Re: endurance ponies

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>Juli wrote about the advantages of riding ponies.  Personally, I've
>never gotten along with ponies, but I have noticed my preference for
>horse height has changed over the years.  Shorter & shorter keeps
>looking better & better!  Lif
>
I have a pony that I got last year that will be showing up on the
competition scene this next season.  She's an Arab/Welsh Pony mare that
came to me with no real education, horrid ground manners, and totally out
of shape.  She has come a long, long way -- manners and schooling are
considerably better -- pretty good on the trail (still some more work to
do, but she's only been out now 3 times) and totally wonderful in the arena
and the barn.  I've had a very diligent (normal sized adult) student
working with her along with Catherine (whom many of you have met -- 14yo
who owns Cabby, a gelding she got a year ago, formerly owned by Cynthia and
Ramey)...Catherine has been doing her trail training.  Darby, the pony, is
about 14h...maybe 13.3h shoeless and recently trimmed, however she's always
got shoes on so I'm guessing here.

This pony is going to be awesome on the trail!  She's built like a Mac
truck, looks like a Quarter pony now (still has a little weight to lose but
getting better) and acts like she could go on forever.  She's got a huge
barrel on her so she takes up all of my leg, and a real decent length
stride.  She's had a little over a year of arena work now and will be
getting some serious endurance conditioning over the winter.  She should be
LD or maybe even 50s ready by next season.  Darby was a great find and I
hope our diligence with her will pay us back with a good endurance and
school horse career.

Sue

PS  She's cute as a bug, too!!

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.


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