Still Summer, Feels Like Fall
2 September 2010
The Vashon Schools kids are back to school, the college kids are heading out soon, if not gone already this week, and there is definitely a feeling of Fall in the air. We horses have been losing our Summer-short coats for a few weeks, and some of us have grown the beginning of our Winter coats. The air is cooler in the morning, if not all day long! Our legs are cold in the morning when Emily first comes out, whereas a few weeks ago we were warm to the touch at all hours.
As I look back at the Summer lessons and activities, I think about what I tried to help different students learn and all the activities over the three months of Summer. We had two fantastic weeks of camp and I met some new riders and really enjoyed the work and play! I got a new bit, a full cheek snaffle, and I really like it. Buttercup did her first two shows this summer, and did really well at both! We saw our friend Rio move away to a new home, and we all hope he’s happy with his new riders. Wally moved to Fish Bowl on June 1st, and we have all enjoyed his low-key sense of humor. Coco is moving away on Saturday; we will miss her antics and her beautiful spots! Emily tells me that I will move to Coco’s paddock, so Oreo and Wally will be my neighbors! Neigh-bors, get it? Does that mean we’ll neigh to each other because we live next door and get to be great friends?! Probably! I’ll be sure to put up some photos of me and Oreo and Wally soon – what size and color differences we have! Oreo is a black and white pinto, 10.2 hands and weighs 400 pounds. I am a brown dun with a black dorsal stripe in my mane and tail, 14.2 and weigh about 1150 pounds. Wally is a dark dapple grey, 16.2 hands and weighs 1400 pounds. Lots of contrast between the three of us!
Love,
Biscuit
Busy Summer Days
15 July 2010
Josie Riding Sherman 7-15-10
We are all getting ridden in lessons today and most days this summer! Ava rode Molly, Josie rode Sherman, Emily K. rode Buttercup, Kyleigh is riding Oreo later, and Josie rode me today! It’s a gorgeous sunny day about 78º and clear blue skies, Mount Rainier (The Mountain, people say around here) is out and crystal clear.
Happy Almost Fourth of July
1 July 2010
I’ve been busy lately; maybe you have been too! I’ve been enjoying more riding lessons with students and Emily rode me yesterday. That was extra fun because Molly was being ridden by Josie in the arena while we were there. Molly is really pretty and smart, and we are great friends! Here’s a photo of me being ridden by Zahra! Doesn’t she look balanced? She’s doing well in her lessons with me.
Today we all woke up to rain. Ugh! It’s the first of July, and I think it should be sunny and warm. The people were all wearing at least a sweater today, as it only got up to 63º! Happy Fourth of July, whatever the weather!
Biscuit
We’ll Miss You, Rio, and Sherman Goes to Camp
22 June 2010
Our friend Rio, the handsome bright bay Quarter Horse, went to live with his new people near Portland, Oregon, today. He was at Fish Bowl Farm for about 1-1/2 years, and needed a new home because he wasn’t ridden as much as a happy horse should be. His new riders will enjoy his awesome dressage and jumping training and skills.
Meanwhile, Sherman went to camp today! Olympus Pony Club’s annual camp is this week, and one rider’s horse came up lame yesterday, so Sherman went for the last 2 days of camp. I hope he minds his manners and makes it fun for Anne, his rider. I wonder if he’ll sleep in a tent!? It’s camp, you know! See you Wednesday night, Sherman; in the meantime I’m in charge of the ponies, ok?!
Love,
Biscuit
Helmets? by Emily Wigley
14 June 2010
This is my guest editorial in the Summer, 2010 issue of Riding Instructor magazine, published by the American Riding Instructors Association.
After a photo of a mounted rider without a helmet was posted to our Riding Instructors Forum, e-mails were flying back and forth. The simple question of “Helmets?” in one of the emails prompted me to write the following: “Helmets?” You spoke the thought I was hesitant to ask. Then, I remembered the riders who have come off horses who were calm, predictable and well trained. And then I remembered the tears that I cry whenever I watch the DVD Every Time, Every Ride, and the parents I’ve gently convinced to wear helmets, so that their children won’t have to either bury them or care for them after they’ve suffered
a traumatic brain injury.
I don’t care what the other trainers, instructors and riders are saying. I don’t care that I was a sweaty mess and kept my helmet on yesterday until my clients took theirs off and we all laughed about our creepy hair “styles!” I don’t even care what the law is, because I will wear my helmet every time I longe, long line, or ride a horse. I wear one in solidarity with my young riders, as an example and a role model, because it’s not always comfortable, but it’s always right. My students and I wear them when we groom, tack up and ride. Period.
There are so many things I cannot control in the world: weather, war, and what my daughter wears are just three that come to mind! But the ones that I can control – that have potentially negative ripple effects far beyond the moment, the style, and often the accepted – make me think twice, and I try to make the right choice. Helmets are always the right choice, and they are required at my facility. I do not condemn those who do not wear helmets, but I do try hard to persuade them to do so.
With much thought and good wishes,
Emily
Emily Wigley
ARIA Level II Dressage & Stable Management
Fish Bowl Farm, Vashon Island, Washington
www.FishBowlFarm.com
WigleyEmily@gmail.com
Jump Schooling Sunday
24 May 2010
Olympus Pony Club members and their DC came to Fish Bowl Farm for jump schooling out in our big field and woods today. It was fun to see horse trailers rolling down the driveway this morning and mid day – we horses always wonder, “who’s arriving!?” The horses looked great, and I hear they are named Shelby, Lucky, Quin, Frodo and Laird. The horses and riders had fun practicing pacing (going the right pace for competitions), jumping stadium jumps (the kind that knock down) and some small cross country fences. Here’s a video of several of the jump rides…
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Biscuit
Bobby Domino & the Junior Program
13 May 2010
Fish Bowl has a program for kids to board or lease horses and have supervised rides and lessons each week. It’s nice for parents to know their children are being looked after while they have pony riding fun! Our friend Presley is having a birthday this month, and her grandpa kindly gave her a month at Fish Bowl Farm with her pony, Bobby Domino, in this junior program. Bobby moved in on May 1st, and he settled in right away, whinnying at the other horses and the people. He’s staying in a paddock between me and the ponies and the other horses. He eats grass all day long and looks really happy. Yesterday Presley and Bobby and Josie and Molly were in the arena together riding and having fun.
My little friend Molly is a great pony, but she does not trust people as well as most of us horses do. I tell her that she doesn’t need to be afraid of being caught in the field, but she is leery. It took Josie and Emily an hour to catch her a few days ago. They were very patient, and in the end Molly walked up to them to have her halter put on and have a horse treat. Josie rides her a few days a week, and it is wonderful to see her back to regular work. She likes it and is getting much easier to catch as she remembers what daily interaction with people means. Josie walks over to the farm from her school, and on her way she eats an apple. That way she always has an apple core to give to Molly!
The sun is out and it looks like another beautiful Spring day in the Northwest. Sunshine means more green, fast growing grass to eat!
Field Trip to Paradise Ridge Park
20 April 2010
On Sunday the sun was out – it was actually kind of hot! yea! – and thinking ahead two weeks to the Shaggy Horse Show, Emily thought it would be a good idea to get the ponies up to the show venue for a little field trip. Sherman and Oreo will be in the show, and both hadn’t been to Paradise Ridge Park before. Josie, who will do two classes in hand with Oreo pony, and Bella, who will do two classes with Sherman, went up to the park for some fun and orientation. Here is a video, briefly showing both girls and ponies! Sherman told me when they got home that there was a Fjord mare at the park, but she looked a little different than I do. She has more brown and black in her forelock and tail, and Sherman said she was very pretty and that he puffed up and tried to catch her eye as she was cantering around in the arena. The girls had a blast, which was the most important thing! Now they are both practicing their riding and handling, making costumes for the costume class, and thinking about the fun, long day that is the Shaggy Horse Show. When they got home, Jynx whinnied a lot as the truck and trailer came down the farm driveway; she is such a happy filly and she always wants to let us other horses know what she knows!
If you can, go up to Paradise Ridge Park on Vashon Island on Saturday, May 1st and enjoy the Shaggy Horse Show!
See you soon,
Biscuit
Buttercup, aka Triton’s Electra
16 April 2010
Buttercup is my young friend who lives in the big pasture with me, Molly and Sherman. Sherman bosses us around, but he and I have a truce going, as he knows I’m bigger and stronger, but I like him to manage the other mares. Buttercup is the kind of horse who is everyone’s friend. She is five years old, 3/4 Connemara and 1/4 Arabian, a beautiful buckskin mare who stands 14.1. She is shedding like crazy, but is still pretty woolly. Just like I am!
Buttercup is well trained, having two years of experience under saddle. But she was not ridden from July, ‘09 until March ‘10. Emily didn’t have a rider with the right size and experience for her, and wanted her to have time to just relax and “be a horse.” Our human friend, Garnet, comes over a few times a week to ride BC. It is so fun to watch them in the arena, and soon they’ll start working in the riding field and hacking around on the trails. Then…. they’ll get back to jumping, which Buttercup loves!! I think Buttercup will go to the Shaggy Horse Show on May 1st. Wouldn’t that be fun?!
Until next time, heads up and heels down, and all you ponies and horses try to behave yourself in this lovely Spring weather!
Love,
Biscuit
Ground Handling
22 March 2010
Julia and Presley came to Horsemanship today and they worked on ground handling through a course with Molly the Welsh pony mare. Molly is small at 11.3 hands, and she’s just the perfect size for these two girls! They walked, trotted and backed up through a pattern, and worked on turns on the haunches as well. See a mini video here. Fun!
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