Mini Inspects Horse in Van

GrapeNuts is a frequent flyer when it comes to trips in the van although she has only had one trip posted on the blog. She almost thinks it is her private van.

GrapeNuts was just hanging out waiting to see if she was going on a trip again. 

But we surprised her. The beginning of April, because of the warm weather, we decided to get the big Horse out for a trip to the shop and get a tune up.
 
What kind of horse gets a tune up? A Troy-Bilt Horse tiller of course!!

GrapeNuts did not think much of this monster getting into her van, the peacock could care less.

After supervising the loading technique, GrapeNuts gave her approval to continue and we finished loading the Horse in the van and driving off to the lawn mower shop.

Too bad GrapeNuts, perhaps next time we go for a ride you can come.

Pirate's First MiniVan Ride

Let me begin by saying that this photo blog is about Foxfire's Picture Perfect's first minivan ride. While driving to Excaliber's Training Stables we decided to call him Pirate, so in the future Picture Perfect will be called by that name. 

Shortly after Pirate's arrival in Illinois we figured out he really does not understand lifting his feet to walk into a trailer. Given this information we assumed that getting him into the van would be a challenge. 

Our work-around was get him into the trailer and then back up the minivan to the trailer and have him walk from the trailer into the minivan. The first obstacle was the blizzard had filled part of the trailer with snow. Luckily Pirate went right through the snow.

It worked just as planned. No pushing or tugging, just wave the feed pan in in he went.

After Pirate got in, he went right to the hay. 

This was the weekend after the blizzard (some of you in the central part of the U. S. should remember this event in February, 2011).

Well Saturday was nice and sunny, so the ride was uneventful. Pirate kept his nose to the feed and missed all the scenery.

Once arriving at Excaliber's in Herscher, Illinois, we opened the door for Pirate to jump out, but he would have no interested in it. Rather than attempt to drag him out, Jason walked around to the other sliding door in the van, and clapped his hands loudly to encourage Pirate to escape.

Once on the ground, Pirate was quite content with himself and I am sure we was thinking "No problem" 

A short walk to the barn and his temporary home until his first show in April. Watch for Pirate in Illinois and perhaps Michigan and/Wisconsin during the 2011 show season.

Country Roads Shadows Sunny Boy

Rarely do I buy a miniature horse any more. I have way too many already to justify just one more.

But this spring I received an email from a breeder in Malta, Illinois.

She was interested in one of my filies, so after some discussion a trade was worked out.

Sunny was shown as a 2 month old at HAMES and was a perfect little gentlemen. 

After spending some quality time with Sunny, Wendy and Mike it was time to head home with Sunny.

Walked little Sunny up the to rear of the van and "Whoa, you want me to what?" asked Sunny.

"Sure, you can do it little boy," I said.

"I don't know, it's pretty high up there but here goes," and with one colossal jump in he went.

"So what do you think? How do I look in here?" said Sunny.

Wendy climbed in to say her goodbyes to Sunny.

Sunny assured mommy, "Yes mommy, I promise to be a good little minis. I will brush my teeth, and eat all my hay every night."

I think I saw a tear coming out of Wendy's eyes as she left little Sunny in the van ready to head off the farm and on to a new adventure.

It was a two hour drive, and Sunny was very well behaved.

Arriving at home, Sunny looked out and said,"Wait a minute, that's a big jump outta the van. I don't think this is what I was planning on."

"Where's mommy Wendy? No way you are going to get me out of here."

"I wantta go home, no you can't make me get out!!" said Sunny.

Needless to say, it took a little convincing, but finally Sunny left the safety of the van and trotted down to meet his new family.

In a few days I will post again with photos of Sunny in his new home.

If you want to see baby photos of Sunny visit:

http://www.countryroadsminis.com/foalsforsale.htm

Sunny is a true blue eyed baby. His sire is Boones Little Buckeroo Too Shadow, a 27.5 inch, Top Ten BTU son. His dam is Serenity Acres Bonnie Blu Eyes, so now you know where those baby blues came from. I just love blue eyes on a mini!!

Miss Peach Meets Her New BFF

 A neighbor down the road from me had a miniature mare that needed a friend. Her owner stopped by one day and asked if I had a yearling that might be friendly, not a dominant mare, but one who was looking for a new friend.

We walked around, the mini had to be a filly or mare. If a mare, she must not be bred...the new owner was not looking to raise minis, just a companion for her current one.

Miss Peach caught her eye. She walked up and wanted all to be petted, and the decision was made.

The following week I loaded Miss Peach into the MiniVan and off we went.

There was still some feed in the pan in the minivan from my picking up Sunny (previous post), from Ole Country Roads north of Bloomington. After Miss Peach finished the last of the grain, she started to look around, "Okay, so where's the rest of the feed. I'm hungry still!!"

Lucky for Miss Peach she noticed the MacDonald's Happy Meal still in the front seat. 

"Yum, yum, now that's more like it!!"

Miss Peach made short work of the burger and fries, then wanted to know "Where's the shake?"

Opps, too late, we had arrived.

Out she went and into the barn to meet her new 

           BFF.

This this will be a great friendship and adventure for Miss Peach.

(BTW: Miss Peach is out of Toad Hill's Buttermilk whose photos are just below this post.)

Cheerios Arrive at New Home

The weekend after the H. A. M. E. (Heart of America Miniature Horse Show) in Belvidere, Il. my human was going to Chicago and decided to let me ride alone to my new home. I was a little concerned about riding in a minivan but found the hay in it to be quite tasty. My human knows I like a snack when traveling.

We rode for about an hour and a half, then my human decided it was time to get some gasoline since she was not sure how much further to the next stop.

As we pulled into the gas station, a church van with at least a dozen kids pulled in behind us. Most of them went right for the food in the gas station store, but several of the girls stood at the entrance to the store looking at the van. Finally they came over, and one of the girls asked if she could pet me. I said sure, and she got in with me.

There was flurry of girls taking photos of me and my friend.

Sorry I did not get her name, but we had a nice talk, then her chaperones said it was time to leave. We finished gassing up the van and took off to my new home.

I have to admit the ride was fun, but I was ready to get out and meet the new family. Sunny, the little colt was quite curious about me, but his mom was very protective. Guess I will have to win her over with my great personality!!

UPDATE from new home:
Pip is doing great! Bonnie (mother of Sunny) ignores her most of the time. Thinks she is going to lead her son (Sunny) astray--he was into wild women before she came. Sunny loves her. They chase each other and rub each other's necks! Irish (the other yearling filly) likes her. They are a pair, when Pip isn't running around with Sunny, but Irish is in charge of where they go and what they do! Sunny will be four months the end of July.

Coming Home From CSPA

Sometimes taking your mini for a ride is just like having another kid in the car.

Toad Hill's Little Dove, a yearling blue roan pinto filly, was riding home from Central States Pony Show at Gordyville and she suddenly spotted a store. "Whoa, Nelly!!"

What that a KrispieKreme?... oh boy, oh boy!!! A KrispieKreme Donut shop.  Oh, how I love donuts!!

Whinny, whinny...(Translation...I want one, can we stop, pleezzee just one pleeze?)

Human says, "Just stop your whinnying and just watch the trucks go by. You can have dinner when we get home, no deserts first."

MiniVanAdventures - The Trip to the Area 4 Show

Toad Hill's Spots and Dots, a 2009 29.5 inch stallion was talking with his human: "Alright, so you need to get on I-74 and take a right on to Rt. 136. Got that?"

Spots and Dots: "What do you mean you want to go down to I-57 then turn right?

Whoa, wait a minute...you're adding how many miles to this trip"

Spots and Dots: "I don't think my human knows how to read a map. Good thing we gassed up before we left home in the van."

Spots and Dots: " I love it when my human is wrong...can you see my smiling...hee hee, score one for the mini!!!"

MiniVan Continued

So just two days old and already GrapeNuts and Honey Nuts are out for a ride.

Honey Nuts had a secretion from her eye, so into the van and off to the vets. This occurred when Honey was two days old. The eye irration only required day adminstration of oniment to prevent infection and in a week it was all cleared up. But ever since, Honey has been looking at the van -- guess she wants to go again with mom on a trip.

The MiniVan

If you type the command "define:minivan" in Google it will show the definitions of the word after the colon. One of the definitions for minivan states:

• A minivan, multi-purpose vehicle (abbreviated MPV), people-carrier, people-movers or multi-utility vehiche (shortened MUV) is a type of automobile... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minivan

I think they overlooked one very important function: mini-mover...(see photo above). Toad Hill's Rusty Spot gets ready to go to his new home in Wisconsin.

And don't believe this is one time event...to right--> : like father like daughter.

Below is one of Rusty's fillies, Toad Hill's Run for the Roses, she just wanted to go for a ride with me and the grandkids.

But wait...Rusty's family of minis are not the only ones who enjoy riding..DQ (below) enjoys a riding now and again. When we delivered her and her foal to a friend in Andalusia illinois we took both her and her filly in the van instead of hooking up the stock trailer.

The first photo of DQ (black/white pinto) shows just her, but the second shows DQ with her blue roan filly.