Encore has moved on to another young lady - Sounds like they are doing really well. He was the dearest pony - such a snuggler! I have numberous pictures of him 'hugging' anyone close to him. (Not horses, I might add... he was a 'people pony' ;-)

We have bred and raised Andalusians for over 20 years. No longer breeding and down to only 3 left, (plus the 3 ponies) but at least they are all being worked now instead of wistfully wondering when someone will come to DO something
with them I have 4 of them ready to hook to the carts as well... now to get to it - if not soon, I"ll have to start the groundwork all over again!

All the best to you in 2010. Cheryl

Hi Diana, We'd welcome you back for many more courses! Please check out our websites www.equi-bowcanada.com and www.cedarlanefarm.ca to see what is new and exciting! One of the most important for all horse owners/trainers is the Balanced Hoof course held the first Saturday in May each year.

Regarding our New Forest ponies: We have had some wonderful NF ponies starting years ago with Mrs Holbrook's breeding. Our last mare, Wicked's Fine Chyna,left for GA a year ago and is doing very well. She joined Manoravon's Master Encore and Manoravon's Master Adanac who we sold to GA a couple of years before. We still have Chyna's full brother, Wicked Good Tymes (14:1) 5 yrs old and Belflower Delta (13:2 1/2) 10 yrs old left. Both are from imported Dutch and English bloodlines and both do very well in dressage. Ty is in professional training and is a fabulous mover, with the work ethic that NFPs are renoun for.

Delta also discovered 'Cow Sorting' this past year! He LOVES it as does my grandaughter - and their dressage skills were very evident in their success. In fact, the cow sorting brought out a desire on my grandaughter's part to REALLY practise her dressage - it is wonderful when one discovers that one skill enhances another and that the time and dedication put into dressage pays off in all other areas of horsemanship.

We also have Andalusian horses, the youngest at the moment is 4 1/2 and in training. He is for sale, we are cutting back on horses even more at this point.

Lovely to hear from you - good success in your efforts on behalf of the Pony Breeders of Ontario!