Now that Diva has been with me for several months, she is really beginning to find her feet and at times can be cheeky.
Although at maturity she’ll be only around 40 inches in height, it is important that she is taught manners just like a larger horse. Though small, Shetland ponies are renowned for their strength.
Although at maturity she’ll be only around 40 inches in height, it is important that she is taught manners just like a larger horse. Though small, Shetland ponies are renowned for their strength.
One day a friend offered to lead Diva out to the field for me so I could lead Mabel and Florence and only make one trip from the stables. I was in front as we walked along, and then all of a sudden I heard Ginny say quite calmly, “Diva is a bit fresh.” Before I could react, I heard sounds of a scuffle and Ginny saying, still in a calm voice, “Um… she’s a lot fresh.”
I turned around to see Diva bouncing around on the end of the lead rope with Ginny valiantly holding on despite the deep and slippery mud. With me leading a horse in each hand, the best thing I could do was to hurry the last few yards to the field so I could let them go and then help Ginny.
Diva looking settled in field having found her feet!
To say I found it funny is an understatement, and giggling like mad, I turned to Ginny and Diva. She still had hold of the lead rope, and Diva was still leaping about but luckily was going in the right direction.
With a bit more kerfuffle, we safely released Diva into the field and shut the gate. She went tearing off to catch up with the big girls whilst Ginny and I leant on the gate, laughing so much we could scarcely breathe! How Diva didn’t trip up Ginny I’ll never know!
The next morning Diva’s stable door had a cartoon by Ginny taped to it … Dangerous Diva! Indeed!
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Once again I threw Arlo in at the deep end, affiliating him purely for the Arena UK second round show, and once again he pulled it out the bag. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful little horse? We haven’t really competed this year. I don’t really compete over the winter, and also my horsebox was away for repairs up until the beginning of June, so I had no transport even if I’d wanted to.
With the dry ground we don’t seem to be having much luck with shoes, as little madam managed to pull both her front shoes off within 12 hours the other day! We entered the arena with two shoes on for a schooling session and left it with one missing (took about an hour to find it). Then that afternoon, as I went to put some hoof ointment on, I looked down and had to double take, thinking I was looking at the wrong hoof. But, no, the other shoe was missing too.
After having a long wait and some lunch at the onsite café, it was time to get ready for the Joan Wolfe Overall Supreme Shetland Pony Championship. I got changed out of my usual showing outfit into black trousers and a maroon top with white spots, as you are expected to be a bit more “bling” in the evening.
We were all set to go for our next outing, and were super excited. That was until I heard the dreaded clunk of a loose shoe! I checked it over, praying it wasn’t too loose, but, nope, it was going to need a refit.