Prince's Makeover

I decided this week, since i couldn't spend much time with prince that i would give him a makeover.. i don't think he enjoyed much except for the grooming lol. Here's what it included.

Trimming the ear hair,
Trimming tail ends,
   "    "      forelock
polishing feet,
through brush over,


This may not look like much but boy! its hard work! there was no need to trim his fetlock hairs because they automaticly fall out when he sheds..
   anyway here is some more pics... enjoy!

Before- Right side

Before- Left side

The hair that i groomed off just his butt!

After- Left side (check out the feet!)

Forehead- this used to come down almost to his noseband

After- Right side- looks great aye?

Well, after all that, he does look better, more his normal colour.. but as for the side on pics, he was pawing the ground, sorry! what you might not be able to see is that i trimmed the overlong pieces on his mane so it's even, and i trimmed his tail right across..
  lol and dare i mention silicone? he hates that (i must work on it), and the sound of the scissors cutting hair..

Well must fly! i have heaps to do and so little time, you all know!

Boring Week :-D

Sorry folks! i've been busy this week, so i haven't been able to ride.

I've gotten way behind on everything. i used to pick up horse manure for a friend for a bit of pocket money, but i quit about two weeks ago because i couldn't keep up doing her horse's manure and my boy's, and well now, i have a whole paddock to clean up of prince's and no sunshine! sometimes i wish taranaki was sunnier!
  i've started back at course, so i've been getting up early (yes not very early compared to you Ruffles!) about quarter past seven. Its been real neat because Prince has been expecting me to come out at about ten (ahh sleep in's!) and feed him. Also i get to see prince silhouetted against the early morning sunrise. Beautiful lol.
   the grass around our small property has over gown to the point it looks like a hay patch, although my awesome horse has been slowly munching it down he still has three more paddock's left to eat. um unfortunately for him, he has packed on so much wieght i can JUST barely feel his ribs. i need to get out there, no matter the time, and who cares if i'm tired and give him some exercise.
  I don't think i mentioned that i've made my own round pen, out of bits of electric fence wires, and some scattered standards. i put this up after prince moved out of the front paddock. Now, the grass has grown up green and lush around (and in) the round pen. so that's not going to be much good for me to ride in, because prince (when he is in there) is only going to want to eat the grass and i'll be forever telling him to 'leave it alone'. i need to hurry up and get me a new saddle lol..

 

A Poem

FROM THE HORSE, TO THE RIDER

You used watch me as i flew,

Across the land,

Looking as though,

Birds couldn't touch me-

My feet barely touched the ground,

My mane and tail are filled with air,

You, on my back,

Tip your head back,

And cry,-

Because its been too long,

Since you've broken past your fear,

And gone to ride me,

Past a trot,-

Your fear disappeared,

When i taught you to trust me,

Because you learned,

Whatever i did,

It was for you,-

You used to stand on the ground,

To watch me move,

And admire my beauty,

Now you ride-

Fearless, now is you

When you ride

You go like the wind

We race together,

You and I

Another Awesome Week!

Oh wow! Could summer riding get any better? hehe maybe if we had longer holidays and more sunshine...

The last post i did there was another important thing i forgot to add. it was that prince nickered to me for the first time ever. he has never nickered to another horse or pony, let alone me. Shortly after that (approx. two days later) he nickered again to me. i was so shocked that i turned around and stared at him. he was looking at me (both times) with an expression of eagerness and happiness. i walked around with a smile for ages afterwards.
  this week i didn't have much time to do anything as i was so busy. but yesterday i got sick of doing everybody elses jobs, and i wanted to ride so i went out and did that.
  i rode for fifteen minutes (yes i timed it) and during that time Prince was reasonably good. He did shy at these plastic bags that had been there throughout the whole ground session (he didn't care then- toad!) it was a pretty big shy, but i stayed on and didn't slip or anything. i was so proud!
  Did i ever tell you guys how comfortable he is to ride? its just like riding in a saddle without stirrups and without anything to hold on to, no sharp backbone or high wither. I LOVE Kaimanawa's!
   I'm going away this weekend, so i can't ride or anything. I'm a bit disappointed, but i'm glad about this holiday.

So this summer, dispite the little amount of riding i've done i've accomplished this: 

Trotting, with a saddle on
Bareback at a walk
Jog- Bareback
Balance- saddle and no saddle

And ground work, and extras

Nickers and Neighs from prince
Jumping up to a meter (not a hundred percent sure on hight- might be higher)
trotting poles (revision)
Standing quietly without leaning while feet are being trimmed
riding bareback after about two years without a flinch
giant soccer ball (using the nose to push the ball- without fear)
Jumping plastic sacks, bags and tarps
walking through the river up to His belly

Whew! thats a lot! i think there might be still more. but i'm pleased with what he has accomplished, how's everybody else's horses going?

Oh and i almost forgot, Prince is shedding again, i could almost make a fur rug out of all the hair!

Pictures That Dad Took

Me And Prince

Ooo! wait! i need to pose- argh too late!

There you go! Don't i look Handsome?

Check out that leg action!

Huh! these photographers!

Ooo! Was that a mare?

One of Prince's famous spins caught on camera

Lastly the funny half-canter half-gallop

An Awesome Last Week!

Last week i had the best week ever! oh and this week too, so far!

This is what happened!

I rode Prince bareback! for the first time in about two years. he was perfect as a horse can get, only doing what he knew i felt safe to do, and that was walking really slowly around the half of the paddock he had. I had put up a eletric fence standard about three steps away from where i mounted. Turns out that was the last place we went to before i got off.
  Second best thing that happened was, i walked up to Prince while he was lying down asleep, without him ever getting up! normally he gets up to see me. i wished so much that i had a carrot to reward him.
  Thirdly, i took him out on a really windy day and put sacks, and plastic bags and many other flappy things to see what he would do. Nothing! i managed to do liberty in the round corral (that by the way is when there is nothing on your horse and you have nothing but your carrot stick) and he spun for me, and jumped a row of standards, a jump almost as high as the fence, and lastly shoved his ball across the field! talk about awesome horse!
  Yesterday i rode him also, for longer then before, and he was also perfect then too. He Jog trotted a little bit too. My Princey boy knows my limits too which is great! also i have some vids of that too, which i'll edit and hopefully have on here too..

Its been such a confidance builder of a week! i hope yours was as good!

Late, but its got there eventually- Last Words for the Year

31-12-11

Last day of the year. Tomorrow, will be a whole new year and i'll be turning eighteen in April, and Prince, ten on the first of August! While he will be at the beginning of middle aged, it will be my second to last year as a teen, then i'll be an adult. Scary!

SO! Christmas! What did you all get your horse for christmas? My poor boy didn't see me, as i was away, but when i got back i brought him some wormer (poor prince!). My mum firmly believes in Natural Wormer, and as for me, well i'm not sure.

I took it in the paddock, keeping calm. The thing is Prince has apparently has not had in-the-mouth wormer before, its all been in his feed.

So anyway i took him by the halter, and his head went up... interesting. Then i slipped the thing in the side of his now very tight mouth, and pushed the plunger all the way up, then i held his head up, and rubbed his throat gently.. Done! He didn't spit any out even though i put it where he would normally have his bit.

I didn't get to many horsey presents this year, quite surprising.. i got a little metal sign thing that says PRINCE in curly letters. Which was painted in cream- didn't anybody tell the person (as it was personally made) that my horse's chocolate?

Anyway its beautiful! So i can't complain..

Its been raining here for almost three days straight and i'm dying to go out and do something with Prince, even though my saddle is to small for me now. If anybody wants it it's a black (with yellow stitching) treeless stock saddle, only one of its kind in New Zealand, and its a 16 Inch. It looks just like a stock saddle, only its treeless.

Here i am blabbling on about stuff and ya'll want to know about my boy! My Dad came over from Napier to see me after i came back from my friend Jazzi's, and he pulled out his camera and wanted pics of Prince. Photography is his hobby.

He got some stunning pictures, even though prince didn't wan't to smile much. He got some nice ones with me and prince, pity i ruined them, by not smiling or smiling overkill lol..

I'll stick some of them on with some commentry as well.. i hope you like them...