Stable Days

HAWAIIAN RANCH LUAU FUN-DRAISER AT THE BARN!

Hi Horse Pals,

We had a really awesome event at our barn that we wanted to share with you all.  There is an organization called the Willie Ross Foundation that offers a therapeutic riding program at our barn and they recently held a fundraising event at the barn that was so fun!

It was so strange to walk up to the stables and see and hear a band playing in our arena!!  The theme was a Hawaiian ranch luau and some of the cowgirls at our barn did hula dances, and there was even a fire throwing show.

Dori, the dressage trainer at our barn, did a demonstration on her beautiful horse, Niko.  You can actually check him out in our DVD, Stable Days.  

 

leg yield

After her riding demo, Dori talked about Niko's breed (a Welsh pony) and how they were bred for war.   She had me get in the arena to show the audience how these horses could maneuver quickly and effortlessly around a human on the battlefield.

Then, our trainer, Lisa did a jumping demonstration.  Avery and I were part of the Dynasty Farms crew who set up and tore down the jumps.  We had so much fun!!

 

planning the courses
 

Lisa rode Meritage who looked so beautiful!

Even Dandy got in on the fun with lots of visitors with yummy treats!

And of course, I couldn't pass up a day to get in the saddle and have some fun myself!

We donated 2 Stable Days DVDs and one of our horse t-shirts and tote bags for the silent auction.  We were happy to be able to contribute to such a great cause.  A super fun time was had by all!!

If you would like to contribute or find out more about this wonderful organization, visit them at www.willieross.org.

Happy trails, @raya and Avery

HAPPY FALL HARVEST!

Hi Horse Pals, 

We wanted to share with you some awesome shots we took that represent Fall to us.  It is one of our favorite seasons and we hope you love it as much as we do!

 

I took this shot at a local farm and I love the beautiful colors in strawberry corn.  I loved how the light was hitting the corn in this shot.

    

Avery took these beautiful sunflower shots!! The light and color are perfect!

 What is Fall without pumpkins!  Orange is one of the biggest fall colors.  Avery took this shot in a field FULL of pumpkins!

 

Avery and I hangin' in the pumpkin patch.  

I took this shot.  We had just gone through this really long corn maze! "I made it!" said Avery.

 

Avery took this shot.  It shows all different types of pumpkins and corn.

And of course, no photo exhibit is complete without a horse!!  Avery took this great shot at the farm, too!

We hope you love all of these shots!  Send us some of your favorite Fall photos! 

Your Horse Pal, @raya

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, KENZIE FROM MASSACHUSETTS! :)

Here's my horse pal stuff. :D ;; 

Hi! I'm McKenzie. I'm 13 years old and I live in Massachusetts. I leased a horse for two years named Nick, but in the beginning of the summer I broke my leg and had to stop leasing him. I still rode even with a cast though, even jumping! Here are some pictures from the summer and some of my shows last year! ;;

As you can see,  
we love the blue ribbons!

And we love jumping! Our highest is 2' 9".

Posing for the camera!

I love him!

Riding with my broken leg. That horse is an arabian named Tess.

A horse I love named Jax.

That's awesome you still rode with a cast, McKenzie!  What breed is Nick?  Is your cast off now? Are you going to lease another horse?  We look forward to hearing more from you!

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, HORSE PALS!

Hi Horse Pals,

We hope you all had an awesome Halloween!! We did!!  We went to two parties this week, one at the park with all of our friends and the other on Halloween night!  

We also went to our favorite pumpkin patch where this year we saw a horse that looked just like Jimmy!  Don't ya think?!

This year Avery dressed up as Michael Jackson and she totally looked like him!  

I was a cowgirl (which for those of you who know me, I have been either a horse or a horseback rider for MANY years, so this was something new!)

 Last night, someone painted this cool black horse on my arm.  Check it out!

We had a great time at the party and trick-or-treating, of course!  We hope you all had a great time, too!  We would love to see photos of you in your costumes, so send them to us!

Happy November and happy horse trails!

Your Horse Pals, Araya and Avery

"THE CLOUD AND THE GREY CAT" BY AVERY

Once upon a time, the sun came up and it was a bright blue day, and puffy white clouds were floating in the sky.  And kids were playing in a big green field at the park.  Some were swinging and some were doing monkey bars, and some fell off and some stayed on.  Well, that blue morning a little grey cat was climbing up a tree.  While he was climbing up the tree, a dog started to bark at him and a squirrel followed him up.  When the dog stopped barking, the cat went down and got some food.  Then he took a little nap.  Then he went down the tree and went for a walk.  When he looked behind him, he didn’t see his house.  He realized he was lost.  He said to himself, “Why not go to the beach?  They might find me there.”  He thought it wasn’t that far because he had gone in the car, but now he had to go on foot.  So, he looked at the familiar green hills and started to walk up them.  They were so hard to climb, but in the car they had seemed effortless.  He realized he was a small little cat and he wasn’t that fast of foot.  He said to himself, "Maybe I'll rest on this tree and play for a while.”  So he dangled his front paws over the tree and swung himself back and forth.  He almost fell when suddenly something caught him.  He stepped on it and thought it must have been another tree branch but it was actually the very special cloud who was interested in this little cat.  She watched every little step he took … she watched him in the tree, climbing the mountains, every little step he took.  The cat walked on until he found the nice beach he was looking for.  The cat dug a little cave in the sand and the cloud followed him inside.  She said hello but the cat couldn’t hear her airy voice, because of course she was a cloud who lived in the air.  Then the cat jumped at what he saw … a little puffy cloud speaking to him with big blue eyes and big bushy lips.  When he saw the cloud, he was surprised because he thought the air would only keep him up, not down.  He carefully said, “What are you doing down here?”  The cloud said, “I saw you watching the kids playing, climbing up the mountains and I followed you everywhere you went.  And I knew you needed some company so I couldn’t wait for you to stop so I could talk to you.”  They talked for a while until a little girl came to the beach.  The cat cried, “My little girl’s back!”  He ran over to her and she stroked him on the head.  They went back home in the car and he was happy she came for him.  He climbed back up in his tree and he said to the cloud, “Good-bye, I will see you tomorrow.”  And that’s how the cloud and the little grey kitten met.

Q&A: HOW DO I GET READY TO OWN MY OWN HORSE?

Horse Pal, Nina asks a great question as she is about to own her first horse! Congratulations, Nina!  

Whether you are planning to own or lease your first horse, there is a lot to consider as it is a big commitment!  First, you want to make sure it is the best horse for you ... really consider how you plan to use the horse - are you looking for a show horse, one to trail ride with, etc.  Also, how long do you plan to have the horse?  Can you grow with the horse (both in size and abilities?)   I highly recommend asking a trainer or other horse expert for their professional advice.  Before you purchase a horse, it is wise to have a vet check so you know what you are purchasing.

Next, you want to make sure you like the stable where you are going to keep your horse.  Is it a safe facility?  Check out the location, meet the grooms, find out their feeding and mucking programs, etc.

It is important to budget ahead for your horse. Besides usual vet check-ups and farrier visits, you need to set aside extra money for any unforeseen expenses (i.e. injuries, etc.)

Next, it's time to get all of your tack and horse accessories.  You'll need a saddle, saddle pads, bridle and bit(s), halter, grooming box, fly mask, blankets, all of the goodies you and your horse need!!  Oh, and lots of horse treats!!  Your new friend will definitely want those! 

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, you need to be ready to make the time commitment. Are you going to ride your horse daily or have a trainer ride them?  Can you give them the time they require and deserve to groom and care for them, in and out of the saddle?  

Every horse deserves love and good care, so make sure you are ready before you take the step towards owning your own horse.  And then, enjoy every minute of it because it is a lovely thing!!

Nina, we look forward to seeing more photos of you and your new Quarter Horse Pony, Belle.

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, NINA FROM MICHIGAN! :)

Hi Horse Pals ~

Please help us welcome our newest Horse Pal, Nina who is on her way to a horse show soon!!  Good luck, Nina!  We know you'll do great ... check out our post on preparing for a horse show!

Hi my name is Nina. I am 11 years old and I live in Michigan. My birthday is on the 29th of this month and I am going to have my first horse of my own. I am so happy.  I am going to get a quarter horse pony. She is really sweet. 

I have been riding for four years. I ride English style riding. Here is a photo of me and the horse I am going to buy, Belle. This photo was for my 4-H poster last summer. It was really bright out that day.

I am jumping a lot. I love jumping. I will send you some pics. of me jumping. Thank you so much Araya.

Nina

P.S.  Nina, the horse I rode in my movie was a Quarter Horse Pony; her name was Laurel.  You can see more of her at www.stabledays.net.

FUN HORSE CRAFT ... HORSE TEES!

Hi Horse Pals,

As you know, one of our favorite things to do is design and create new horse shirts!  It is such a fun craft and we always have a blast doing it!  

We started out with blank white shirts (you could use any color you want).  We used fabric paint and glue and Avery also used ribbon and sequins.  Our friends, Kane and Destiny made one too.  Here are a few photos of them: 

 

 We're really happy with how they turned out and look forward to wearing them lots!

If you make a fun horse craft, send us some photos, a story and what you used and we will post it on the blog.

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, EMMI FROM IDAHO! :)

A big welcome to our new Horse Pal, Emmi and adorable Ava!! She is so cute!!  We wish you the best in your training.  We can't wait to see some photos of you riding her! 

Hey everyone!  My name is Emmi, and I am a seventeen year old girl who has a passion for horses.  I live up in good old Idaho and have been for ten years.  I've have been riding on and off for about five years but since now I have my own horse and participating in 4-H I am riding much more often.  For now I am riding my 4-H leader's horse, his name is Tuffy, a twenty-six year old chestnut Quarter Horse gelding.
  I adopted a two year old(she is three now) Paint Horse filly last year from some wonderful people who rescued her from slaughter.  When Ava first arrived at my barn she was barely halter broke but after months of me training her she was finally coming around.
  In the spring of this year I moved her to a better stable and it has just been so much fun to stay at, a lot better than the last place.  They are taking much better care of her and she seems so much happier.
  It has been a joy training my little horse, I enjoy it so much and eventually I would love to become a horse trainer.  I have learned so much since the first day I got her, it is amazing how much information is out there.
  I have even shown her in a few showmanship events.  In 4-H we won Grand Champion and qualified for district, we won third there.  I was so proud of her those days, it had really shown how far she has come from when I first got her.
  I am sorry that I didn't send a riding picture, I couldn't locate any, I need to get some more recent ones anyway.

 

Q&A: HOW DO I GET MY HORSE TO STOP OVER JUMPING?

Horse Pal Nina wrote and asked the following question:

hi araya i was wondering my pony jumps a small ,little cross rail like it is a two foot jump how would you make it so she would jump a little smaller?

Great question, Nina!  I asked my trainer, Lisa and here is her advice ...

Begin by putting separated trot polls on the ground and walk, trot and canter over them with your horse every day until he goes over them easily without over jumping them (this should take about 2 weeks).  Then pile a few logs together and jump that again every day until your horse is going over them easily.  Next, add standards at both ends of the logs and do the same exercise.  Now it's time for a small cross rail, again doing the same exercise.  After your horse goes over those easily, make your jump a 2' cross rail with a trot poll in front.  This should all take a month if you work on it daily.

It is not uncommon for green horses to over jump but with a lot of patience and practice, your pony will learn to jump just the right amount for each jump he encounters.

Thanks for the question, Nina!  Please let me know if anyone has any other questions they'd like us to share with our Horse Pals.

Happy jumping! @raya and Avery

THANK YOU, FIREFIGHTERS!

Hi Horse Pals ~

As many of you may know, there have been a lot of big fires in Southern California and one of them was very close to our barn.  You may have noticed in some of our recent photos the burnt mountains in the background.  

We wanted to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of the firefighters who kept our barn standing!  It was literally surrounded by fire and it is a miracle it is still there.  The firefighters used our barn as one of their main stations to fight the fires in our surrounding mountains and they did an incredible job!  We also thank all of the surrounding barns who so generously took in all of our horses when we were evacuated.  Thank you for taking good care of our horses!

Although the fires have been put out now, there is still a lot of work that goes into getting everything back in order.  Every day, helicopters take off and land in the fields near our barn where they are helping restore power to those who lost it in the mountains.  They are also dropping water to keep the dust and ash down and we definitely appreciate that!  

We have had so much fun watching them after we ride and we met this really cool helicopter pilot named Glenn who actually let us in the helicopter he pilots!!  It was so awesome!!  We were with our cousin Isabella and our Horse Pals, Buddy, Amanda and Eric.  It was really cool - we got to wear his helmet, sit in his pilot's seat and push the controls.  It was an incredible experience that we will never forget!  Thanks so much, Glenn!

Here are some photos from our cell phone ...

Once again, a big thank you to everyone who helped out during this difficult time.  We are so happy to be back in our barn riding again and our horses thank you, too!

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

THE ADVENTURES OF LEWIS & CLARK!

Hi Horse Pals,

The other day at the barn our friend, Eric gave us a big pile of books and one of them was about William Clark and Meriwether Lewis titled The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark by Rhoda Blumberg.  A few days later our cousin Isabella came over and I told her about the book and how much I loved it and we all decided it would be fun to do a diorama about them.

We went to our local craft store and got the characters, Sacagawea and her tribe, Lewis & Clark and of course some animals!  We also got some colored sand for the river and grass and dirt.  We used a recycled water bottle box for the diorama.  We used paint for glue, brown sand for the dirt and dark and light green for the grass.  We picked some plants from our yard for the bushes and sprayed them with hair spray to make them last longer. To make the background mountains, we watercolored them on watercolor paper and then glued them to the back and attached crafts sticks to keep them upright.

We think it turned out great and we had so much fun making it!  Last year, we made a dinosaur diorama with our cousin Dalyla.  Let us know if you have any ideas for our next diorama ... I am sure it will include animals! 

Here's some interesting info about our explorers ...

Lewis

Clark

Clark Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are a good example of complementary opposites. Lewis and Clark were hired by

President Thomas Jefferson to find a waterway from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.  Although they didn't find one, Lewis and Clark did make it to the Pacific and contributed volumes to scientific discovery, documenting 276 new species of plants and animals.  They also created 140 maps of previously uncharted territory and paved the way for U.S. expansion beyond the Missouri River.  The pair had a shared love for the outdoors, but they had markedly different personalities.  Lewis was moody and quiet, an intellectual type with a deep knowledge of map making and natural science. Clark was outgoing with a natural flair for leadership.  Lewis needed Clark to keep up good spirits and morale through 3 difficult years while he focused on scientific discovery.

Sacagawea, a Shoshone Native American girl is best known in American history for playing a key role in Lewis and Clark's discoveries. 

Sacagawea

Horse Pals, if you have made a diorama and have photos of it, please send them off to us and we will share them on the blog.  

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

JUMPING FUN WITH HORSE PALS!

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I have been having a ton of fun jumping with our barn friends, Amanda and Buddy.  We have had some great jumping lessons.  Amanda rode Jimmy, Buddy rode Boots and Avery rode OB.  We did fun courses with many jumps!

Dandy has been jumping fabulous ... we have been doing some tricky courses with bending lines and a single stride gymnastics with 4 jumps in a row. 

She is also jumping higher and higher which is fun for both her and I.  It is really cool to watch and feel Dandy becoming a great jumper!

The other day we played follow the leader and Avery and OB followed Dandy and I through a series of jumping courses.  We had a great ride and it was fun to see Avery jumping long courses.  Avery has been doing great with OB and they are jumping higher and higher! 

We would love to hear from you and hear more about your riding adventures with your friends!  Also, let us know if there is something in particular you would like us to write about on our blog and we'll do our best to make it happen!

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

AROUND THE BARN

Hi Horse Pals ~

Hope you have all enjoyed your last days of summer!  We've been having fun riding and taking photos around the barn.  We'll post some new photos soon.

Avery and I love bathing the horses at the barn.  Here are some shots we took the other day of us bathing Jimmy.  We had a cleaning party at the barn last week and we all cleaned tack and washed all of the horses in our barn.  It was so much fun!

A kiss for my clean girl, Dandy ...

I got a new fly mask for Dandy for my birthday ... she likes it!

We would love to hear about all of your horse adventures around the barn. 

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

WELCOME NEW HORSE PAL, KYLA FROM NORTHERN CA :)

Hi Horse Pals ~

We have another family member who is crazy about horses!  Please welcome our cousin, Kyla to our Horse Pals Club.  She is 4 years old (she'll be 5 in December) and has been riding for 8 months and she absolutely loves it!  She rides in Northern CA and she is riding English.  She has just started riding a pony named Cinnamon (see photos below!).

Brother Jake loves the barn, too!

Kyla has visited our barn before (she even rode Dandy!) and you can see more photos of her in our Barn Days photo album.

We would love to hear from all of you who visit the blog ... send us some photos of you and your horse and tell us all about your riding adventures!

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

FUN WITH MY BIRTHDAY CAMERA!

Hi Horse Pals,

I had a great B-day!  I got a great present for my B-day... a new CAMERA!!!

I have been taking photos nonstop and I brought it to the barn to take some pics of the horses.  Here are some of my favorite shots from my new B-day camera.

OB looking out at the mountains.

 

The barn dog, Parker." Is this my good side? "Isabelle and RemyDandy and her new halter.

And here are some more shots I took at home so far ...Hand Model name: Bella.  Bug name: Leaf Bug.Cat Tails in Front Yard.Our dog Buddy.Our other dog Charlie.

I hope you like the pics. I will post more photos as I take them.  We would love to see some of your photos.  Send them on over!

Your Horse Pal, Araya

ARAYA'S 11th BIRTHDAY

Hi Horse Pals,

Aug 10th was my Birthday!  I am 11 now!!

I had a pool party at my house and invited all of my family and some of my friends, one of them was my BFF and horse pal from the barn, Isabelle.

It was a beach/pool party and for the party favors we gave everyone a beautiful dolphin necklace. 

 

We swam late into the night with our glow sticks.  It was a great night!  We got to see the Big Dipper!

I had a fabulous Birthday.  Your Horse Pal, Araya

FUN SUMMER JUMPING DAYS AT THE BARN

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I have been having so much fun jumping at the barn this summer! The past week we have had such beautiful weather in the 80s, perfect weather to jump in, and we have been having such a great time riding with our Barn Mates.  This week we did some synchronized riding and follow the leader and then we did some jumping where we each took turns.  Those are always super fun riding days when we ride for hours and have such a blast!

I have been jumping with Dandy and Avery with OB.

 

Dandy got a new halter ... isn't is pretty?  It's available through our Stable Days sponsor, JPC Equestrian.

 

We would love to hear about some of your summer riding adventures.  And you know how we love photos!!!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Your Horse Pals, @raya and Avery

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ BASHKIR CURLY HORSE

Hi Horse Pals ~

We are going to highlight the Bashkir Curly Horse based on a special request from Eloise. We hope you all enjoy learning about this breed!   BASHKIR CURLY HORSE

Fact #1:  The Bashkir, also known as the Curlies, carry a gene for a uniquely curly coat of hair.  The unique gene can be expressed minimally where the horse has curly hair inside ears, at fetlocks and a kinky mane and tail or maximally where a horse has curls all over its body, an extremely dreadlocked mane, curly eyelashes and guard hairs.

Fact #2:  Horses with curly coats are most certainly an ancient breed.  They have been depicted in art and statues in early China as far back as 161 AD.  It is a mystery how they came to the U.S.  but there is evidence they have been in North America since the early 1800s.

 

Fact #3:  The Bashkir has unusually tough black hoofs that are almost perfectly round in shape.  Many Curlies with white legs will still have four black hoofs.

Fact #4:  Curlies are most often chestnut colored but can be found in every color, even Appaloosa and Pinto coloring.  Most Curlies stand between 14 and 16 hands.

Fact #5: Though eye catching and unusual in , the show ring, Curlies have the movement, enduranace and heart to excel in competition.  Several Curlies have made a name for themselves at upper levels of dressage and show jumping.

Fact #6:  Couldn't resist this last one!  Curlies are acclaimed to the only hypoallergenic horse breed so they are a great choice for the horse lover who is allergic to horses!  Most people allergic to horses suffer no allergic reaction when near a Curly.

We hope you enjoyed learning about this beautiful breed.  We sure did!!  We love their curly hair!  Let us know if there's another breed you'd like us to highlight.  Also, if you've written any horse stories or poems you would like to share with our Horse Pals, make sure to send them in and we'll post them for you.

Your Horse Pals, Araya and Avery

TIPS ON RIDING A GREEN HORSE

Hi Horse Pals ~

Horse Pal Elizabeth is riding a very green horse while her horse is recovering from surgery and asked for some tips on riding a green horse.  I thought it would be fun to give some tips here and anyone else can add a comment with their ideas, too!  Good luck, Elizabeth and have fun!

My biggest advice when riding a new horse, especially a green one, is to be very alert and careful. Until you get to know a horse, you don't know what quirks they may have so the key is to be cautious and very present in your riding and interaction with the horse. Also, it is important to be patient with a green horse and know that the more you ride him, the more responsive he will become. I believe that animals feel our energy so it is also very important that you ride confidently, especially with a new or green horse. Confident riding shows a horse that they can trust you and that is very important.

I have had horses who are spooky at the tie so when you groom a green horse, it is important to move really slowly and cautiously. You don't know what their experience has been in grooming in the past, so proceed slowly letting the horse know they can trust you. As you know, quick movements can startle a horse, especially a green one.  

When riding a green horse or any new horse, you have to ride super alert and attentive. I've had horses that don't want to walk into the arena and also ones who want to dart out and you never know what you're going to get with a horse you've never ridden. It's really important to keep your seat because you never know what might spook a horse; sometimes it's the littlest noise or shadow. 

It's definitely tricky at first, but the more you ride a new horse, the more you get to know him and I've found that every ride gets better. Each ride is an opportunity for you to teach a green horse good habits so it is a great way to improve your riding, too.

And don't forget to have fun! Enjoy your horse; enjoy grooming and caring for him, enjoy riding him and enjoy being with him!

Your Horse Pal,

@raya

P.S. We look forward to hearing your tips on riding a green horse! Leave us a comment!

DANDY JUMPS HER FIRST TRIPLE BOUNCE

HI Horse Pals ~

Dandy and I have been having some fabulous jumping days.  I am having so much fun with her and I love her more every time I ride her!

 

This week we worked on a triple bounce sequence where the first 2 jumps had no strides in between.  It helped her rhythm and was a fun line to add to our jumping courses.

As always, we are enjoying our summer rides with all of our friends at the barn.  It has been over 100 degrees at the barn!  It is quite intense, especially on the days when Avery and I ride more than one horse. 

We would love to hear about your horse adventures!  Write and tell us all about them.

Your Horse Pals,

@raya and Avery

P.S.  We're still waiting for your ideas for a contest!  Let us know what you think ....

FIVE FUN FACTS OF MY FAVORITE HORSE BREEDS ~ SHETLAND PONY

Hi Horse Pals ~

Cayce recently requested we highlight Shetland ponies, so here it is, for you Cayce!!  Enjoy!

SHETLAND

Fact #1:  The Shetland is native to the Shetland Islands off Scotland and although its roots are unknown, it is an ancient breed and has been around a long time!!  Think 8000 B.C.!  Wow!

 

Fact #2:  Shetlands are possibly the strongest breed in relation to their size and can survive extremely harsh conditions.

Fact #3:  Sheltands are measured in inches or centimeters rather than in hands and they can be up to 42 inches.  

Fact #4:  In winter, the Shetland pony grows a double coat as protection against the climate of its native home.  The coast has "guard hairs" which shed rain and make for an extremely waterproof winter coat.

Fact #5:  Shetlands excel at scurry driving a type of speed driving competition where contestants are timed as they drive around an obstacle course, often leaning at very sharp angles as they go around corners.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about a pony that is a very popular children's riding horse.  If you own a Shetland, send us photos of you riding. We'd love to share them with our Horse Pals.

Happy trails,

@raya and Avery

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. 

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