Riding Sweet Enchantment was like riding a psychotic horse threw a burning stable. Our first Prelim Dressage test went as follows: "A enter in working trot", we entered at a steady gallop. As for "X Halt, Salute" in response we did a halt, rear, salute the rest of the test followed in working canter, have you ever seen a "free walk on a long rein" done in extended canter? "F, X, H change rein" was completed with two huge bucks in each corner. Honestly, the mare was in the air more than she was on the ground. The judges comment read "Well done for finishing your test." It was an unmitigated disaster however to give you an idea of how well this crazy mare moved, despite her general refusal to do any actual "Dressage" I still received a better score than some of the other competitors.
More about Sweet Enchantment is available in" Pony Tales" on the blog page:
Shirley Green taught me to put the right kid on the right pony, later when the kids grew up, and they needed horses I followed the same principal.
Shirley Green's pet peeves or "Things that drove Shirley bat shit crazy" were 1: Knots in lunge ropes. 2: Using a lead rein or orange string (bailing twain) to to close the paddock gates or stable doors and 3: When the horses stampede threw her electric type paddocks on a Sunday, I say "the" horses but it was more often than not "hers" and like clockwork it would happen ten minutes after the yard closed. Later I discovered "Sunday silly bu-gars" it's a game all horses play, believe me, it is only funny when its not your horses or your yard.
"When in doubt, Stride it out."
"It takes five years to produce a good horse and only five minutes to f#@k it up." Denton Sander
BobbyJo VS Plant
Attempting to cultivate a garden during a drought while you own ponies is very much like farting against thunder. Besides not being a horticulturist by anyone's standards I still gave it a go in the form of one obscure potted plant strategically placed at the tack room entrance. Being of unknown origins I was not overly concerned as to its welfare and as such, I ignored it for the most part that's now until late one afternoon when I noticed it had formed orchid like buds. I felt excited as something grew in what can otherwise only be described as a wasteland. The next morning I made a beeline for the tack room expecting to find it in bloom however on the contrary what I found was my plant mowed down level with the pot. That took the wind right out of my sails and I just knew the culprit would be Bobby-bloody-Jo. As I scanned my surroundings I located Bobby skulking around not too far off. I swear that pony smiled at me reveling teeth as green as grass with bit of bud still protruding from between them.
BobbyJo vs Geography
Bobby was an alpha pony not by asserting dominance over the herd, however he ruled simply by not being where they were at any given time, nor would he stay where I put him for any length of time either. For instance, if they were in the valley he would be at the stables and if they were at the stables he would be in the tack room. Bobby jumped paddocks only to wait patiently on the other side. At feeding time he would stand up and pop out the crush waiting with that butter would not melt in his mouth look on his face.
Lord knows BobbyJo tried my patients nevertheless that little bastard was the center of my universe !
The horse treat and how to treat it:
Every horse is different for Sweet Enchantment it was Kieffer Treats Apple flavor and for Drake it was "Grandma Sweeties." The ponies were more radical as Montez's show treat was a toasted chicken & mayonnaise sandwich and a Fanta Orange. Meanwhile BobbyJo would materialize out of thin air should you open a pack of cheese curls anywhere on the property. Seriously he ones licked a chip right out my mouth. I did not realize the little bastard was there till it was to late imagine my surprise.
