Tuesday, January 1, 2013

First ride for her girls

Here's Catherine getting on her pony for the very first time:



Elisabeth had a great ride too!




Both on the same day that their old pony Vinnie was sold. Time marches on!

Belle's 2013 resolutions

Here's what we're hoping the new year will bring for Belle Nuit:
  • Stay unhurt and healthy!
  • Be a safe, calm, and friendly companion to my girls with impeccable ground manners
  • Get registered as a Pinto:  http://www.pinto.org/
  • Grow a little taller and strengthen my topline
  • Start in my first shows in lead line and walk-trot early in the year
  • Learn basic paces and transitions sufficient to go in Introductory walk-trot dressage tests late in the year
  • Learn to quietly, calmly, and in a balanced manner go over ground poles, cross rails, and low jumps up to 12 inches


YouTube clips from 2012

I'm not sure how long they will be available, but I wanted to record the addresses of Belle's old YouTube clips from before we bought her:


2nd time with rider A, 11 November 2012:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiqgU4ddJqI 

2nd time with rider B, 11 November 2012:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS6UjtT9pUI 

Short free trot:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuztI85tS4o

Longer free trot:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP_n9FHfsI8

Free jump:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i7j7wI5lME

Walking under saddle: http://youtu.be/QlXDwHKLUSk

Trotting under saddle: http://youtu.be/1d2to8X-pB8

Trotting over cross rails: http://youtu.be/OQBk-dV5r7A

Her listing description on Facebook: "Coming 4 y/o, stands 14h, mare, b/w paint, very quiet, trotting over cross rails with an 8 yr old beginner rider. Will be a flashy pony with more training and miles. $1,500 Winchester, VA".

I think she's not quite that tall and not quite that old (more like a little over 13.2hh - higher at the butt! - and coming 3 years old), but so far we're still happy with her.




Sunday, December 30, 2012

Weights and measures

December 30, 2012:  We had the farrier out to trim up Belle's hooves and gave her a first dose of ivermectin to rid her of most internal parasites she might have brought with her.

She has permanent central incisors not even fully grown in and still has baby incisors on the intermediates and laterals, which means she is probably turning 3 years old officially in 2 days, on January 1st.

Body weight estimate, by weight tape: 684 pounds
Girth circumference: 63 inches
Height approx. 54.5 inches or 13.2 1/2 hands
Blanket measurement 70 inches




The new pony

Based on some YouTube videos we saw, we went to look at a pinto pony near Winchester, Virginia on December 27, 2012. There was still some ice-covered snow on the ground so we could only trot her up and down the road in front of the farm, but she behaved so sweetly that we bought her on the spot. 

We almost brought the kitty home with us when she tried to stow away on the horse trailer.


Here was her testing ground: She walked quietly through the crusty snow around a running truck and trotted quietly away from her pasture-mates when asked. Can't ask much more than that of her!



When we brought her home a former owner sent me a photo of her last September when she was looking considerably prettier in her summer coat!


I asked a "R" hunter judge to evaluate her from this photo and she said: "What a lovely young mare! She has nice short cannons and average bone. Her withers are well laid back but a bit low. Her shoulder is nice. Her neck ties onto the shoulder elegantly! She has a beautiful crest and top line. Her hind leg appears to be correct."

We brought her home and my twin daughters discussed her name and decided to keep her former name "Belle" and, because of her color, add "Nuit" to make her show name Beautiful Night, or Belle Nuit.