Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Pony Club

When I was 7 years old I dreamt of joining Pony Club. I had my pony and was wanting to go to the local Hunt Club with my older sister and ride in that Huge arena and on the Polo fields out back. I had to wait till I was 10, those were the rules of membership.
Yet, I did have fun while that time passed, riding the trails and fields near our home . My father made of a large track in the bottom field. There were creeks to jump and a personal race course, I devised. My neighbor Mike with his pony, would come over and we'd go till dark.
Though I could ride all the way to the Lake Oswego Hunt Club from my house back then, I waited till the right time.

Finally, the day came and we trailered my Welsh,Pinto pony, Trixie, on over. We had a horse boarded there for my sister already. It was okay to ride Trixie...but we had no crupper strap and the saddle really would not stay in place for my jumping lessons. She would balk and the saddle and I- would go over towards the jump, without her!


So I began riding our grade Thoroughbred mare, "Bunny". She was named that aptly so...she would jump anything you pointed her towards and sometimes also at a gum wrapper she saw, in an open field!
I loved riding in Pony club and learning all the cool things that had to do with Dressage, Cross Country, and Stadium jumping. I usually scored well but my written tests were a pain as I hated to read. Now I know that my dyslexia hindered me some with a poor ethic for studying.
Now, I do still remember some of the cool tricks I learned hands on( a better way for me to learn) Like this Tail Trimming Technique. You place the brush under the tail, and it duplicates the raised tail, as if they were traveling. The end result is a very even trim- whatever length you wish for the discipline you ride

16 comments:

  1. I too dreamt of joining the pony club when I was seven :)(inset a big happy sigh) what wistfull dreams we had as children.
    Nice tail trim!

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  2. Wow, I love this post! I didn't know about the art to trimming a tail - and I wondered when I saw your first photo - why the brush under tail? Now I know! I grew up riding horses, but all the horses around us were polo ponies! Tails had to be wrapped to keep them out of the pony's legs - often they were braided and then wrapped. I didn't play polo, haha, but I did get to ride some of the retired ponies. It was so fun.

    Love your stories!

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  3. I just dreamed of having a horse.

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  4. KC...our daughter Jennifer was in a Pony Club...Woods Creek. She started out in 4-H, but it was in Pony Club that she really learned the most. I'll never forget our first event. Her horse was lame so she took mine, a black quarterhorse gelding who had always been ridden western. I absolutely cried when I saw him going over the jumps. Such heart. And talk about discipline...what a great learning experience. And the best part!!!!!!
    parents were not allowed to communicate with their kids at an event...no coaching, no yelling no nothing. All sports should be that way (my humble opinion). Too many parents are out there screaming and embarassing their kids.

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  5. Great pictures. I too wondered where you going with the brush under the tail. Your mare has great patients with you. No way mine would allow that to be done.

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  6. You sound as if you had a very nice childhood. Good tip on the tail trim technique. Thanks.

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  7. Steph Thanks..so you did not join?

    Brenda I loved yours too...we are in a remenicing mood!
    Nice to be able to ride the retired spunky ponies too though huh!

    Gail...but LOOK at you now...you have more ponies than me!

    Lori! I love that!What a great little QH to do that for her!!!
    It was a very boosting thing for me..I was responsible for myself...I do remember that...as I walked trotted and cantered all the tests all nightin our tiny arena the night before the dressage bit!
    I agree...let them make mistakes and be accountable...and parents shut up!( I have a very LOW noise tolerance!)

    Jeni Q
    I did not do that on purpose...tell a long story without an explaination of the silly brush under the tail! I got goping and then thought...well, they will JUST have to read it all to find out!

    I massage her tail and brush its dock clean weekly or she will rub so she is totoaly used to me handling it. She rtather likes it...lifts it away from her behind for me! Some of the horses I have brushged recently have the tightest tails...clammping them down and not allowing me to brush the bone, at all!

    GHM I did...my pony actully saved my spirit in so many ways! Family life was a bit devastating ..she redeemed it. And so did all my sissy's horses I rode in the summers.

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  8. I love that tip. Maddy's tail has been growing like a weed...seems I have to do that every month. So worried she is going to step on it and pull it all out. Did you hit the Canby Tack sale this weekend? I got a couple good things....heading up to the Mane Event in Canada this weekend:-)

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  9. yup.. we have a "tail " program here as well when we show alle... we also braid in one of the "synthetic" add ins too that make her look stylin' :)

    gp

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  10. Beautiful little tail there girl! :) I loved your story and you tell it so well...as if someone is sitting next to me reading a story. :) Hope all is well!!

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  11. Oh, what a great trick! I would have loved to be in pony club, but like you also had a wonderful time just being in the pasture with my horse. Wouldn't have traded it for the world! :)

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  12. No pony clubs here.
    I grew up at the local riding school, dreaming of a horse of my own.
    Still, many good memories!

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  13. Hah! I was wondering in what direction your photos were taking us. Voila! A great tip!

    I also enjoyed reading about your young riding experiences. You are such a lucky lady to have had horses all your life :)

    ~Lisa

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  14. Oooh! I love the tail trimming tip! I'll have to try it on Casey as his tail touches the ground now.

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  15. gaah I am so envious of both riding all the time and pony club. :) I only get to ride if I drive for hours and pay an arm & a leg for lessons. I love the way you write, and you have a very interesting blog. =)

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  16. Thank you for this tail trimming tip! I've always used a rolled up polo wrap or a towel under the tail, but they are often too squishy to get a nice "lift" on the tail! I'll be using a brush next time.

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