Horseplay

This could also be called the "By Request" post! First off some more photos of Petey racing around on the beach. This is the definition of pure joy, from the moment I put Petey in the backseat of the car and mention "wanna go to the beach?" As we get closer, his excitement turns into a frenzy as he can't wait to leap out of the car and race from the parking lot to the boardwalk. Once on the beach, he dances in a huge circle of happiness, engaging every person on the beach. He really couldn't care less about any other dogs there, beyond the "howdoyado?" sniff. He spots someone and heads over, dropping the ball at their feet, and more often than not, pouncing on it mischievously seconds before they can pick it up. It's his game, I can't explain it!

I always say that his name changes when we get to the beach to that old Southern name...Disregard (like Beauregard!) And yesterday, he absolutely lived up to it, following a man down the beach a good half mile while I whistled and yelled for him to no avail. Clearly, we were operating on Petey/Disregard time!

As you know, I am very involved in volunteering with Heroes on Horseback down here and this week has been busy with volunteer orientation and putting together a curriculum for ground school. Very exciting!

Murray has requested some photos of our horses and since I was unable to capture the three dolphins Petey and I watched playing off shore, I felt obligated to deliver!

First is our little pony, Blue Eyes, a great favorite of the little girls. He's a cute little fellow, who looks like a stuffed animal with his wooly winter coat.

Hee! I had to include a shot of this persnickety, slightly barrel-shaped mare. She doesn't really get along well with the other horses so we have be careful to keep our distance from her when we're in the ring. And she's been known to nip, only can be put in the pasture with a few tolerant horses. And her name?

LACIE! Okay, so she actually spells it "LACEY" but still...what's up with girls with that name?

This handsome fellow is named Cisco and he's one of my favorites. He's that pony that you can call by name and he'll come trotting over to the fence. He's a love.

This little mare is named Little Bit and she's a sweetheart. Whenever I'm horseleading her, she'll generally head-butt me to scratch her behind the ears, under the chin. She'll follow you around like a puppy. However, as horses are herd animals, she was very unhappy to be left alone in the pasture, kept whinnying like crazy, and racing around the field when some of the other horses went off for a trail ride. She was actually cantering right up to me in this shot, veering off at the last moment.

"Will someone please come play with me?"

This handsome fellow is one of the newest members of our herd. His name is Crackers and he's a really sweet pony.

Finally we have Mister Ed, another new horse to our herd who is slowly getting used to his new surroundings. He's half Clydesdale and HUGE - he's over 17 hands for you horse people. I rode him yesterday and he's quite slow as he has to lift those big hooves and I felt as if I could see over the barn, I was so high up when I was riding him. He's like a big baby whose intimidated by the ponies, who totally boss him around!

He is so sweet, a real gentle giant who just loves to be cuddled, scratched under the chin and behind the ears. After I dismounted, I felt like I could walk underneath him!

So there you go, Murray, here are many of the horses and ponies I'll be working with on Tuesday and Friday mornings for the next six weeks!