Miscellaneous

Let's take a walk down memory lane. My life with equines started in 1952. In 1952 I asked my Daddy if I could have a pony. He acted very sad and told me that he couldn't afford to buy a pony. He cleverly told me to ask my grandfather...as a joke.. .never suspecting that his life was going to be a series of pony-hell from then on. "Yes" my grandfather said, "I'll buy you a pony. My mother found Cricket and she was in foal. Pony in foal with hand…

Cones...those orange things that lay around the perimeter of most any arena. We think of them as arena cone-litter. People with horses have invented a lot of things to do with cones. We do cone-weaving, cone-circles, cone-sidepassing. Some horses even have perfected cone-squishing and don't forget cone-eating! In the versatility challenges, cones assume many a different role. Cones become cone-portant because they mark transition spots or patterns. In the last Pine Dell Natural Versatility Challenge, we had cones to mark the transition from walk to trot/center and another cone to…

Pine Dell Farm 2010 Versatility Challenges Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion awards in the foreground donated by Pat Harris of No-Frills Embroidery left to right:  Karen Moulins, Pine Dell Farm owner and Challenge committee; Susan Engle, judge and Challenge committee; Belle;  Roger Emile, Grand Champion; Hope Robinson, challenge committe;  Jewel;  Patty Miller, Reserve Grand Champion I had a grand idea in 2009 and that was to have Versatility Challenges at Pine Dell Farm.  This is our second year and we added a High Point Championand Reserve Champion to the mix.…

He's four months old.  Sampson is Velvet's baby and JJ's baby.  He's a gold champagn Missouri Fox Trotter.  His personality is extreme left brain. Jenny is getting the foals together today for the vet to give him their coggins test and to get their health certificates for the big winter move to Florida.  Jenny's orders were that the foals were to be in the round pen.  Upon arriving home, the foals and mares were all out running around, having a blast. Finally Jenny gets the foals into the round pen. …

Check out THE AMERICAN TENORS My son is a singer and I've been gone three wonderful days to watch and hear him sing. Nathan Granner is one of The American Tenors.  This is an awesome wonderful group.  Three of us went down to Hot Springs to hear two concerts at Hot Springs Village.  Ben Gulley and Marcus McConico are the other singers. We heard opera, show tunes, pop tunes and some great Mario Lanza tunes sang by classically trained tenors.  If that doesn't beat all, nothing else will either! Frank McNamara is…