Cowboy Jacob

After having the ponies here for a week and a half we decided that they have had enough time and we had had enough time to get acclimated to one another.

Cowboy Jacob

Jacob went for a ride! He is gaining confidence a little at a time. Bob holds Jacob and when Jacob is ready he starts leaning for Sunshine. In a few seconds he is reaching out for Bob to take him off. He does this over and over again as he stays on for longer intervals. He can sit independently after a while as Bob 'spots' him. Sunshine is grazing at this point and not really moving much. When he does move ~ Jacob asks for more assistance with nonverbal cues to us.

When Jacob is all done or Bob is all done (gets pretty tiring putting that big boy on and off his pony) Bob takes him back into the house. With his first ride on Sunday he was so excited afterward that he did his kneeling walk all over the house! Then he started tall kneeling at the front window and watching the sky, grass, and flowers blowing in the breeze. After his second rides on Sunday he did a lot of tall kneeling and was near a toy that is pretty wobbly. He used that as his 'help' to tall kneel... basically he was doing it independently because that toy would have just collapsed if he would have put any weight into it.

"Where's Sunshine?"

Miranda got busy with the camera today and took pics of Jacob in action with his kneel walk... here they are.

Update on Willow and Sunshine

Willow is ... well ... a bit, shall I say ... shy with the other cats at this point yet. They all don't seem to mind her, but she gets a little miffed if they get closer than a foot away.

She comes to visit us at the sliding door in the morning and at night. Just like the others do. When we call out: "Here kitty kitty food food" she is right there with everyone else - all the way up to the oak trees where everyone gets fed. However, we are still reserving a bit to take to the barn for Willow and she follows us there for her portion. We don't think she is quite ready to integrate at the regular feeding station at this point.

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We had some exciting news from Dell, our Personal Ponies representative, yesterday.

Sunshine is lead line ride-able!

That was great news! As no one was sure about that. He hasn't been ridden for the past few years at the equine therapy and riding center in Kansas City (interesting note here... it's name is Jakes ~ hmmmm).

Sunshine is a palomino UK Shetland Pony.

She thinks he might be 42". Isn't he a cutie!

This is Sunshine sporting his winter coat a few years ago.

This is Smokey.

He is a bit shorter than Sunshine.

Oh so Handsome!

Isn't his coloring just beautiful! And Sunshine!

Aren't they both just so hug-ably sweet!

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I think we have made a decision about the barn now.

It gets pretty mucky in there when it rains due to the fact that it is down hill from a pretty good slope and runoff generally runs right down the center of it. We would have to put in a drainage system in order to get it to work so-so at best. Instead, we have decided to put up a small 3 or 4 stall shed on the east side of the oak trees. That way it will stay cooler in the heat of the summer, it won't take up any paddock space and we can put a man door on the west side of it to enter. I am going to try to work up a plan that would incorporate a space for Red and his lady friend to be. As well as the bunnies with a small run area for them off the barn so the children can play with them outside as well as in the sheep's stall area.

I have a feeling that when we can't see Miranda anywhere ... she will be in there.

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On another very happy note:

Congratulations! to our friends, Kristi & Dave and their children: Josiah, Benjamin, Isaiah, Clare, Regina,
Dominic, Jeremiah, and Maggie Rose of MN.

They have a new baby boy in their house.

William Peter was born July 8th.

What a handsome wee one... just feast your eyes on those soft Rosy cheeks.

Oh how precious!

Congratulations!