Written by guest Claire Daniel
For anyone who has worked with young horses you know that patience is key. In September of last year my parents surprised me with Nadia, a four (a few days away from being five) year old Westphalian mare. Although the task of becoming her main rider was daunting, I felt more excited than I had ever been before to work with a horse with so much potential. Nadia has a great mind which can be really good and really bad. The good part: she learns thing incredibly quickly and remembers them. The bad part: she picks up bad habits incredibly quickly and remembers them (we are currently having issues on ground manners). It's astonishing to see how far she has come in the year that we've been working together. Since our first show, we have consistently been in the ribbons undersaddle but we have struggled in the over fences. It seems like we get to shows, the first week goes all wrong, she suddenly forgets how to do lead changes, has temper tantrums in the middle of rounds, and jumps way too high over the jumps and scares herself. By the second week, we have fixed almost everything and only have to fix a couple more things until we are ribboning and then everything falls apart again. I think it's horses like these that are my best teachers and build my character even more. You have to be broken down before you can be built back up again. Nadia is my wrecking ball but also the cement that holds me steady. She can be incredibly frustrating but I believe that makes the good rounds all the more rewarding. I would love to continue to work with green horses in the future because I think that I have learned more on Nadia than any other horse and I wouldn't trade the time I've had with her for anything.
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Written by guest Pearl Bensimoun Counter Canter Designs is an Etsy shop that offers tack, stickers, and more! They are perfect for any equestrian that wants to buy little goodies such as horsey stickers with adorable phrases on them, or even lead roped and such. All of their products are amazing quality and super affordable! Their products are custom and handcrafted, perfect for those hard to fit horses and anyone that wants certain colors! They have over 230 different color combinations of lead ropes and more! I received a lead rope and three stickers from Counter Canter Designs! I personally really love the lead rope, as it is super strong and durable. My pony sometimes pulls when walking to the paddock, but with this lead rope it makes it much easier! The three stickers I received all said "Just Jump It" and came in three different colors including pink, purple, and blue. Since it is back to school time, and many equestrians are always looking for ways to make school supplies "horsey" I decided to place them on my notebooks! These stickers from Counter Canter Designs are very tough and stick well. I would highly recommend them! All in all, I think every equestrian needs to order from Counter Canter Designs at least once, I can almost guarantee you will not regret t=it! They are super professional, ship quickly, and overall just amazing! To stay updated with all things Counter Canter Designs, check out their main website countercanterdesigns.com , follow their Instagram @countercanterdesigns, and "Like" them on Facebook! Be sure to use the code poniesandparlantis on either their Etsy or website for 10% off! Written by guest Pearl Bensimoun
Jo's Bows is a horse show bow company that produces and sells the finest of bows. They sell a wide selection to suit any personal tastes that one may have, and also take custom order. Jo's Bows is a great source for show bows, IEA Team bows, sports team bows, and more! Some of their bows are currently not listed on their Etsy Shop, but on briggstackshop.com I received two sets of bows that I fell in love with the minute they arrived in the mail. They are subtle, yet fun, and very classy. The ribbon that the bows are constructed from is very durable. These bows are perfect to rock in the pony hunter ring! All of their bows are super cute, and overall very unique and gorgeous! Jo's Bows are super professional, and the bows ship quickly. Written by guest Isabella Anderson
Hippies on Horses is known for their high quality and all natural products for horses, as well as adorable apparel. Over the past few months, they have gotten more and more publicity and have come out with many more products. I would recommend their products to anyone and everyone who is obsessed with all natural things, like me, and to everyone looking for equine care products that are guaranteed to work! Their all natural fly spray is a great thing to have around the barn. I use it when my horse is turned out, and noticed that bites have gone down tremendously. She’s less irritated and if she’s happy, I’m happy! I have also used it with other horses with the same fantastic results. Also, it stays on during rides, and continues to keep the flies away even if she’s sweaty coming off of a ride. Fly spray is definitely extremely important at the barn, and having a great one makes all the difference! My personal favorite is their all-natural liniment. I always make sure to use liniment on my horse’s knees and any sore areas. Whenever I apply it to my mare, she has an overall happy way about her. She even paws the ground after I use it! On all of the horses I have used, they all have showed signs of loving it! In addition to the horse’s positive reaction to it, I have also used it on sore parts of my body. The instant relief is a life-saver especially when aches and pains are keeping you at home. The liniment is truly great- nothing is better than ache relief for both equine and human. I also received one of their “After Barn Hours” perfumes. The scent that I got, Nature’s Shower, has a very earthy smell. It covers the dirty, sweaty smell, and covers it with a very slight perfume. This is so nice, because it makes it difficult to overdo it on the perfume! Also included in my package from them was one of their adorable stickers, with the silhouette horse jumping and the phrase “Just Jump It”. This is one of their original sticker designs, and is to die for! The sticker is very durable, and you can show your love for the sport by showing off this sticker just about anywhere! I put mine on the back of our trailer. I like it there because it shows off my discipline of riding, while also adding some flash! All-natural products are amazing in every way. Its so relieving to know your horse is not being harmed in any way by harmful chemicals, and that is what makes Hippies on Horses so great. When using their products, I know my horse is in no way being hurt or in any danger. This is the best thing to know for horse owners, and I definitely plan on ordering again and again from them! Written by guest Pearl Bensimoun
Foolproof Customs is an Etsy store that sells products to personalize equestrian products. After all, every product needs to be personalized! They sell a wide range of monograms and more! Some of their extremely popular items include helmet monograms and creating logos and monograms for not only riders, but also equine businesses! Foolproof Customs was created in February, but have become very popular in such a short period of time for several reasons, one being that in our opinion, there is not a single flaw about their products! I received a custom logo sticker from Foolproof Customs that I absolutely love! The colors stand out, and you can personalize them in any way you would like. The material the sicker sticks on easily, and is very good quality and durable. Thus making it very efficient and simple to apply to any horsey(or not!) product! I applied mine to the back of my iPad, which I video my riding regularly from, and it did not have a problem sticking on! Written by guest Pearl Bensimoun
The Tack Stand is an etsy store that sells handmade custom horse tack. They sell dog collars, horse halters and lead ropes. The Tack Stand's products come in many colors, so it's easy to match your color scheme. The products also come in many styles, sizes, and designs, there's so many options you get the chance to find the perfect tack. I was sent a lovely pony size pink and green rope halter and a green lead rope to match. They are amazing quality and are very sturdy. They were more than what I was expecting and I love it. The halter is a 1/2 inch braided style rope and the thick braided lead rope is 6 feet long, intertwined into the halter, together molding as one for a secure hold. The handwritten tags give you instructions and tell you exactly what you got, measurement and material wise. Overall I suggest buying a product from The Tack Stand, you won't be disappointed! Written by guest Pearl Bensimoun Fancy Creations is an equine business that sells a variety of products to suit your equine and showing needs! Their products can be bought online by emailing them at [email protected], or purchased at Farm House Tack, Tryon International Tack Shop, and Waxhaw Tack Exchange. They sell many different products from horse show bows to bridle and braid charms to brushes to much much more! Their products are very high quality, and are adorable! Personally, I am a sucker for cute equestrian products so when I found Fancy Creations I fell in love with every single one of their fabulous products. It shipped very quickly, and they were super professional and answered any questions I had! I received a pair of horse show bows from Fancy Creations that I absolutely love! They are super cute and unique, I cannot wait to show in them shortly! They are lightweight, but yet super sturdy to make for a great pair of bows! All in all, I would definitely recommend checking out Fancy Creations! Their Instagram is @fancycreations13 so feel free to Direct Message them with any questions pertaining to ordering or any of their amazing products! Written by guest Sydney Flashman
I don't know much about what goes on in the pony lands of other zones, but for Zone 10, the only show with a format equal to that of US National Pony Finals is Zone 10 Pony Hunter Challenge, more commonly known as Zone 10 Pony Finals or simply Zone 10. Zone 10 Pony Finals are held at Blenheim Equisports, a beautiful horse park in San Juan Capistrano, California. The ponies get to show on a huge grass field, and it's the only time in the year the horse show holds pony classes on the grass, where the junior hunters and such show the rest of the year. The finals are held during the third week of the Blenheim June Classic, which takes place during the third week of June. The weather is usually not too cold, but not too humid, and unlike many of the other California shows during summer, it is not broiling hot. Though the format is the pretty much the same as National Pony Finals, with the model and hack on Saturday and the single over fences round on Sunday, the pony divisions are held in the grass ring the week of Zone 10, and ponies are allowed to school or be schooled in the ring over the course the morning of the over fences phase. At "real" Pony Finals, ponies do not get to jump in the ring at all, and nobody else is allowed to ride the pony. And obviously, there are way more people at National Pony Finals, but Zone 10 is great for riders who are, for any reason, not able to go to Pony Finals, and it's a good warm up for the kids who are planning on traveling to Kentucky to show. And just like Pony Finals, the awards are a very big deal, with ribbons up to eighth in each phase, and sometimes, neck sashes are presented to the overall top eight. The winners of each phase earn a trophy, usually in the form of an engraved platter or plate. Champions and reserved of the both jumping phase and overall are given coolers, and there is a special trophy, cooler, and neck sash for the Grand Pony Champion, the Reserve Grand Pony Champion, the Grand Green Pony Champion, and the Reserve Grand Green Pony Champion. Overall, Zone 10 Pony Finals is a great show, and it's one of my favorite shows of the year, right up there with HITS Thermal and National Pony Finals. If you're a pony rider in Zone 10, I would definitely recommend attending this show! Written by guest Lauren Ashley
Recently, I have noticed a lot more appaloosas and paints at A shows. I think it is cool that different color horses are starting to be accepted on the A Circuit. These horses are not only being accepted, but doing well. I recently attended Pony Finals and noticed a ton of appaloosas and paints. In a lot of the divisions they did well. Some well known ones include El Nino, True Colors, and Vermont Show Me the Gold. I also noticed at the Kentucky Summer Classic horse show, there was an appaloosa named One Hundred And One that was Champion in the Childrens out of a huge group. I have a close friend who owns an appaloosa named Spilt Milk that she shows in the Large Regulars and it has been really cool to watch how judges have become more and more accepting of his color over the past year. I am really happy that these changes have occurred because just like humans all horses are EQUAL! Written by guest Claire Daniel
I think every rider who grew up riding on the circuit can agree that they are the people they are today because of the experiences they have had and the people they have met. My closest friends all ride in Texas on the circuit with me and we are known in Zone 7 for being incredibly close friends. Arabel McFarland, who rides with barns in Texas and New York, and I met on the A Circuit when she was riding her pony, Maisy, and I was riding my horse, Kid, in short stirrup when we were 9 years old and ended up going to middle school together and being good friends. She has gone on to win at shows like the Hampton Classic and WEF and has proven herself in the jumpers as well. Sloan Hopson, Mia Holstead, and Khaki McCool are all cousins and some of the closest friends I have ever had. Sloan was very competitive in the pony divisions winning multiple titles on her ponies Happy Feet and Child's Play Hot Topic. Mia and I will be going to high school together in the fall while she continues to train with World Champion Hunter Rider, Peter Pletcher. Pletcher is based out of Magnolia, Texas which is 45 minutes outside of Houston. He trains riders like the Gochman family and other top riders and is extremely influential on the circuit in Zone 7, even running his own show series in the fall. Texas is known mainly for it's Western competition but we are holding our own in the top shows around the country as well. |
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September 2016
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