Well, the show season has come to a close and we now have time to reflect on the season.

One, I determined that Little Dude and I just are not a good match for driving. Paul is very happy to be his one and only driver for Little Dude and I  am happy to see LD excel at what he does. I made the decision after our outing at the last Black Prong in March. I just could not get him to stop cantering. We weren’t out-of-control, but we close. Paul drove him in the hazards and Little Dude behave like he was supposed to. It was me that made him the way he was at the show. I think it was the best decision that I have made in regards to LD.

Two, Buddy has grown up a lot over the season. He went from circling before hazards to charging thru the start/finish gates like a seasoned show horse. He seems to really like his job now days. It is amazing to see he changes in him over the year.

Paul and Buddy seem to have lots of potential to go to the top level of the sport. Next show season, it looks like they will be showing intermediate. We are continuing to train him in order to be at the best shape for Buddy’s first CDE in October. We are going to take him to Kentucky for the Kentucky Classic CDE and then stay over for the National Drive.  It should be an interesting couple of weeks. After that, we are eyeing the Florida Triple Crown + the 2 Port Mayaca shows. That should complete the season for Buddy.

As for the plans for Little Dude, we are going to see that happens during the summer and go from there. I know that he will be doing the 2 port mayaca shows and the Little Everglades show, but beyond that, time will tell.

We are taking the down time to promote driving in the local area and to have the new TH carriage we just acquired in February painted and fixed up.  It was a color of blue that was less then desirable and then at Live Oak this year, paul picked up a new drivers seat that was Black and Red. The carriage will be Black when it is done. It should look great. We are also having the carriage gone thru tip-to-tip to replace any parts that are worn. The carriage should be ready to make the next year of showing.

Paul has been giving riding lessons to kids and he has also been promoting driving as another discipline that the kids could learn. We live in an area of lots and lots of minis and hunter ponies. The kids out grow the ponies and the parents have a pony with no job. We are showing them that there is a job that they can participate in, with the ponies that they have come to love.

As for myself, I am driving a new pony. Her name is Emma. She is Bunny’s mom. Emma is a very sweet pony that suffered from the same problem that Lookie did. (Founder & Laminitis). Anna has been working really hard on getting and keeping her sound and it has paid off. Emma has been sound for awhile.

Now, Emma likes having a job and she had been stand-offish. So Anna decided to see if Emma might be drivable. She was a kid’s pony in her previous jobs, and she loves to work. Anna and Paul put all the gear on her one day and line drove her. no reaction. So, the next day, they hooked her to the carriage. She drove like she had driven all her life. I love her!!! If I get scared she slows down. I have been practicing some dressage and I have been finding that I still have issues, but at least she can deal with me.  I just hope that she stays sound, so that at least I have something to drive at the barn.