shoeboxstables
Well-Known Member
Well, a couple of weeks agoI recieved a happy little package from the Garden State Mini Horse Association (AMHR), and it prompted a reflection on the past year or so. It's taken me a while to get this post together, but I'm done now! Hope ya'll are in the mood for a story....
Looking Back.....
Diva and Kaitlyn
It's been... amazing.
Diva and I first became a team in June of 2005. A good friend of ours mentioned that they knew of a couple of minis looking for a good home. At the time, we only had 1 mini and 1 big, so we went to check them out. When I first saw Diva- she was galloping accross the pasture towards us, and I knew that I had to have her. She would be my driving horse. But... mom wasn't quite sure we needed more horses, and the owner only wanted to sell her with a little stallion. So, we said not now. We went home, and for about a month- that little gray mare was all I could think of.
In mid-June, we recieved a phone call from her owners- they would sell her alone. The next day, we went and picked her up.
One day later, I concluded that Diva was a pain in my butt. I knew she hadn't been handled a lot, but my goodness! The mare couldn't walk in a straight line! She hated halters, and really didn't know how to walk on a lead. My dream driving mare didn't have a clue.
So we started from the ground, and worked our way up. It was a journey that was insane! Diva pushed me to my limits, and proved that I could do it. I had never attempted to train a horse even remotly similar to her, and had never had to lay down such basic concepts. And Diva wasn't young! She was 7- and set in her ways. So we kept working, and kept trying.
And one day, we were finally at the point were we started ground driving. It wasn't a smooth transition, and we discovered even more problems then.
But we kept pushing, until we achieved it- we were driving.
This brings us to the fall of 2006. I brought Diva to her first driving show- a 4H schooling show. The biggest thing I noticed was that she was good as gold. My pain in the butt Diva was good. We placed fairly well, and I was thrilled. We were actually on our way.
So she sat over the winter, we drove a few times- but nothing big. But come March, we were ready. We started training like I have never trained before. We worked every day. As soon as I was home from school/work- I was down at the barn. We drove, we lunged, we long lined, we did patterns, we practiced obstacles, we worked almost every single day.
We attended a driving clinic, and got body clipped for the first time.
We went on the trail, we ground drove everywhere.
We worked our butts off, and we were ready for our first show of the season. It started with the Keystone Miniature Horse Club Spring Fun Show.
Diva was AWESOME. She was so good- and we got first in our first driving class of the season. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
But I knew the real test was still to come. We kept working, and entered into our first AMHR Triple Judged Show together. There was no doubt- I was nervous. But for the third time, Diva proved she had a heart of gold. Not only did she kick butt in the in-hand classes, she did so in driving.
In our first ever youth country pleasure class, the call judge placed us first.
Although I don't look it- I was jumping up and down! We had WON!!!
So then came a flurry of shows, and success. There was the Keystone Classic, where we got our first ever backdrop picture.
We went to the All Ponies Show, where we beat out adults and kids with all sized minis.
We continued the GSMHA shows, and kicked butt at the second one.
Then the 4H Championship Show, where we got Reserve, and single-handedly brought home the Perpetual Trophy for High Point Driving County.
Then we took a short break, and had some fun. We went trail driving even more, and tried something new. My hydrophobic pony, went swimming with me. MY DIVA, went swimming. No hesitation. No doubt. Just trust.
http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...159&hl=diva
And then, we rounded out the show season with the KMHC Fall Fun Show.
We brought home seven blues. That was an awesome show. I made a big post about it a while back,
http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...251&hl=kmhc
But these quotes really sum it up:
So when we got that Garden State Mini Horse butt. package in the mail, I was extremely excited!! I knew we did well, but I wasn't sure just HOW well.....
I couldn't wait to get inside, mom and I opened it in the car.
There was BLUE.
LOTS OF BLUE.
WITH RED, AND YELLOW.
When I saw the certificates, it was awesome!
My Diva, my dorky little Diva, and I won.....
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH SHOWMANSHIP
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH HALTER MARE
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH COUNTRY PLEASURE DRIVING
YEAR END THIRD PLACE YOUTH IN HAND
YEAR END FIFTH PLACE OPEN COUNTRY PLEASURE DRIVING
and...........
YEAR END RESERVE CHAMPION OVERALL HIGH POINT YOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are now some HUGE, beautiful ribbons hanging on my walls, some great certificates, and a TROPHY!
You couldn't have paid me to wipe that goofy grin off my face!
So, it was an amazing year. It was definatly the most rewarding one I've ever had. We worked hard, and it soooooooo paid off. Our relationship is at a totally new level, and I am so thankful for this mare. The ribbons are nice and all, but it's the bond that really matters. The awards are just markers of our progress together, nothing else. But we've progressed sooooo far. sooooo far.
So now, we're looking foward to next year. We're sooo looking foward to it. Because, it's going to be even better....
If that's even possible!!!!
So thanks for listening to our story. It means a TON to me- and Diva too.
Looking Back.....
Diva and Kaitlyn
It's been... amazing.
Diva and I first became a team in June of 2005. A good friend of ours mentioned that they knew of a couple of minis looking for a good home. At the time, we only had 1 mini and 1 big, so we went to check them out. When I first saw Diva- she was galloping accross the pasture towards us, and I knew that I had to have her. She would be my driving horse. But... mom wasn't quite sure we needed more horses, and the owner only wanted to sell her with a little stallion. So, we said not now. We went home, and for about a month- that little gray mare was all I could think of.
In mid-June, we recieved a phone call from her owners- they would sell her alone. The next day, we went and picked her up.
One day later, I concluded that Diva was a pain in my butt. I knew she hadn't been handled a lot, but my goodness! The mare couldn't walk in a straight line! She hated halters, and really didn't know how to walk on a lead. My dream driving mare didn't have a clue.
So we started from the ground, and worked our way up. It was a journey that was insane! Diva pushed me to my limits, and proved that I could do it. I had never attempted to train a horse even remotly similar to her, and had never had to lay down such basic concepts. And Diva wasn't young! She was 7- and set in her ways. So we kept working, and kept trying.
And one day, we were finally at the point were we started ground driving. It wasn't a smooth transition, and we discovered even more problems then.
But we kept pushing, until we achieved it- we were driving.
This brings us to the fall of 2006. I brought Diva to her first driving show- a 4H schooling show. The biggest thing I noticed was that she was good as gold. My pain in the butt Diva was good. We placed fairly well, and I was thrilled. We were actually on our way.
So she sat over the winter, we drove a few times- but nothing big. But come March, we were ready. We started training like I have never trained before. We worked every day. As soon as I was home from school/work- I was down at the barn. We drove, we lunged, we long lined, we did patterns, we practiced obstacles, we worked almost every single day.
We attended a driving clinic, and got body clipped for the first time.
We went on the trail, we ground drove everywhere.
We worked our butts off, and we were ready for our first show of the season. It started with the Keystone Miniature Horse Club Spring Fun Show.
Diva was AWESOME. She was so good- and we got first in our first driving class of the season. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
But I knew the real test was still to come. We kept working, and entered into our first AMHR Triple Judged Show together. There was no doubt- I was nervous. But for the third time, Diva proved she had a heart of gold. Not only did she kick butt in the in-hand classes, she did so in driving.
In our first ever youth country pleasure class, the call judge placed us first.
Although I don't look it- I was jumping up and down! We had WON!!!
So then came a flurry of shows, and success. There was the Keystone Classic, where we got our first ever backdrop picture.
We went to the All Ponies Show, where we beat out adults and kids with all sized minis.
We continued the GSMHA shows, and kicked butt at the second one.
Then the 4H Championship Show, where we got Reserve, and single-handedly brought home the Perpetual Trophy for High Point Driving County.
Then we took a short break, and had some fun. We went trail driving even more, and tried something new. My hydrophobic pony, went swimming with me. MY DIVA, went swimming. No hesitation. No doubt. Just trust.
http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...159&hl=diva
And then, we rounded out the show season with the KMHC Fall Fun Show.
We brought home seven blues. That was an awesome show. I made a big post about it a while back,
http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.ph...251&hl=kmhc
But these quotes really sum it up:
This show season has been unreal. It was the first time I even really kicked up to the next level, and we were VERY successful. There was never a disappointing show, or moment. Diva and I brought our relationship to the next level, and it was fantastic!
So when we got that Garden State Mini Horse butt. package in the mail, I was extremely excited!! I knew we did well, but I wasn't sure just HOW well.....
I couldn't wait to get inside, mom and I opened it in the car.
There was BLUE.
LOTS OF BLUE.
WITH RED, AND YELLOW.
When I saw the certificates, it was awesome!
My Diva, my dorky little Diva, and I won.....
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH SHOWMANSHIP
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH HALTER MARE
YEAR END CHAMPION YOUTH COUNTRY PLEASURE DRIVING
YEAR END THIRD PLACE YOUTH IN HAND
YEAR END FIFTH PLACE OPEN COUNTRY PLEASURE DRIVING
and...........
YEAR END RESERVE CHAMPION OVERALL HIGH POINT YOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are now some HUGE, beautiful ribbons hanging on my walls, some great certificates, and a TROPHY!
You couldn't have paid me to wipe that goofy grin off my face!
So, it was an amazing year. It was definatly the most rewarding one I've ever had. We worked hard, and it soooooooo paid off. Our relationship is at a totally new level, and I am so thankful for this mare. The ribbons are nice and all, but it's the bond that really matters. The awards are just markers of our progress together, nothing else. But we've progressed sooooo far. sooooo far.
So now, we're looking foward to next year. We're sooo looking foward to it. Because, it's going to be even better....
If that's even possible!!!!
So thanks for listening to our story. It means a TON to me- and Diva too.
