We joined 4-H in Nov, and have really enjoyed the whole experience! Our club is awesome and our club leader Jaydeen, happens to own several Mini horses that she leases out to the kids for the year. We were lucky to be able to lease two little mares, April and Calypso.
Now we already do alot with the paint horses at the breeding ranch we work at, but these little girls are "show horses"! And just so we clear they are miniature horses, not a pony! The difference is minis are the exact scale, build, and mentality of a full size horse just mini, standing at 29 to 32" at the shoulder!
Each of the girls are in a different class, Miss E is an Intermediate, and Miss J is a Junior. Thankfully they don't compete against each other! There were many concerns about what if only one of them wins any ribbons.
Miss E with her mini, April. She is a 14 year old black mare,
Miss J with Calypso, a 19 year of dapple mare.
The girls started working with the mini right after our trip to Leavenworth and once everyone got familiar they have been great together!
The girls helped give haircuts to their minis, April wasn't too happy to be clipped, but she looked amazing!
Calypso got a "granny cut" since she's older and Miss J is a junior competitor their minis don't need to be in a full cut. The Pony that is photobombing is Shamrock, he may end up as our training project over the summer....
The day of the Show, and here is one of the many event courses for the kids to study.
All the girls with club leader Jaydeen.
Waiting and lined up for the next event.
Each girl had to show in horsemanship and handling.
Jaydeen and her 29 yr old stallion Tejo.
Miss E and April doing the relay race.
Miss J and Calypso doing the relay race.
Miss J receiving her first round of awards.
Miss E receiving her first awards and ribbons.
Their first ribbons of the Day!
The kiddos all watching and waiting their turns.
Miss E and April doing the high jumps.
Miss J competing in the high jumping.
The last event of the day is Gambler's Choice. It is a small obstacle course that each obstacle is worth points, the harder the obstacle the higher the points, Some of the things they had to do was have their minis jump over fences, flowers, stand in a square while blowing bubbles, run around barrels, walk a trail line and then back the mini up. go under a cowboy curtain, zig-zag around hats.
Here is the video of Miss J with Calypso completing the course.
Now Miss E and April's turn, Here is their video as well.
I loved watching how fast they would try and go, and I'm sorry but it's so cute watching these little horse jump! I love the girls' faces too, such focus!
My girls with two sisters that were in our club and also had minis to show with their ribbons.
It was a very long day, but so rewarding and beyond exciting for our first show! Each girl won 1st place for their events, and Best in Class ribbons and High Point Trophies, of which we found out is not easy for first timers!
1 comment:
To my 4H Girls, Wow! The two of you are learning so much about handling horses and I'm so proud of you both. You just started and you have ribbons and trophies to prove it. The horses are very sweet and such fun to see how you make them mind. Jumping over the jumps, stopping in the square, it is all amazing. Keep up the good work with your horses, in the garden, helping mom with her sewing, and in the garden. What smart granddaughters I have! I'm very proud of both of you!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good job! Love, Great-grandma
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