Stable Days

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE

Hi Horse Pals,

Due to a special request from Eloise, we are going highlight the Tennessee Walking Horse. Early in our riding careers, Avery and I got a chance to ride a Tennessee Walking Horse. Our friend owned a few Tennessee Walkers and at her barn it was all Tennessee Walking Horses! And a few others, of course.  They were so beautiful and their gaits were so smooth - it was a really nice ride! 

So, let's get to the facts:)

TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE

Fact#1 :  The Tennessee Walking Horse was developed in the 1800s in Tennessee, America by land owners who wanted a comfortable riding horse for use on their land.

Fact#2 :  The Tennessee has an unusual stance with both pairs of legs pushed away from the body.

Fact#3 :  The Walkers have three very comfortable gaits - the flat walk, the running walk and the smooth rolling canter.  Both the walks are a 4 beat pace.    

Fact#4 :  The Walker can be any solid color, and stand between 15 and 16 hands.

Fact#5 :  The Walker is said to be the most good-tempered of all horses.

 

And an extra bonus fact!

Fact #6:  Strolling Jim was foaled in 1936 and was bred by Ed Gilliam near Viola, Tennessee.   He was a chestnut gelding with a near hind sock, a star and a snip.   He was a three-year-old when he won Grand Championship honors at the first Celebration in 1939. 

We hope you enjoyed this horse breed.  Thanks for the suggestion, Eloise! 

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

CONGRATULATIONS, CORBY ON A GREAT HORSE SHOW!

Hi Horse Pals ~

We just received this exciting news from Horse Pal, Corby and wanted to share it with you all. You and Roxy look amazing! Congratulations, Corby!  Excellent show!!

hi this is me at the show and my reserved champion ribbon and i won many more ribbons tough and jumped much higher on sunday

Keep sending photos, Horse Pals!  We love seeing them and sharing them with everyone!

Your Horse Pals, 

@raya and Avery

Q&A: CAN YOU RUN ANOTHER CONTEST?

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here is a question from Corby I wanted to share with you all.

hi guys i was just wondering if u could hold another contest to win episodes.  I really want to see them .  or if u can not have A Contest then can u tell me where i can get the DVD`s love corby

We would love to run another contest for our DVD Stable Days The Road to Jumping! Great idea, Corby!  We have an idea .... why don't you write in and comment here with ideas for what our contest could be. Maybe Horse Pals could write horse stories or poems or share a photo of their horses.  Let us know what you'd like to do.

And for those interested, you can buy our DVD on our blog or website. 

On the blog, you simply click the Stable Days picture in the left hand column, right below the About Us.  We would love to hear from you after you watch it and tell us your favorite parts.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

Q&A: HOW DO I GET MY HORSE TO JUMP STRAIGHT?

Hi Horse Pals ~

Elizabeth wrote with a great question that I wanted to share.  We look forward to hearing any of your suggestions.  Keep the questions coming!

Hi Araya! 

I was hoping you could help me. Snickers doesn't like to jump straight,

and he is allways pulling towards the right side of the fence. Do you have any tips for how I could get him to jump straight?

thanks!

Elizabeth and Snickers

Great question, Elizabeth!  Laurel, the Quarter horse pony I used to ride, sometimes jumped to the right and this is an exercise my trainer did with us to correct it.  Start with a simple cross rail and place a poll on the right side in front of the jump perpindicular to the jump.  Jump this a few times at the trot and then add a poll on the near left side of the jump (the opposite side of your other poll) so basically the horse has to go down the middle.

I am sure over the years I have used lots of exercises to work on this but this is the one that comes to mind first.  I hope this idea helps you and Snickers! Good luck!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

TIPS ON PREPARING FOR A HORSE SHOW

Hi Horse Pals ~

Corby wrote in and asked a great question that I wanted to share with you all.  I know lots of you will have great advice for her so make sure to comment on this post and share your ideas.

Corby writes:

i can see you guys have been to a lot of shows so i was wondering if guys could give some tips.  i am showing strawberry for the first time so any jumping or flat work tips would really help me out love uguys corby  @('..')@

I think the most important thing to bring to a show is preparation.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!  My trainer often sets up mock courses and we pretend like we are doing each class I plan to enter. For jumping, we will set up all different types of jumps and courses I might encounter and then pretend like our arena is the show arena.  She will quickly tell me the course and then off I go.  We also set up mock flatwork classes and she calls out the varying gaits and positions.  Avery and I also love to do this on our practice days.  It's fun to imagine being in the show arena and it's great practice.

For flatwork classes, make sure you stay focused on your correct diagonals and leads and listen carefully for the change of commands.  For jumping, remember strong flatwork is key and maintain your rhythm and balance throughout the courses.

Also, it's important to be really organized prior to the show ... we always check and clean all of our tack and try on our show outfits to make sure everything fits well.

And once you arrive, do your best to stay calm.  It will help you and Strawberry relax and have fun!!

Hope this is helpful!  Can't wait to hear other Horse Pals' thoughts!

Good luck, have a great time, Corby!!

Love,

@raya

P.S.  Horse Pals, if you have any questions, send them on over and I'll post them so all of our fellow riders can share their ideas.

AMAZING NATURE'S WONDERS PHOTOS

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I have been busy taking photos of beautiful nature spots with our Shutterbug Club.  I recently took this butterfly shot that I love and wanted to share with you all.  We are having so much fun capturing insects and wildlife in their natural environments.  We've updated our Nature's Wonders Photo Album with new photos, so check them out!

We would love to post your photos so send us any you'd like to share!

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

A MAMA AND HER BABY ... TOO SWEET FOR WORDS!

Hi Horse Pals,

Our friend sent us these adorable photos today and we wanted to share them with all of our Horse Pals.

This is a newborn offspring of Taskin, a Gypsy Stallion owned by Villa Vanners that was born in Oregon.  These pictures were immediately after his birth on April 6th.  The mare laid down and then the foal trotted around and crawled right up into her lap.

How sweet!  Your Horse Pals,

Araya and Avery

MORE NEWS FROM HORSE PAL CORBY

hi this is my pony Dixie she is a Connemara. She is fast and I like her trot and canter but her jump is not as great as strawberries.  She is so awesome.   

    

Here are some pics of my english bull dog Luther.  One pic is of him sleeping and one of just him.  He is so funny and very stubborn he will only sit if there is a treat envolved.  I love him and we are teaching him to jump small courses.  Talk to you later corby:)

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, CORBY FROM PA :)

Hi Horse Pals ~  We're happy to introduce our new Horse Pal, Corby to you all. Welcome to our blog and we hope to hear from you lots, Corby. Your horse is adorable! We would love to see photos of all of your horses and maybe some of your barn because we love PA! Love, Araya and Avery                         

Hi this is me riding strawberry fields she is an appaloosa.

 

She's slow and you need to keep a leg on her at all times.  But when we jump she just flies it`s just pure magic.  I usually jump higher but I just got her 3 weeks ago.  But in this pic I had just gotten her 3 days ago.  Now I jump 3 feet on her.  I love riding her.  I ride at Bargee Farms in PA.  It's a great and fun place to learn horse back riding.  I have lots of barn friends and we study show courses together.  In one pic I am watching my friend jump her new horse she got with me. 

 

I have 3 horses strawberry(appaloosa) Dixie(connamara) Roxy (warm blood).  I have been riding for 8 years since I was 4. Now I am 12 now. Bye love Corby 

ANIMAL ACRES: SAVING ONE CUTIE AT A TIME!

Avery and I had an opportunity to visit one of our favorite places for photo club recently: Animal Acres.  It is a wonderful animal sanctuary that is home to many beautiful farm animals.

This trip, we met a new baby pig named Jumper who was six weeks old and sooo cute!  We got to play with her in her pen and get many great photos of her.  It was hard to get a picture of her because she would always move around her pen.  Here is the cutie:

{Isn't she cute!}

Next we visited the goats on a little mountain.  There was a baby and her name was Faith.  She was a few months old and absolutely adorable!

Oh, I have a funny story about a goat!  A goat on the hill started to come down and it went in between a mom's legs and it looked as if she was riding the goat down the hillside backwards!  She had to hold her camera up so it didn't drop!  Too funny!

Here are a few shots of the goats:

{Little Faith}

{This is the one that gave the mom a ride}

Next we saw two adorable baby cows!  Their names where Cassanova and Sunny.  Cassanova is the one with more brown and Sunny is the one with more white.  Sunny was more shy than Cass but was really sweet and Cassa was really playful.

Cass tried to eat Avery's shirt!  Avery said it tickled:)

They were soo cute!  Our friend Denise got to feed Cass with a bottle!

She had to hold the bottle really tight because they were really hungry!  

{Cass is sucking Sunny's ear}

Then we went got a behind-the-scenes tour up a trail where we met some more cows and two donkeys.

They were so beautiful!  We got to pet them and there was a BIG bull!

Near the cows, I caught and then released a lizard.  It was a blue belly.

As you can see, Animal Acres is a paradise for farm animals.  We always really enjoy our visits there and can't wait to go back and visit our farm friends.  

If you want to learn more about this special place, check out www.animalacres.org. 

I hope you love this post!

Your Animal Pal,

Araya

BARN NEWS ... JUMPING AWAY!

Hi Horse Pals ~

We're back after a bit of a break - our computer was in the shop for a while and now is as good as new so expect to hear from us a lot!!

We've been jumping away and having a great time, as always!  Dandy has been such a good girl and Avery's been having a lot of fun jumping OB.

We've also been busy riding Jimmy and Remy getting them exercise.  Today I ran Jimmy in our big arena and he was galloping and whinnying like crazy ... he's super fast! Avery and I both worked on the flat today and also went on a trail ride with Dandy and OB.  They both had a great workout and enjoyed their rinse downs.

We've also had fun riding with our friends at the barn.  We did these fun obstacle courses with Buddy and Amanda ... here are some shots of Amanda and I jumping in sync.  It was tricky to get the timing just right!  We had a lot of fun!

Thanks for the great shots, Eric!  We were kicking up quite a bit of dust!!

In other barn news, our friend Gretchen got a new horse!  She had outgrown Snoopy and was looking for a new challenge.  This new guy is an Arabian/Pinto she has named "Absolute Value".  The absolute value in mathematical terms means that anything within its brackets turns any negative into a positive and the number always stays positive.  This is what she hopes to accomplish with her new boy. Congratulations, Gretchen!  We look forward to riding with you both. 

(Samuel took these shots of Gretchen and Value)

Samuel has been showing his new pony Merry Mary recently and has been having a great time in the show ring.  You and Merry Mary look fabulous, Samuel!

Great shot, Gretchen!

We hope you all have many fun rides with your horse pals this week!

Your Horse Pals,

Araya and Avery

P.S. Keep an eye out for some fun new shots in our photo albums in the next few days along with a really cool up-and-coming post featuring barn animals!!  We'll see you all again soon.  Until then, happy trails!

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ FRIESIAN

Hi Horse Pals ~ 

Great guesses for our next horse breed ... it's the Friesian, one of my favorite breeds!!  I had so much fun finding the gorgeous photos that follow.  Enjoy!

FRIESIAN

Fact #1:  So, I thought I'd make the first fact about the Friesian's color ... it's always black! And very beautiful, I must say!  Friesian horses are sometimes referred to as Belgian Blacks.

Fact #2:  The Friesian is one of Europe's oldest horses and hails from Friesland in the north of the Netherlands.   It has had an influence on a number of other breeds, specifically the Oldenburg and Fell and Dales ponies.

Fact #3:  Color alone is not the only distinguishing characteristic of the Friesian.  They also have a long, thick mane and tail, and "feathers"--long, silky hair on the lower legs, deliberately left untrimmed.

Fact #4:  The Friesian's average height is 15.3 but they can vary between 14.2 and 17 hands.

Fact #5:  Ancestors of the modern Friesians were used in medieval times to carry knights to battle. 

Another fun fact!:  Due to its flashy appearance, the Friesian has become popular in the film industry.  Films such as Eragon, The Mask of Zorro, Alexander, The Chronicles of Narnia and 300 have all featured Friesian horses.   

Okay, Horse Pals, let us know what horse you'd like us to feature next and we'll pick one from the suggestions.  We look forward to your picks!

@raya and Avery

HAPPY SPRING!

Hi Horses Pals,

We wish you all a happy Easter and a wonderful spring!

Last night I was looking for a unique picture to share with you all and stumbled upon this amazing artist.  Her name is Laurie Justus Pace and she does the most amazing oil horse paintings.  

She has given us permission to share them with you and you can find more of her incredible work at http://www.lauriepace.blogspot.com/ and

www.thepaintedpony.net.  Laurie is a Texas Modern Impressionist and is represented by galleries internationally and published and collected worldwide.  

Thank you Laurie for making the world a prettier place!!  

We wish you all a colorful Spring filled with great horse adventures!  

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

ODE TO GUINNEVERE

Hi Horse Pals ~

I know a lot of you call your barn your "home away from home" and we definitely see our barn pals as extended family.  We recently lost my favorite Hanoverian at the barn, Guinnevere.  She was a beauty and well loved at our barn.  I'd like to share with you a beautiful poem our friend, Donna wrote in memory of Guinn.

"Camelot"

Hush, Listen

was that another bell?

The clouds make it hard to see through, 

but,  am sure the sound was true.

Another precious soul has come to us today.

There she is,

there is the beauty we have been waiting for.

Oh, joyous being come closer.

Bounding proudly, free spirited flame,

the wind blows through heaven bearing your name.

And those who rose before you

Line up to welcome you here,

the lovely, gentle lady you know as

Guinnevere.

Shoulder to shoulder the company stand.

These dames and these sires - all royalty meet.

Cavorting and snorting in dance they do greet.

Secret exchanges through breath soft and sweet.

A circle binds them together as one supreme,

in the castle Arthur built awaiting his queen.

For Kelliann and Isabelle by D.M. Bion

HORSIN' AROUND WITH STABLE DAYS ~ REVIEW AT MOMDOT

There’s something about horses that draws little girls to them!  My seven year old daughter has been horse crazed since she was as young as 18 months old when she first requested her own pony on her daddy’s lap.  Her love for horses has only grown since then to a full out horse obsession but before we’d ever let her have her own horse, she’d have to fully understand the responsibility and care it requires to own one.

That’s one of the things I love the most about the movie, Stable Days!  It not only presents how fun it would be to have your own horse but shows the hard work and dedication it takes to be a responsible horse owner.  This educational horse movie is shown through the eyes of a young horse owner, Araya, in which she shares what it takes to be a true equestrian.  Kids follow her along as she introduces her barn friends, shows how she feeds and grooms her horses, goes through training, and what happens on show day! 

Elizabeth was completely enthralled in this horse DVD and feels after watching the video that she understands how to take care of a horse and believes she is fully capable of taking ownership of a horse.  While we are not ready for her to take on the responsibility of welcoming a horse into our family at this time, I know when we as a family are ready to surprise her with her own horse, this movie will be a great help and aid her in being more prepared when that day comes.  In the meantime, she’s been engrossed in finding out all the exciting horse facts found on Araya’s blog and can now point out several horse breeds in which we have fully implemented as part of her home studies.

If you have a child where horses have captured their heart, Stable Days is sure to become one of their favorite Dvds to watch!

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ MISSOURI FOX TROTTER

Hi Horse Pals ~

I thought it would be fun to highlight the Missouri Fox Trotter, so here it is!

MISSOURI FOX TROTTER

Fact #1:  In the early 19th century, the Missouri Fox Trotter was developed from horses in the Missouri Ozarks and bloodlines can be traced from the horses of early settlers coming to the Ozarks from neighboring states of Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas. Their horses were depended upon for their surefootedness in this mountainous region and their ability to do whatever was needed around the homestead ranging from plowing, hauling logs and working cattle, while at the same time being able to double as a stylish buggy horse or riding horse for the family. Whatever the need, this using horse proved capable and adaptable, later becoming known as the Missouri Fox Trotter.  I bet Laura Ingalls' family and their friends had Fox Trotters!

Fact #2:  The breed is best known for its unique gait, known as the fox trot, a four-beat diagonal gait in which the horse appears to walk with its front legs and trot with its hind. The gait, however, is not a mixed patter of footfalls, it has a clear pattern of diagonal foot movement where the front foot hits the ground a split-second before the opposite rear foot. The head shakes in unison with the rhythm of the gait. The tail perfectly balances the movements of the head.

Fact #3:  Because the Missouri Fox Trotter has a four-beat motion rather than a two-beat trot, the gait is easy to sit. It is accompanied by an up and down head nodding. The horses, unlike some other gaited breeds, do not have high-stepping action, but rather a very smooth, comfortable ride. The fox trot can be maintained for great stretches of time, reaching speeds up to 12 mph. A Fox Trotter can also perform a speed fox trot which goes 12-18 mph. 

 

Fact #4:  The Missouri Fox Trotter is also known for its stamina and soundness. The horses have a willing and gentle disposition, and are very surefooted. 

Fact #5:  The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse generally stands between 14.2 and 16.2 hands in height, and averages between 900 to 1200 pounds.  They come in most equine coat colors.

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about the Missouri Fox Trotter.  I think it would be fun to ride one some day! My sister, Avery and I have both ridden Tennessee Walkers and we enjoyed their unique gait.  Let us know if you've ridden a Fox Trotter and send us photos if you have them.

Our next breed is known for its distinctive color.  I look forward to your guesses!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

DANDY THE JUMPER!

Hi Horse Pals,

As you know, when I first started riding Dandy last year she was a green horse and had never jumped.  I have spent the past 10 months teaching Dandy to jump.  It has taken a lot of patience and dedication on the part of my trainer Lisa and I and Dandy, of course.   All of the work has gotten her in good shape and in the past few weeks, we have all noticed how she has finally got her jumping rhythm!  It has been so fun to jump with her!  She is now doing long courses with 10 or more jumps and is balanced and beautiful over the jumps.  She is coming off on the right leads and I have been able to control her rhythm with varying stride counts.

Congratulations, Dandy on all of your hard work ... it is paying off!  I love you lots!

We would love to hear about your horse adventures!  Send us photos and your story of things you've accomplished with your horse and we'll post it to share with all of our Horse Pals. Also, if you subscribe to our blog, you'll keep up to date with the goings on around the stable.

Happy riding,

@raya

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ HAFLINGER

Hi Horse Pals ~

In honor of Snickers and our Horse Pal, Elizabeth, we are going to highlight the Haflinger.  I love learning about new horse breeds and hope you enjoy this post.

                                       HAFLINGER

Fact #1:  The Haflinger is an old breed of small horse that originated in the mountains of the Austrian Tyrol. The name comes from the village of Hafling, part of Austria prior to the end of World War I, but now, located in Italy.

Fact #2:  The Haflinger is a small but powerfully built pony that is around 14 hands in height and is Chestnut in color with flaxen manes and tails.

Fact #3:  Haflingers which are entered in the breed's stud book are traditionally branded.  The brand mark is the alpine flower, the edelweiss, at the center of which is placed the letter "H".

Fact #4:  The Haflinger is known for its distinctive gait. It has a rhythmic gait that covers a large amount of ground.  The walk is relaxed but energetic and the trot and canter are elastic, energetic and athletic with a natural tendency to be off the forehand and balanced.

Fact #5:  The Haflinger is noted for its longevity and often live to be in their late 30's and reproduce well through their 20's. 

I love Haflingers and was very happy to feature them and learn more about them.  Next breed's clue:  Like the Haflinger, this horse breed has a unique gait.  Happy guessing!!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

STABLE DAYS REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY BY FEISTY, FRUGAL & FABULOUS

Hi Horse Pals ~

I recently received this review of my DVD Stable Days ~ The Road to Jumping and wanted to share it with you.  If you don't have a copy yet, you can win one at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous, so tell all your friends and good luck!

Your Horse Pal, @raya

Tired of the same goofy guys in colored t-shirts singing to your kids? What about the ultra-weird dancing monster and friends who live inside a boom-box? I have to say, some children's programming has gone way too the weird side lately. I think some of it does appeal to kids (my daughter is a fan of another weird er...garden show), but I know parents like me are looking for something different that can appeal to our children and teach them some values along the way. Stable Days The Road to Jumping couldn't have come at a better time to our household.

My 4 year old, while watching a children's show the other day that featured oh so cute puppies and kittens, suddenly declared that he would like to have a pet. I knew this day was coming, and I thought of a few creative excuses to use to pacify him for awhile. "Maybe when you are in grade one," and "Maybe when we move to a different house." These excuses will only work for so long and then a decision by his dad and I will have to be made.

Pets are cute, they're snugly and make great childhood friends. They also can go a far way to teaching children responsibility and discipline, but most kids just do not understand the work and dedication that goes into having an animal companion. Sure, they say they will walk the dog every day but we all know it's mom or dad who are left holding the leash.

Araya (what a beautiful name) is the star of this dvd, along with her barn friends, and trainer Lisa. The dvd is divided up into 3 episodes. The first episode, "Meet My Barn Friends" takes viewers into the barn to meet, among other animals, a goat and llama! Viewers follow Araya as she feeds her horse and other animals, and grooms her horse and gets her ready to ride. I think right from Episode 1, children can see the work and attention that goes into having any pet, regardless of it being a horse like Laurel or a dog like the one in the barn.

Episode 2: It's Time To Jump shows viewers all the work and training that goes into being a show jumper. Araya is quite the athlete and the attention to detail that is needed to perfect a jump is intimidating to me!

Episode 3: It's Showtime, showcases how all Araya's efforts pay off as she participates in her first jumping show. What I liked about this episode is that it doesn't cut right to all the glory of the event; viewers follow Araya as she prepares her horse for the show, including grooming and getting all dressed up (both horse and rider) for the big event.

This is a great dvd for children for a variety of reasons. Obviously if you know of a child who loves horses or riding, this is a must-have dvd for their collection. Children naturally seem to love animals, and Stable Days is a great introduction into the dedication and care that is involved in having an animal. Obviously, the same dedication doesn't go into having a hamster, but your 5 year old doesn't need to know this.

The creators of Stable Days would love to share Stable Days - The Road To Jumping on dvd. Two readers are going to win their own copy. To enter, check out the Stable Days website and Araya's Blog. Leave a comment on Araya's and then at Feisty Frugal and Fabulous  telling me what you think of the site, the dvd, etc.

Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. This giveaway will end on March 15th at 10:00pm CT. I will use Random.org to choose the winner, email the winner, and post the win at Feisty. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US addresses.

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ BARB

Hi Horse Pals ~

Our next highlighted horse is the Barb.  I thought it would be fun to highlight this ancient breed which some say may trace back to a group of wild horses that survived the Ice Age making it the oldest horse breed!

BARB  

Fact #1:  The Barb comes from the coastal regions of North Africa, countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and was formerly known as the Barbary Coast.  Like the Arabian, the Barb has had a tremendous effect on many horse breeds we see today.

Fact #2:  The Barb is a desert horse and known to possess swiftness, incredible endurance, and surefootednes, enabling him to gallop headlong up and down steep ravines that would give most other breeds pause. It is prized for its speed over short distances, and its loyalty and docile attitude.  

Fact #3: Throughout the world, Barbs are recognized as critically endangered. Through my research, I found the beautiful Abaco Barbs (see photo below) that live on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas.  There are only 8 of these beauties left in the world and there is an organization called arkwild.org whose goal is to preserve this breed and make the world aware of its existence.

Fact #4:  The Barb is between 14.2 and 15.2 hands and predominantly gray, but can be bay, brown, black or chestnut.

Fact #5:  One of the most famous Barb Horses, Roan Barbary belonged to the English King Richard II at the end of the 14th century. 

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about the Barb.  I thought it would be fun for you all to choose the next highlighted breed, so instead of giving you a clue, you can send in your nomination for the next breed and I'll choose one.  Simply leave the breed of your choice in the comments of this post.  I look forward to your suggestions!!

Happy Trails,

@raya

SHARE NATURE'S WONDERS WITH HORSE PALS WORLDWIDE!

Hi Horse Pals ~

As you know, Avery and I love taking photos and besides horses, one of our favorite topics is Mother Nature.  We carry our cameras with us now where ever we go because we never know when we will see a great shot to capture. We thought it would be fun to share our nature photos with all of you and share the beauty of Mother Nature together.  Check out our new photo album (just find the photo of a butterfly I took in my garden and click on it) and please send us your nature photos to share with all of our Horse Pals.  You can send photos of trees, flowers, insects, animals, anything in nature that inspires you to take a photo!  Feel free to write us and tell us a story about a photo, too.  

The day I took this butterfly shot I was playing in my garden when this beautiful butterfly fluttered on to a flower.  I quickly got my camera and followed it around my yard from flower to blade of grass, all around the garden.  It left the yard several times and came back and this was one of the last shots I took before it flew away forever.  I love how it looks like it's peeking through blades of grass.  I was literally hanging out this close to the butterfly for quite a while - I did not blow this photo up!  It was so much fun to spend the morning with this gorgeous creature.

We hope you enjoy all of nature's wonders and we look forward to seeing what inspires you!

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

SHUTTERBUG CLUB'S BARN PHOTO SHOOT

Hi Horse Pals,

We had a lot of fun looking at all the photos the Shutterbug Club took at the barn.  They were all so different and beautiful.  Here is when we shared our favorite shots.  Can you guess which is mine?!

My favorite shot that I took was a close up shot of Zero's ( the miniature horse) eye.  Here is the shot I chose.

I also took these shots ... the first is of Marshall, a barn favorite and the 2nd is Betty, the adorable 'barn' dog ...

Here's is Avery's favorite and I love it so much!  She got down on the ground to capture this shot and I like how the leaves are close and there are the stalls in the shot.

She also took these shots - they really show life at our barn.

Here are some shots our friend and Horse Pal, Kane took.  The first one of me riding Dandy was his favorite shot.  He got some great shots of Dandy ...

The next shots were taken by our friend, Denise.  I think these snapshots really capture life at the barn from the perspective of a young animal lover.  It was so fun to watch all of the kids really into the horses and having so much fun grooming and watching.

We hope you enjoyed these photos and would love to see your animal photos to include in our photo albums and share with our Horse Pals.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

THE MYSTERY OF THE MOVING TRAILER SOLVED!

Hi Horse Pals ~

We wanted to share a funny story with you all from our friends in Houston, TX.  Our friends, Marian and Dan, the Adopt-A-Foal horse rescue owners, have a flatbed trailer that was mysteriously moving around their farm.  One day, they found the culprit ... Shilo, an adorable Percheron rescue horse was moving the trailer around with her nose and then jumping up on it and moving it!  Here is a photo of her horsin' around!  Silly girl - isn't she a beauty?

Thanks for sharing this fun story.  If you have funny stories of your horse horsin' around, make sure to send them to us to share with our Horse Pals.  E-mail us at araya@stabledays.net.

Happy trails,

@raya and Avery

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~THOROUGHBRED

Hi Horse Pals,

Happy Valentine's Day!!  In honor of the day of 'love', I have chosen a breed my sister and I love, the Thoroughbred!  Quite apart from being the world's supreme racehorse, the Thoroughbred has played a vital part in the upgrading of numerous old horse and pony breeds and in establishing as many new ones.  

THOROUGHBRED

(This color above is a rare one in the Thoroughbreds)

Fact #1: The Thoroughbred originated in Great Britain and its genetic origin is Arabian.  The "foundation" stallions of the breed were: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Arabian. They were bred to native sprinting mares -- very probably Scottish Galloways -- and the resultant foals were the first Thoroughbreds.

Fact #2:  In addition to racing, Thoroughbreds compete in eventing, show jumping, and dressage at the highest levels of international competition, including the Olympics. They are also used as show hunters, steeplechasers, and in western riding speed events such as barrel racing.   Thoroughbreds can also be seen as mounted police, on polo and fox hunting fields.

Fact #3:  The first Thoroughbred horse brought to America was Bulle Rock, imported in 1730 by Samuel Gist of Hanover County, Virginia.

Fact #4:  The Thoroughbred comes in all solid colors, the most common being bay, chestnut and brown and the height ranges from 15.2 16.3 hands.

Fact #5:  There are many famous Thoroughbreds and here are just a few racehorses: Secretariat ~ in 1973, the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Citation in 1948, won 16 of 21 starts, fourth all-time money winner. Tied or broke 5 track records. Secretariat sold for an all-time high of $6,080,000.

Native Dancer ~ this silver gray horse won 21 of 22 races in his career. Owned by Alfred G. Vanderbilt, best two-year-old of 1952 and champion three-year-old in 1953, retired in 1954. Sired Raise A Native, Majestic Prince and Kauai King. 

Fact #6:  In honor of show jumping, I can't forget the world champion show jumper, Big Ben.

In 1984, the horse began competing in show jumping  events, touching off what would become a long and successful career. Millar rode Big Ben to more than 40 Grand Prix titles including six Spruce Meadows Derbys. as well as taking the world cup show jumping championship two years in the first World Cup Final came at Gothenburg. 

I hope you love the Thoroughbred as much as I do!  To give you all a bit more time to guess, I will start featuring a new breed every other week.  Here is a clue for the next horse or pony breed:)  This breed is known for its stamina and endurance.  Good luck!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE 1880s

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I recently went on a field trip to Leonis Adobe Museum and spent the day imagining what life would have been like in the 1880s on a huge sheep ranch.  We had so much fun!!

We began our tour meeting an adorable 2 week old lamb named Alice - she was so adorable and soft and made the cutest sounds.  We saw her playing and wandering the farm throughout the day.

We loved seeing all of the animals on the farm and had a lot of fun taking photos.  We met the 2 Percherons of the ranch, Morgan and Merlin along with Fred-A-Steer, the longhorn and a lot of sheep and goats that we enjoyed feeding. 

Morgan

Morgan and his pal Merlin

There were lots of baby Moreno lambs and kids and they were so cute ... they were all sleeping and laying together on top of each other!

We also made corn tortillas and churned butter like they did a long time ago and the tortillas were yummy!

We had a lasso lesson, learned about how blacksmiths make horses' shoes and pumped water from an old fashioned water pump. 

It was really neat to see the adobe house and what the house looked like back in the time of the Little House on the Prairie years!  We were able to see and touch adobe bricks and walk through the entire Leonis Adobe ranch house.  It was amazing how small their beds were!

We definitely got a feel of what life would have been like back in the late 1800s and we highly recommend visiting Leonis Adobe if you are ever in the Southern California area.  You can learn more and find out some fun animal facts at http://www.leonisadobemuseum.org.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

P.S.  Avery wanted you all to know that any animal with split hooves, like a cow or lamb, have 4 stomachs.  Isn't that a lot?

MOM FUSE REVIEWS STABLE DAYS

CALLING ALL ANIMAL LOVERS!

Spend a day at the barn and explore with young equestrian, Araya!

Come jump inside Araya’s world as she follows her passion for horseback riding. In Stable Days ~ The Road to Jumping, we follow Araya throughout the barn as she explores what it takes to be a true equestrian.  

In this delightful DVD series, you will encounter Araya’s stable mates, learn fun animal facts, meet her horse trainer and get a first hand look at what it takes to care for a horse, train endlessly and prepare for show day.  Get ready to saddle up for a ride of a lifetime!

STABLE DAYS DVD REVIEW

Written by Amber @ A Little Bit Nutty

Growing up I always wanted a horse, I know most have probably asked for one at one time in our lives. Back then I didn’t really understand what it took to care for a horse. Now that I’m a adult and own 5 quarter horses I see what it really takes.

Stable Days does a great job at showing kids what it takes to take care of horse, but also shows how fun it is too. In the movie Araya introduced us to her barn yard friends, showed us the tools to groom your horse, how often it should be done and why it’s important. She also showed us how she feeds the horses every morning. Araya then showed us how to get ready to ride and let us join her for a riding lesson.

If you have a child who loves animals…horses in particular, Stable Days is a great way to give them a glimpse in the world of owning, caring for and riding a horse. You can purchase Stable Days The Road to Jumping at www.stabledays.net. It retails for $16.95.

You can also find Araya at her blog Stable Days. At Stable Days you will find all kinds of information about horses. I loved reading the five fun facts about her favorite horse breeds. So head over and say hello!

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~APPALOOSA

Hi Horse Pals,

This week's horse is the Appaloosa.  I chose this horse because it is one of Dandy's Horse Pals at the barn.  So, this one's for you, Snoopy!  You can check out Snoopy in our photo albums.  

                                                          APPALOOSA

Fact #1:  Once almost extinct, the American Appaloosa is now one of the most numerous horses in the world!

Fact #2:  The Appaloosas descended from spotted Spanish horses brought to America and prized by the Nez Perce Indian tribe.  They got their name from the Palouse River in the Pacific Northwest.

Fact #3:  There are 5 main coat patterns.  A leopard is white with black/brown spots.  A snowflake has white spots on a dark body.  The blanket is white without dark spots over the hips, a marble is mottled, and a frost has white specks on a dark background.

Fact #4:  In America gaited spotted horses, those who show the ability to perform an intermediate gait other than the trot (such as the rack, foxtrot, running walk or pace) are termed Walkaloosas.  Like the Appaloosa, it is known for its kind, sensitive nature and makes an outstanding pleasure and trail horse.  (Cool fact, huh?!)

Fact #5:  Appaloosas are highly versatile horses, seen in western riding competitions that include cutting, reigning, rodeo, barrel racing and pole bending.  They are also used for English riding in hunt seat, dressage and hunter style events. There is horse racing for Appaloosas, and they do well in endurance riding as well as being casual trail riding companion animals.

Fact #6:  I couldn't pass up adding another fact again!  Appaloosas are often seen on the big and small screen in Western movies and television series.  "Cojo Rojo" starred in the Marlon Brando filmThe Appaloosa and "Zip Cochise" was ridden by John Wayne in the 1966 film El Dorado.

 

This was a really fun breed to research and I even found a really cool Appaloosa Museum.

Here's a clue for next week's breed:  this horse breed can be found in MANY different breeds!

Happy hoofin',

@raya

BUILD A BARN

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I recently built a stable for our horses.  The pieces came in a kit and we had a lot of fun assembling it.

The kit also had a horse to paint and I made mine look like Dandy :)

After we built the stable, I painted and decorated it.  

Our horses are lovin' their new home. 

If you would like to build your own barn, see Araya's Store for stable craft kits.  And if you have any fun crafts you'd like to share, we'd love to hear about them.

Happy trails,

@raya and @very

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ FALABELLA

Hi Horse Pals, 

So, this week's breed tied in perfectly with our friends' Steve and Tamara's visit to South America.

Here are some fun facts about the Falabella:

FALABELLA

Fact #1:  The little Falabella is named after the family who created it near Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the early 1900s.  They crossed tiny Shetland ponies with a small Thoroughbred and kept breeding using the smallest ponies produced, creating the smallest breed of horse in the world..

Fact #2:  Although its size suggests it is a pony, its proportions make it closer to a miniature horse, standing around 7 to 8.2 hands.  

Fact #3  Falabella foals stand only around 4 hands (that's only 16 inches!) and the mom is pregnant for 13 months, two months longer than other horses and ponies!  

Fact #4:  Most Falabellas are considered intelligent and easily trainable. Due to their size, Falabella horses can only be ridden by very small children, and thus are generally shown in-hand at horse shows. They can be taught to drive, and cart driving is a favorite pastime of Falabella owners. They also are able to jump obstacles up to three feet, though only in-hand, without a rider.

Fact #5:   Falabella's most common colors are bay and black, but there are also pintos, palominos and other spotting patterns found.

I hope you love this little horse as much as I do!  Here is a clue for next week's breed...

this breed is often featured in movies!

Good luck!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

HORSE PALS ACROSS THE AMERICAS

Our friends from Switzerland, Steve and Tamara, took an 18 month trek around the Americas and here are some of their stories and four legged beauties they met along the way in North, Central and South America.

This photo was taken in Antigua, Guatamala, which used to be the capitol of Guatamala until the city was destroyed by many volcanic eruptions.   This city has the feeling of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We thought it was so funny that the horses wear diapers here - we couldn't stop laughing!!  Check it out!!

We took this photo at a ranch called Finka Ixobal in Guatamala.  This is a beautiful green place where we saw jungle animals wandering around.  I (Steve) told my parents that I wanted to celebrate my birthday with monkeys and I did!!  We stopped at this ranch before we went to Tikal which had the most amazing ruins of the Mayans.  

This photo was in Costa Rica at Cerro de la Muerta where we were 10,000 feet high!!  The people were so friendly and invited us to stay with them.  The stirrups were a little long!

We took this photo of Mountain Fitz Roy in El Chalten, Argentina.   Many people travel from all over the world a few times in their lives to see these mountains as they are often covered with clouds and bad weather.  We saw them on the second day of our visit and they were SO beautiful.

This horse ride was in Ushuaia, Argentina, the most southern tip of South America you can reach by car.  This photo was on Christmas Eve where 17 families came together and celebrated at this spot.  It was a very special Christmas!

My whole family took a horse ride together in Argentina (the land of horses) and I (Steve) led the way and everyone followed me.  

We took this photo in Dawson City, Canada that just borders Alaska on Governor's Day where they had a big celebration.  Instead of a motorcycle, the policeman were on horses.  Isn't the horse beautiful?

These wild horses were running in Patagonia, Argentina on Route 40, a dirt road that runs for 1400 miles.  Sometimes we didn't see people for days!  We saw many herds of horses along the way ... the lead stallion would whinny really loud when we came close and then the herd would run alongside the car.  This horse was in charge of the entire herd and it was amazing to see.

We hope you love our photos of our trip.  It was a trip of a lifetime!

Your Horse Pals,

Steve and Tamara

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ MORGAN

Hi Horse Pals ~

I chose the Morgan because I love the story of how the breed got its name.  I hope you enjoy it, too!

            MORGAN

Fact #1:  Justin Morgan, the first Morgan horse named after his owner, was foaled in 1789 and originally named Figure.  As a 2 year old, he was sold to Justin Morgan, a schoolteacher who used the little bay stallion to work long, hard hours plowing fields, carrying his master in the saddle and pulling a carriage on the roads of Vermont. Though he was not as big as the colonial workhorses and not as tall and long-legged as the racehorses, he consistently outperformed both and made himself famous!  Once he pulled a log no draft horse could budge, once he carried President Monrose on a muster-day parade, and once he outran the most winning racehorse central Vermont had ever known! 

Fact #2:  The Morgan horse is a remarkable horse and possibly one of the most important American breeds of horse and it influenced many other breeds, most notably the Tennessee Walker, Standardbred and Saddlebred. 

Fact #3:  The Morgans are stong, brave and versatile.  They are equally at home in harness and under saddle and are widely used for leisure riding all over America.  They excel in almost all disciplines of horsemanship.

Fact #4: Today's Morgans differ little from Figure.  The average size is between 14.2 and 15.2 hands and they are predominently bay, chestnut or brown although some black, palomino, buckskin and even a few grays appear in the breed.

Fact #5:  The Morgan has a characteristic stance, with the front end thrust forward and the hind legs pushed straight out behind them.

I had so much fun with this one that I'm giving an extra bonus fact!

Fact #6!:  The Morgan horse made such a fabulous story that a book and movie were made about it.  The popular children's book, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, is written by famous equine writer Marguerite Henry and Walt Disney Studios released the movie, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, in 1972.  

So, here's a clue about next week's breed: this breed is from South America!

Guess away and happy riding!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

PEANUT BUTTER AND PICKLE REVIEWS STABLE DAYS

I think that every child at some point in time has asked their parents for a Pony.  The reality is that very few of those kids will get their wish.  Many of them may never get to ride a horse during their childhood.  This doesn't necessarily have to stop them from their love of animals and learning about them.

My little girl is a good example of that.  She loves horses and other animals, but chances are very good that she will never own one.  Stable Days takes you through a typical day of owning and riding a horse.  Araya introduces all of her horses to the viewers and then proceeds to show how she feeds, grooms, exercises and trains them.

 I love that Stable Days doesn't just glorify horseback riding.  It shows the kids that yes it's fun to own and ride a horse..but it involves hard work as well.

If you have a child or know a child who loves learning about horses, this video is for you.  Stable Days can be purchased online at www.stabledays.net and retails for $17.97

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ PERCHERON

Hi Horse Pals,

This weeks' horse is the well known Percheron.  

                                                        PERCHERON

Fact #1:  Originally from the La Perche district of Normandy, France, the Percheron is one of the most popular draft horses and is found world wide.

Fact #2: One of the tallest horses on record was a Percheron named Dr. Le Gear.  He was foaled in 1902, stood 21 hands and weighed 2,995 pounds!

Fact #3: They can stand between 15.2 and 19 hands, can weigh up to 2,600 pounds and are typically come in black and gray.  

Fact #4:  The versatile Percheron has been used as a warhorse, for draft and farm work and also as a riding horse.

Fact #5:  For a heavy horse, they have grace and freedom of movement, and amazing stamina, being able to travel in trot, on average, an incredible 35 miles a day!

I hope you love the Percheron as much as I do.  Some say they may have existed since the Ice Age!  Wow!  

Here Is a clue for next weeks' horse: it is named after a person.

Good Luck!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

STABLE DAYS AWARDED THE DOVE FAMILY-APPROVED SEAL!

We are excited to announce that Stable Days The Road to Jumping has just been awarded the Dove Foundation's Family-Approved Seal!  Stable Days received 5 Doves and has been approved for family friendly entertainment viewing.  Here's their review:

In this DVD we meet seven year old Araya and follow her as she shows us around the farm.  In "Meet My Barn Friends", we get to know her friends, both the four legged and the two legged varieties. But, most importantly, we get to meet her horse. Araya and this horse become good friends. She shows  all about what it takes to care for a horse from grooming and feeding to caring and loving it.

In "ITʼS TIME TO JUMP", Araya puts the horse through the paces of "flat work" and small jumps. There is more there than meets the eye.

Section 3 is "ITʼS SHOW TIME". Here we go with Araya and her trainer to Arayaʼs first show. She is a little nervous but, with everything sheʼs learned and her horse under her, she does well.

"STABLE DAYS - THE ROAD TO JUMPING" is a terrific family event. If anyone is considering getting their child a horse, this is the DVD to get. And, if anyone just loves horses, this is the DVD to get. Join Araya as she shows us all just what to do. We award this sweet DVD our Dove Seal. 

      

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ DUTCH WARMBLOOD

Hi Horse Pals,

So this one was a bit harder to guess, eh?  He He.  This week's Horse is the Dutch Warmblood and he is a beauty!

DUTCH WARMBLOOD

Fact #1: The Dutch Warmblood is a relatively young breed that was created in the 1900s in the Netherlands and combines the best elements of both the Gelderlander and the Groningen with the English Thoroughbred.

Fact #2:  The Dutch Warmblood is possibly the most successful of the competition breeds.

One of its own has the title of world's most successful show jumper and one of the most famous dressage partnerships of all time was Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Dutch Warmblood, Dutch Courage.

Fact #3:  Dutch Warmbloods are usually bay, gray, chestnut or black in color and stand between 15.3 and 16.3 hands.

Fact #4:  The Dutch Warmblood is a strong and athletic breed, known for its calm temperament.

Fact #5:  A Dutch Warmblood stallion named Brego played Aragorn’s steed in all three Lord of the Rings movies. 

I think this is one of the most beautiful breeds of all!  I love how they jump and how they move!  I hope you enjoyed this highlight as much as I did!

So, for this week's clue ... this horse is a large one!  Good luck!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya                                                                 

AVERY'S BIRTHDAY BARN BASH!

This week we celebrated Avery's 8th birthday at the barn and had a blast!!  The barn has become our favorite location for a party ... we love celebrating with our friends and horses and dogs there, and especially LOVE games on horseback!!

We started the day with a jumping lesson and Avery jumped OB and I jumped Dandy ... it was a fun start to a day of partying!

Our Horse Pal, Elizabeth just asked about mounted games so here are some super fun ones that we played at Avery's party!!  If you're looking for horse games, also check out an earlier post in August when we also played horse games at my birthday party.

DOLLAR BILL OR LEAF (OR ANYTHING FLAT!) GAME:  This is a fun game you can do either bareback or in the saddle where your leg strength is tested!!  We placed a large leaf against our knee and had to keep it on while doing numerous exercises.  Basically someone calls out positions (i.e. posting trot, 2 point canter, etc.) and the last person with the leaf still on, wins! This is one of our favorites and we can never play it enough (we played it 3 times at Avery's party!)

AUSTRALIAN TROT:  This was a new game for us and our Horse Pals, Samuel and Gretchen taught us.  This is a really great game and we all loved it!  In this game, you all spread out on the rail in the arena and attempt to pass the other players at the trot.  If you walk or canter, you are out and if you are passed, you are out.  Everyone must stay on the rail except when attempting to pass.  We played 2 times and I won both on speedy Jimmy.   

ROUND UP: This game is played in teams (we had 2 teams of 3 riders) and the goal is to find as many plastic animals as you can that are hidden and placed around the arena and then drop them in your team's bucket in the middle of the arena.  Everyone rode at the same time and the game was over when every animal was found and in a bucket.  You can only pick up one animal at a time and drop it in the bucket before finding another animal.  With all of the teams are riding at the same time, you had to dodge and steer your way around the other riders.  Our trainer, Lisa played and she galloped all around the arena!  He He!  It was SO much fun we played it twice!!  Lisa, Samuel and I won both times!  

ANIMAL TOSS:  This is a game we played on the ground and was a lot of fun!  We put a bucket out and then stood back and threw plastic horses into it.  We used a sweat scraper as our mark to stand at and moved it each game different distances from the bucket.  We played this one 3 times and Avery's team won.  This is a game that can be played in teams or as individuals and a fun addition to any horse party!

A party at the barn would not be complete without pizza and Avery baked delicious chocolate and peanut butter and chocolate brownies that everyone devoured!  

We had an awesome time celebrating and it was a very special day for Avery.  Happy, happy birthday, Avery!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

7 NEW HORSE PALS FROM VIRGINIA :)

Hi Horse Pals,

Welcome our new Horse Pal, Elizabeth, her cute horse, Snickers and all of her horse lovin' siblings!

Elizabeth wrote us and here's what she said:

Araya,

Hi, here are the pictures I promised.  This is Snickers, my dream pony.

{Isn't he ADORABLE?!!  I love his face and his color!}

{This shot reminds me of a shot in Stable Days  when Lisa and I were going over a course before the show.}

{This is a great shot!  I love his mane and his tail AND his four white socks.}  

My sisters want me to attach some pictures of them and Luke and Rue, the ponies they ride at the barn.  Katherine is riding Rue (grey) and Mia is on Luke (dark roan and my old pony).

{Katherine and Rue are so cute.  I love greys.}

{Mia and Luke are adorable.  Avery and I rode a horse named Luke and he was so long that Avy and I could sit on his back together!}

I'm the oldest and my brothers and sisters are 8.5 (the triplets), 7, 3, and the baby. 

I've been riding since 4.  I only do hunter jumper now.  Tell me more about you when you have a chance!

Happy Trails,
Elizabeth and {@raya}

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ QUARTER HORSE

Hi Horse Pals,

Horse Pal, Cayce requested the Quarter Horse and in honor of her horse Annie, this is the horse of the week.

                                                               QUARTER HORSE

Fact #1:  The Quarter Horse was first bred in Virginia in the 1600s for riding and farmwork and is the first "all-American horse".

Fact #2:  The Quarter Horse is one of America's oldest and certainly one of the most popular horses in the world, with over three million registered in the U.S.

Fact #3:  The Quarter Horse comes in any solid color and they range in size from 14.3 to 16 hands.

Fact #4:  The Quarter Horse has extraordinary versatility because of its exceptional temperament. They are used for all areas of leisure riding, in competitive sports, especially the rodeo, all forms of ranch and cow work and once again on the racetrack.

Fact #5:  Wimpy, the first registered Quarter Horse, was born in the 1930s and sired over 150 foals!!!  He was a chestnut colored stallion, with a star and a sock on his left hind leg. When fully grown, he was 15 hands high and weighed about 1200 pounds.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about the Quarter Horse.  You may remember in Stable Days I rode a Quarter Horse pony named Laurel so I have a special place in my heart for Quarter Horses.

So, here's my clue for next week's horse ... I'm going to make it a bit tougher!  This horse is from Europe and often bay in color.  Happy guessing!!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

FUN PHOTOS FROM HORSE PAL, CAYCE :)

Horse Pal, Cayce would like to share some pictures of her Quarter Horse, Annie.

This is a photo of Annie way before I got her.  The little girl standing next to her is my cousin Alex and she's turning 18 this month!

The baby horse standing next to Annie is her daughter Gigi. I didn't even know about Gigi until we picked Annie up. My cousin Christy bought Gigi and most of Malynda's mini horses. 

These drawings of Annie are from Anna on Club Pony Pals.

Thanks for sharing your photos and drawings of Annie ... I love them all, especially the one of her with her baby and the miniatures! 

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Cayce

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HORSES AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, HORSE PALS!

Happy New Year to all of our horse pals and a very happy birthday to all of your horses and all of the horses in the Northern Hemisphere!!

Did you know that all horses that live in the Northern Hemisphere (which includes the United States, Canada and Europe) officially celebrate their birthdays on January 1st?  And horses that live in the Southern Hemisphere, like Australia, celebrate August 1st.

Isn't that interesting?  Apparently, it comes from Thoroughbred horse racing and wanting to categorize the horses' ages. 

Isn't this horse ice sculpture amazing?!  We hope you all have amazing horse adventures in 2009!!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and @very

HORSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Hi Horse Pals,

Our friends Chantelle and Nakia recently went to Iran and sent this post and a few pics of the one horse they saw.  

Here's what they said ...

We don't think this is an Arabian horse, but it's the only horse we saw on our trip to Iran.  Do you know what kind it is? 

It sure is dressed up! 

We heard that horse riding is popular and that they do have Arabian horses there - we just didn't see any.  When we were in Ireland, we saw horses everywhere - but not in Iran.  

The photos of the snowy horses are from our trip to the mountains in Arizona.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya, Chantelle and Nakia

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ ARABIAN

Hi Horse Pals ~

The first 2 horses I rode were Arabians, OB and Biffy, and so I am happy to highlight them. They are considered by many people to be the most beautiful equine animal in the world.

ARABIAN

Fact#1::  The Arabian originated in the Middle East and to the Arab people is called keheilan, meaning " pure blood, through and through".  They are the oldest and purest of all horse breeds.

Fact#2::  The Arab is quite unique in its conformation.  The Arab has 17 ribs (other horses have 18); five lumbar vertebrae (other horses have 6); and 16 tail bones (other horses have 18).

Fact#3::  The head is small and elegant, with a "dished," or concave, profile.  The neck has a high crest and the angle at which the neck joins the head, called the mitbah, is seen only in this breed.

Fact #4:  The Arabian is a breed with a reputation for intelligence, high spirit and outstanding stamina, which makes it an excellent choice for endurance riding.

Fact #5:  Traditionally, the Arab is a small horse ranging from 14.2 - 15 hands and the Arabian Horse Association recognizes pure bred horses with the coat colors bay, grey, chestnut, black and roan.  Bay is the most common color, followed by grey and then chestnut.

There were so many fun facts about Arabians that it was hard to choose 5!  It's a lot of fun to learn even more about some of my favorite horses.  

So, here's the clue to my next horse choice ... the first horse to be registered as this breed was named Wimpy. Have fun guessing!!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HORSE PALS!

HAVE A BEARY MERRY CHRISTMAS 

AND A NEW YEAR FILLED WITH LOTS O'HUGS, 

HORSE PALS!!

LOVE, @RAYA AND @VERY

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ HANOVERIAN

Hi Horse Pals,

It has been very fun to hear your favorite horse breeds (along with some fun facts and 

photos) in our contests.  I thought it would be fun to highlight a different horse breed each week starting now into the new year.  I will put some  beautiful photos and fun facts about each breed.  I will start with some of my favs, and since my #1 favorite is the Hanoverian I will start with that today.  Feel free to post some fun facts on your favorite breeds and if you want to post a photo, e-mail it to me and I will put it on the blog.  Let me know if there is a breed you would like me to highlight and I will try to get to them all in 2009!!

Let the fun begin!!

HANOVERIAN

Fact #1::  The Hanoverian originated in Germany in the 1700's.

Fact #2::  A great many Hanoverians have become household names as show jumpers, among them Dollar Girl (1995 World Cup winner with Nick Skelton) and Top Gun (1992 Olympic team gold medallist with Jan Tops).

Fact #3:: They can come in any solid color and their height is from 15.3 to 16.3 hands 

(62-66 in.)

Fact #4::  Hanoverians are among the world's most sought-after sports horses, their strength and athleticism making them especially suitable for dressage and show jumping.

Fact #5 The Hanoverian is noted for its strength then its speed, hence the many successes of its representatives in dressage and show jumping.  They are known for their natural balance and floating trot.

Here's a clue to next week's horse ... "It only has 17 ribs".  If you want to guess, just click comment below and add your guess!!

See ya next week,

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

THE SHUTTERBUG CLUB VISITS THE BARN :)

Hi Horse Pals,

Avy and I belong to a photo club and each month we visit a different location for a photo shoot.  This week we had our photo shoot at the barn.  

 

It was so fun to share the barn with our friends.

Before we begin a photo shoot session, we share the previous month's pictures with everyone. Today we shared our Travel Town photos.  

Once the photo shoot began, I had a lot fun watching all of the photographers taking shots from their unique perspective.

As you know, the barn is my very favorite place to be and we have taken a TON of photos there.  I think it will be so interesting to see the photos from people visiting for the first time.

I can't wait to see their photos and share some with you!! Our photographer friends got to meet Dandy and OB and all of our horse friends.

I ran Dandy for them so they could get a horse in motion. 

After the shoot, Avy and I taught some of our friends how to groom.  They really enjoyed being with the horses and helping care for them.

Avy and I then rode OB and D and some of the photographers hung around and went in the arena and snapped away!

It was a memorable and fun day at the barn!

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avy 

WIN A COOL KIDS TEE JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Tell us your favorite type of horse and have a chance to win one of our fun "It's All About Horses" t-shirts!  This fashionable tee will be a hit with the animal lover on your gift list! 

It's easy!  It's free!  Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post (you simply click "Comments").  Good luck!

You can check out our entire line of "Live Your Passion" adults and kids tees and tote bags at http://www.boorileyproductions.com.

Contest for U.S. Residents Only.  Contest ends 12/15/08 and winner will be listed here. Winning t-shirt available in youth sizes small, medium and large.

P.S.  Also, animal lovers worldwide can join our free Horse Pals Club!  Read my blog to find out more ...

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

STABLE DAYS DVD CONTEST GIVEAWAY!

Calling all animal lovers!  Tell me about your favorite animal and have a chance to win my 3 episode DVD set that includes Meet My Barn Friends, It's Time to Jump and It's Show Time!  It's a perfect gift for the horse and animal lovers in your life and just in time for the holidays!

It's easy!  It's free!  Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post (you simply click "Comments").  Good luck!

Your Animal Pal, @raya 

Contest for U.S. Residents Only.  Contest ends 12/1/08 and winner will be listed here.

P.S.  Also, animals lovers worldwide can join our free Horse Pals Club!  Read my blog to find out more ...

A TRAIL RIDING WE'LL GO!

Hi Horse Pals,

This week Avy and I went on a trail ride with our trainer, Lisa.  It is a beautiful mountain trail with beautiful views.  It was Avy's 1st time on the trail and she loved it so much.  Her favorite part was cantering in the mountains.

It was the perfect day to go on the trail because the weather was so beautiful and it was so green because it had just rained.  Avy rode Remy, I rode Dandy and Lisa rode Schmidt.  We walked and trotted and cantered.  

I love love love to trail ride! I love to ride fast on the trail, ride with other people and see all of the beautiful sights.  It is one of my favorite things to do!

I would love to hear about your trail rides.

Happy trails,

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, HORSE PALS!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, HORSE PALS!!

ENJOY YOUR FURRY FRIENDS!

LOVE, @RAYA AND @VERY

A GREAT WEEK OF FLAT WORK WITH JIMMY

Hi Horse Pals,

This week Avy and I had a great time working Jimmy on the flat after our training sessions with Lisa.

Avy walked and trotted figure 8s and serpentines and practiced her sitting trot.  She really loved riding him.

I also gave him a great workout this week.  I worked on circling in the canter and figure 8s at the trot.  He is getting good at staying at a nice pace at the canter.  I love riding him.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and @very

P.S. Jimmy is an Arab Clydesdale cross!  Isn't he cute?!