I am excited to tell you all that the Pony Breeding issue of the Chronicle of the Horse has an article about Wynn's breeding program!!! It is a great article and there is a big picture of Coda right in the middle! It is so cool to see Wynn get the recognition she deserves as well as see Coda in print...

   The little man has been working well at the farm and getting ready to go to some schooling shows this winter. He has really turned into a ham, loving attention and has become very quiet and happy. We had him out in the courtyard of the new winter barn on Friday, and there were three of us hanging on his neck and his back as he happily slept in the sun, enjoying every minute of it. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and go check out the article!

Christan

How does everyone like the name Theodore al Coda for a show name? Please send me some feedback! Thanks for all the help,

Christan

We finally made it back from the show with quite a crazy weekend! We had a flat tire on the trailer and couldn't get the lug nuts loose, even with an air wrench! Finally a tractor trailer roadside assistance truck had to be called in and get the job done. Needless to say it made for a long day.

It was a very windy day at the event and even though I was going to ride Coda around the grounds, I ran out of time so Keith took him out for me. Coda was well behaved minus one big spook at the farm yard animals that was apparently quite impressive....he cleared half an arena length going sideways. We all knew he is quite athletic! I did get the photographer to take some picture of Coda standing though, and you can see them here : http://hoofclix.smugmug.com/gallery/6500588_TuJGg#413029655_uA775

He is quite a pony! I will be taking him out more regularly this winter and hopefully enter him in some intro dressage tests at some local schooling shows, just to get him out and seeing the world. Let me know what everyone thinks!

I can't tell you how much fun it is to ride this pony! Coda has had several days off (actually since the last time I posted) due to rain here in North Carolina. The rain finally moved on and the afternoon turned lovely, so I pulled Coda out and tacked him up. We went down to the ring and warmed up at the walk and trot. Coda was feeling  good so I did a bit of work at the canter, but he no longer does anything naughty, or even playful. So since I had a grounds person at the ring and not also on a horse, I had them set up a little cross rail. The first few times over it, the jump was small enought that Coda just trotted bigger over it, but finally we raised it and he quietly popped over and landed in the canter. After doing this several times I patted him and hacked back to the barn.

   I can't think of a more uneventful first jump school that I have had with a green horse. The best part is that he feels so much like Teddy. He has a big canter and makes the horse strides easily. I can't wait to post after his first outing Saturday!

Christan

So I have been sort of putting off really riding Coda. Partly because I have so many others to ride, after all he is only 3 and Keith does a great job with him. But mostly because there is a part of me that is afraid that he will make a little move, I will tense up, and he will feel that and react (as any horse would do) and I will ruin all his good training.

  Keith has been getting me to longe him, and then sit on him and walk, and then finally trot for about 5 steps until I turn to him like a green little kid rider and say, "can I please walk now?". Then I get off and promptly get on the big, green, just broke bucking and spooking baby I have in training, and full of confidence and gusto ride off! But I really think it is that I don't want to react the way I know my body will (due to my mind of course) and set him back.

  It is funny feeling this way, because I never have before in my life, and I can relate to many of my adult students now, who say to me, "I am afraid, but I know I shouldn't be."  I now can say, baby steps....look at me!

  Yesterday I was feeling brave, so I took Coda down to the jump ring and got right on. Keith has given him (and now me) the tools to use if he decides to act like a 3 year old. I get on and practice the stopping and bending and softening him over and over until I feel like I can do it at any time. I then trotted around and was amazed at how light and soft he was. He knows how to accept the bit and rein contact, he is so light and flexible off my leg that he can bend, leg yeild, counter bend. I trotted all round the ring, in and out of jumps and even over trot poles. And Coda never put a foot wrong.

  So today I was even braver, and we started right out with bending and softening. Coda was light and responsive, like he had stayed up all night studying! I walked, trotted and cantered in the most lovely round bent frame. I was so thrilled that I thought I might cry. My pony feels fabulous, I feel confident and great, and I am so excited about how light and swingy and wonderful he feels going! I did take a little video, just so I could watch is 800 times today (and show everyone who I could corner at the tack store, and the barn). Just wanted to let you all know how fabulous today was. This is the reason why we ride, and I hope you all share the same feeling with your horses, or ponies. Sometimes the little things mean more than any ribbon or show!

Christan