Each month we will be posting editorials from our readers. We want to encourage you to share your Standardbred experiences, stories and updates with us, everyone loves a good story that they can relate to or learn from. 

Please forward your editorial to Jackie@p-standardbreds.org and perhaps you will be our next Feature Story of the Month! 

BONNER

This is Kolby, and Bonner has been doing very very well.  He has come such a long way since I first got him in grade 9.  Bonner was a pleasure to train, and he still possesses that gently and loving attitude.  I have taken him in a few shows, and I remember his first round of jumping; he didn't refuse one fence!!  I dress him in blue; he has a bright blue blanket, halter, and boots, and I think he looks very handsome in all of it.  He has acquired a habit of chewing on our poplar trees, and there are trees in our pasture that don't have any bark up to the point where he can not reach any higher.  My dad has nicknamed him Bonner the Beaver.  As it is getting colder, I am not riding as often, and our horses are all settling down for winter.  They all have chubby bellies and fluffy coats.  I am going to Camrose next fall for college, and I am trying to convince my parents to let me take him down with me.  I think I will miss him too much if he stays home!
 
My dad says if you need any trees debarked we could hire out my horse!

ZORRO

Just thought I would let you know that Zorro (electric Circus) is a real gentleman, always is the first to greet us in the pasture, in fact sometimes he can make himself a real nuisance, especially when we are working on the barn and he wants to be with us, he just stands right in the way so we have to pay attention to him.

He is a very patient horse to work with, just stands there and does what ever he is asked. Never moves a muscle while being harnessed, lifts his feet, takes his wormer, lowers his head and just is that real honest gentleman I said he is. I have never owned a horse that is as honest as he is. I don’t know for sure whether this temperament is just his nature or if Bev’s trainers just did a super good job. What ever it is I sure like him. I do know it’s not the temperament of every standard bred because Ziggy isn’t nearly as nice to work with, he would bite you every time you harnessed if you let him, and dances around a lot, don’t get me wrong, I really like him, he just has a lot of quirks that Zorro doesn’t have.

Zorro didn’t want to pull with Ziggy at first and he was trying to let Ziggy do all the work but he is getting the idea now and it didn’t really have anything to do with us teaching them it was just the fact that Ziggy got tired out and figured out that if he didn’t pull so hard than Zorro would have to do some work. Now they are pulling together and everything is working out great.

I’ve attached a few photos and I’d like you to forward this to Bev so she knows what a wonderful horse she sold me.

HICK

Hick and I are doing really well. He has progressed beyond my wildest expectations - we are now schooling training/first leve dressage and have managed to get in a few shows (attached is a pic from a recent schooling show). Everyone who sees him guesses that he is an expensive warmblook or WB/TB cross. He has incredibly extravagent, expressive movement and a surprisingly degree of flexability - particular for such a big boy! The biggest surprise to many peopel is the quality of his trot - for an animal who is used to pace for living he has an amazing trot that screams "dressage".

Our coach is actually a reiner so we've also played at a few western exercises like neck reining, sliding stops and roll backs. The first time we experimented with a sliding stop he made our eyes bug out - my big elegant dressage trained standie tucked in his haunches and slammed to a stop almost as smoothly as my coach's young reiners!

Despite all his talent and athleticism Hick is happiest when giving lessons or pony rides to eginners. In true standie fashion he is a big teddy bear and loves attention. He will patiently allows the little ones at the barn, many of whom could easily walk under his belly without ducking, to spend hours grooming him with every tool imaginable and has stood quietly for endless stretches as I rediscovered my rusty braiding skills. Overall Hick has proven himself to be a one in a million horse and I still can't help but stare in awe when I realize he's really mine!

Hope you and all your ponies are doing well!

Shawna

SOX

Sox is doing great. We’ve driven him a number of times around home, taken a few relatives for rides which they’ve really enjoyed. We had him out in the mountains on a trail ride in September and he did super. My husband rode him and was in the lead on one nice straight stretch and my friend Pat and I had to lope to keep up to him at a trot! They sure can move along. He’s at the extreme bottom of our herd of five but fitting in better now than he was at first. They keep him in his place but more gently now.
 
The fields have all been harvested around here now so we hope the snow stays off long enough to get out and do some more driving. I’m also wanting to put him in English tack to let him try something a bit different and help me keep up on my English seat (I ride a QH-cross in Western tack most days). I have some photos to send you of Sox under saddle and in harness and will do that in the next week or so.
 
So in a nutshell, he’s working out great. He’s such a character, always makes me chuckle, he kind of reminds me of an awkward teenage boy. We just love him and are grateful that Rod and Patty saw fit to let him go to a new home.
 
Teresa

HALEY

We had Haley out again today pulling the sleigh. She loves it and does a great job. We get lots of compliments on how beautiful she is. We have been taking her out to the Al Azhar Mounted Patrol, there is a good sized lake there and they have cleared a track on it so it is a good long circuit. We put shoes with snow pads and barium cleats, it works well. Today she was pulling a sleigh full of kids and pulling a toboggan behind the sleigh. Lots of fun.
 
Warren Nelson

I haven’t done as much with her in the last few weeks as I hoped, we went on a cruise to

Asia and have both got rotten colds since we have been back. I couple of weeks before that though, a friend and I went riding on a large lease west of Sundre and I rode Haley. She was great going through difficult terrain, through herds of cows, bogs and whatever we through at her. The most exciting was to come upon a heard of wild horses, The Stallion came out to guard his herd, and I wondered being a mare if she might want to join him. She never moved a muscle. She was great riding that day. I was intending to put her on the buggy Sunday but just didn't feel well enough.

Warren Nelson  

SUNNY

"Sunny" came to us in the fall of '04 and was in need of some emotional TLC. After undergoing some one-on-one confidence building sessions, Sunny was introduced to a herd situation at a new facility.

Unfortunately, after a brief time and in the midst of -30 degree weather, she came down with colic. Being that she was a young, healthy mare ( 3y.o.) and her condition was not going to have an impact on her future, surgery for a large impaction was performed. After 6 months of recovery and turnout she was definitely ready for placement.

A beautiful mare with a tough start had made a wonderful turnaround. She has been placed in a wonderful home where she will be used for pleasure-driving and eventually, down the road, as a mom.

SHAWNAS FIDDLE

"Shawnas Fiddle" is a lovely 3 year old filly that was purchased this spring by the Placement Program. Shawna didn't have to wait too long for a new home. She was sold to a wonderful home in Saskatchewan where she will be used for pleasure-driving and possibly under saddle. Her new owners hope to eventually have her in a broodmare program (for Standardbreds) crossing with the Haflinger breed to ultimately produce pleasure driving horses with sound minds and talent.

This beauty will be a wonderful addition.

JUSLUCKY FIDDLER

"Juslucky Fiddler" is a 4 y.o. mare who was one of many, not very competitive on the race track. She came to us with a home already in place, not a common occurrence. We were delighted that we could act so quickly and be assured she was going to a loving and suitable home. Juslucky was definately a lucky girl and will be enjoying her new career as a pleasure driving horse and a mom in the future.