Creature Feature (Willow)

I went looking for a hackney pony and found this very feminine, very cute, 12.2hh pony mare.  I was instantly smitten, just looking at her in her stall. She was my Christmas present to myself.

She is 12.2h (50″). She was working very hard to attend her first show in May in the Country Pleasure Class.  Due to the COVID-19, all shows in our area through end of 2020 had been cancelled. Then, the show barn where I rented a bank barn, closed it’s doors and I had to move on to the next phase of our lives together.

 

Video, I have her one week.

Video, we are six weeks into our learning together.

Video, working on the road – she is VERY traffic safe.

Video, off roading (chuckle)

And so she began Phase Two of her life, training with a “little person”.  My granddaughter Faith missed her riding lessons at the show barn where I was, so I trained Willow to saddle and Faith began riding her around.

Little did I know that this would lead Willow into Phase Three of her life with Dodie.  She entered several CTR’s in harness and did phenomenally well for such a little thing.  Taking it to the next step, I found a small adult to RIDE her in a CTR.  She earned Reserve Grand Champion out of 11 entries.

 

 

And then we decided to make our own driving team by breeding Willow to Whippoorwhills Special Delivery, a Hackney Pony stallion.  Eleven month and ten days later, we now have Chuleta, Willow’s filly.