Desensitize Your Horse Day

 

Last month, one of my long-time favorite bloggers, Jennifer Buxton of Braymere Custom Saddlery, posted a series of an activity that the barn she boards her horse at: Desensitizing Party. I was greatly inspired to do a model horse version of this. So, in my dripping bedroom (it's been getting into the 100's this summer), I managed to pull off this photo shoot.

Enjoy!

The girls have been wanting to take their horses camping, but of course, the horses need to be ok with seeing a tent.

Serena: "It's ok, I dropped it."

Many of the horses at the riding school are on the naughty side when it comes to these types of activities, but some are (thankfully!) bombproof to give these girls a break between exchanging out horses.

Paint Me A Pepto can turn on a dime!

Stubborn Merida....

...always gotta sniff everything!

Serena: "Here, try a treat?"

Not sniffing, more like eyeing the pool noodle.

Jenny: "What is she looking at?"

Jordan: "I think this G1 My Little Pony?"

La Biosthetique Sam is a semi-retired Eventing horse. He performs with the riding school now. So, he knows what this tarp is supposed to resemble.

Die tarp die!

Aurelius will rear at anything, so Serena has to be extra careful when handling him.

More sniffing...

Brighty's not amused.

Brishin got loose and headed straight for the pool noodle obstacle. Thankfully, he didn't destroy it!

Eh, no!

Nope, not that way!

Not fazed at all!

Well, looks like Oakheart is bombproof. He is doing extremely well for seeing all of this for the first time!

Next challenge: Get the stubborn pony entirely off of the tarp!

Oh, so tempting! I think he might be full on treats.

The "You've got to be kidding me?" look.

Between the low lighting in the arena and Enim's dark coloring, the camera did not want to get any clear pictures of her - except this one.

Here we go again...

BOING!!!

"I watch you, hooman - me no step!"

Naturally, Speck's Peanut wanted to go into the tent!

Ok, this time he looks like he's actually interested in the treat!

Jordan: "Wait! Let her go! Let's see what she does when I move the cart forward!"

*Paint Me tries to "Cut" or "Herd" the cart*

Serena laughs hysterically in the background.

Nope!

And nope again!

They did want to include the horse trailer, too, but there wasn't enough room in the arena. Additionally, I have no idea how they all (handlers and horses) were able to withstand this heat moving around like how they were. Though, come to think about it...maybe it was the heat that was making Brighty a little more non-cooperative than usual...

Christmas Festivities

It was the Mini Hoofbeats Riding Stable's annual Christmas Party. Elaborate plans were made. Money spent on gifts, costumes, wrapping paper, tarps (yes, tarps - the window still hasn't been replaced yet!) All of it ready to go....that is....It is now past the time when everyone is supposed to arrive to help set up and Lisa, Delphine, Abigail, and Charlotte are the only ones on time - where are the rest of the girls.

Charlotte threw her hands up upon arriving to the nearly empty arena, "I'm here before they are! Where in the world are they?!"

"I don't know," Lisa check's her phone for the millionth time, "I haven't seen any messages saying anything about being unable to come. They better come quick, because the new girl is coming and I don't want her being the only one other than you and Delphine."

Boo!!!

No wonder why that box was heavy! What a little sneak!

About twenty minutes after set up time, the girls come tumbling into the arena partially wet and giggling up a storm.

The brief scolding only affected Jenny, since she was the one who invited the new girl; who thankfully hadn't arrived yet.

"Don't worry!" Pipes up Lucky, "I got pictures!"

"Well, now that everyone's here," Lisa announced as she saw the new girl peek in the door, "Whoever's doing the Costume Parade, go and get your horses ready!"

First up was Lisa and Brighid.

Next was Brigette (yes, there are two with different spellings!) and the newest member of the herd, Princess Mitra the Caspian Horse.

Jenny with Heidi in her famous Angel costume.

It was nice to see Snow Princess in her Christmas costume, too.

And Jordan looks like she's being swallowed by that scarf.

Lucky borrowed Delphine's Little Red Riding Hood Outfit again and tacked up Sgt. Reckless in her Jan Brett inspired blanket.

Serena's such a good sport, in spite of constantly being knocked in the head with the basket whenever Wintersong decided he wanted to lead instead of being lead.

Charlotte threw a hat on and called it good for her. But she made sure her stallion, Orient Wonder, was completely decked out for the parade. However, she had forgotten how snug his bridle is. "I need to get that fixed," she whispered to him while getting him tacked up.

After the Costume Parade, it was time to start the White "Horse" Gift Exchange.

So many fun things!

Oh, dear! Arrow snuck in and took a bee-line to the candy cane decorations thinking they were real. Of course, one of the new barn kitties already did her fair share of mischief in regards to those candy canes in her way.

Jenny trying to help the new girl feel comfortable in the midst of the chaos.

Oooh....Lisa got one of her long sought out for models in his original box - the Palomino Family Arabian Stallion!!!

And Pru got Stablemate Blind Bags!

And so did Abigail! Though, she got the Unicorn ones! Maybe the two of them might trade to have one of each later....

Just when you think unwrapping, trading, or stealing the gifts was chaotic enough as it is - the Wrap That Pony Race was over the top hilarious! It was the younger girls against the older girls and the younger girls were winning!

Oops! Ran out of paper!

The new girl, Lyndsay, quickly grabs the red ribbon in their last leg of the race.

Lucky and Lunamoon seem to be in their own little world - unaffected by everything else going on around them.

Oops! The wrapping paper container got knocked over as Brigette was reaching for it. Hopefully, there's more paper on this roll (there isn't).

Ugh! Straw's stuck to the tape!!

"Where's the scissors? I can't cut tape without scissors and it's bad to do it with your teeth!"

Poor Pru! Sometimes she really doesn't understand Abigail's reasoning.

The cheer squad.

Everyone made sure they stayed to help clean up afterwards. Even in clean up, everyone is still having fun. But having fun can still make one tired enough to want to snuggle up in their warm bed, dreaming of what fun plans are they going to do for next year.

Oh! And here's one of Lucky's photos of what mischief they all were up to to make them late to the party.