Thanks... I think that he's a cutie too! :) Dragon actually reminded me of him when I saw your photos. The Canadians really are delightful horses to be around... so versatile, and such sweet temperaments.

A few of us Canadian owners are getting Canadian Flag themed coolers made - quite fitting for the National Horse of Canada, eh?! ;)
http://barnmice.com/photo/canadian-cooler?context=user

I do know what you mean. My boyfriend made a good point when I was fretting about that very thing: "No-one is going to be looking at you, they'll be looking at your horse!" ;) The Canadian Horse shows are great, they are small (not as many people as the big shows) and relaxed... and after the first day you know everyone and somehow it is less scary. They are very helpful and will guide you through what you need to do (we are still learning too... my boyfriend is totally new to horses and even he went into the ring... now he wants a horse of his own!).
The great thing is, even experienced handlers have moments when a horse says "nah, I don't feel like doing that". Everyone has been there. As our breeder put it: "As long as everyone makes it in and out of the ring safely and has fun, that's what matters. It's all good experience for the horses and the people." Face it, the main reason that we Canadian Horse owners want to go to show is to admire all the pretty horses and show off our own! *lol* Well, that and the awesome barbeques. :)

Hi again, and thanks! I agree completely... our boys do have the sweetest faces! :) I love how a lot of Canadians keep that cute, mischievous, 'little boy' face even into adulthood.
I do recommend trying a Canadian Horse show sometime. If you told me a few months ago that I would get into a ring for a halter class, I never would have believed it (being in front of people terrifies me)... but I am so glad that I did try it. We had a great time, met really nice people, and are looking forward to next year. People do need to get out there with their horses to keep these shows going, and to spread the word about our awesome horses!
The show was in Orangeville (quite far from you... but folks from near Ottawa do come!). Do you know about the UCD?
http://www.ucdcanadianhorse.ca/about.shtml

Hi! We took our wee lad to our first Canadian Horse show together. We had a great time! I recommend attending a breed show - it's a fun, low-key way to expose your horse to all sorts of new sights and sounds and meet with other Canadian Horse people (and look at very nice horses). :)
I hope all is going well with everyone at your farm!

Hi again! Thank you so much for the link. I will look into whether any of the local vets carry their products. Thanks also for the kind offer... if I have trouble finding the treats I will let you know. :)

I am thrilled to know that there are good treat options for our friends who need to avoid excess sugars.

hello,I am fortunate enought that my vet gets this product line in at her clinic.the website is
www.emeraldvalleyequine.com is the website.I have also purchased the Speedi-beet product for
the winter time.if you have a hard time finding it in your area..I can get you a small bag of the treats
and send off to you ..if you have an interest.it is nice to treat Chocolate now and then as the other
horses are able to have a carrot or apple,and little Chocolate was so left out of this ritual,until I
found these treats ...!

Where do you get your sugar-free beet treats? I'd love to get some of those for when visiting my friend's horse. They would probably also be great for my boy... as you likely know, Canadians are *very* easy keepers, so if I could avoid sugary treats for him, it would be a bonus.

Hi again. I feel the same way (about wishing the summer away). I generally love summer, but the flies have been so bad this year that fall will be a relief (and it is pretty)!

It's great that Chocolate has such a caring human to look after her... I'm glad that she's doing better. One of our friends went through a scary period of laminitis with her horse. Soaked hay, careful feediing, and exercise (especially the exercise) brought him back too. Other people might have given up on him, but thankfully he had a determined and loving human partner who worked with his needs to get him through it. He's doing great now. :)

I have been enjoying looking through the photography on your site - your photos are beautiful! Thanks for the wonderful images! :)

Bells and hoops - what great ideas. I hadn't thought of those! More 'toys' for my boy to encounter. I think that it will be a bit before he is as brave as Chocolate though. Chocolate is so cute... it's funny how the wee ponies are often braver than much bigger horses! Congrats to Nairobi on 'conquering' bells. :)

I hope that you are enjoying your journey with horses. I also have "what have I gotten myself into" moments... but horses are great at doing something amazing at just the right moment, and you realise that it is totally worth it, 'challenging' days and all.

I am quite looking forward to fall... in the hope that the insects will finally go away. I've been expecting to look outside and see the flies flying off with our livestock! ;) The horses get so upset about the flies (they are much thicker in the woods) that we actually haven't been hacking lately.

Hi. The beasties are all fine after a crazy day weather-wise (a few moments of having 150 lbs worth of dogs trying to crawl into my lap!). Yikes! The sky was rather scary for awhile (as were the weather reports). I hope that everyone is well at your farm and that the scary weather avoids you.

I'm glad that Dragon is doing well, and that your hubby is having fun with him. My Canadian is also a bit spooky at the moment, but he is still a baby (two). We are currently working on lots of play time to get him accustomed to as many things as possible. This week it's tarps and umbrellas! Ooh, scary! He does still think that monsters are hiding in the fly spray. I am also working on his ground manners, as we would like to show him in halter this fall (which is frighteningly soon).

I did grow up with horses (mostly working farm ponies) but now I am learning to ride 'correctly' (including using tack, which I often didn't bother with as a kid). I have become quite addicted to dressage, but I do still enjoy a nice hack through the woods. :)

Hi! I hope that Dragon is doing well! If he keeps making the girls at the trainer's place swoon, you are going to have trouble getting him back. ;)

Thanks - the four legged members of our family do give us great joy. :) Our husky/shepherd cross is a rescue and has come so far... he has a special place in my heart. All of your kittens are heart-meltingly adorable! Beautiful doggies and horses too! :) Your photos are wonderful.

My boy thanks you for the compliment! He thinks that he is handsome too. *lol* It's great to "meet" someone else bitten by the Cheval Canadien bug. ;)

Hi Deborah - Comment deleted. :)

I did it by scrolling over the date beside it. When I did so, a little "x" appeared and I clicked on it.

By the way, I banned that person.

Thats really good that your getting over your fear! And chance is doing really well, hes gaining wieght and all three of my horses should be at our house by the end of this month! It's going to be great!

thats cool, as long as you have a good instructer it's all good! He sounds like a very nice horse and i hope you two acheave your goals and have a great time doing, the one thing i love about riding is that you never stop learning no matter what!

your kittens are adorible!

they sound nice! Sorry about the thoroughbred, do you ride your horses western and does the appendix have more thoroughbred or quarter horse in him?

thank you soo much! I love my horses and it looks like you do to! There so much fun to own and ride and the rescues are the best because they are always so willing and kind! How many horses do you own, they look very nice!
Thanks Again!
Kat