Miss Paula has been travelling alot and I haven’t been able to use the computer.  I am so happy to finally be able to tell you everything that has been happening.

I heard everyone did really well at the little NFHJA schooling show at the beginning of the month.  Sara and Billy, Emily and Jason, Michelle and Sunny, and, believe it or not, Savannah and Cowboy.  I say, believe it or not, because Cowboy is one of Miss Paula’s Chincoteague ponies that Mr. Jim bought for her three years ago.   He was born in Assateague National Park inVirginia.  Every year, the last week of July, the herd swims across the channel at slack tide to Chincoteague Island where the foals are auctioned to benefit the volunteer fire department.  Cowboy was just 4 months old.  Miss Paula says that all the horse crazy young girls of her generation read the Misty of Chincoteague books.  The girls at the barn have never heard of Misty.   Mr. Jim gave him his show name of Wayward Star because he has a small white blotch on his shoulder that Mr. Jim says got lost on its way to Cowboy’s forehead!  Well, anyway, Savannah loves Cowboy and Cowboy loves Savannah, so Miss Paula said she could take him to the show.  First time away from the farm and he acted like an old pro.  We were all so proud of both of them.  Of course, I taught him just about everything he knows.  I really had to nip at his heels to teach him to load the trailer during his yearling training, but now he is as good as gold.  It just goes to show that when they are started right…..

We also weaned the babies this month.  We had two fillies this year, both approved Belgian Warmblood.  Jordana BF “Lucy”,  by Paparazzo out of Riches in Glory and Jasmina BF “Desi” by Ironman out of Darling Sola.  Alan and Miss Paula always feel a little sad.  Especially when the mom and baby seem to have a special bond like Desi and Sola, but the moms and little girls all seem to be doing fine.

Alan has also been busy mowing, fertilizing, and planting rye grass for the winter.  All the horses have been moved to different pastures so that they can continue to have green pastures all year long.  I told Alan I could help with the fertilizing, but he said that he already had too much of that kind of fertilizer!

Michelle has been training one of our homebred two year old thoroughbred fillies, Smooth Romance … Princess to her friends, and Smo Ro to her homeys.  Kaelya had started her this summer and Michelle says she is one of the quietest, easiest babies she has ever worked with – walk, trot, canter, and natural auto lead changes.  She has started taking her over ground poles and will finish with crossrails before turning her back out with her girlfriends for the winter.  Her serious training will start in the spring.  I have heard people saying that she will make someone a really nice hunter.  That’s our girl!  See Horses For Sale.

We welcomed a new horse and his owner to Bridlebourne this month.  Pat and her horse, Baederbob, moved down from New Jersey.  It is a big change for both of them, but I’m going to do my best to show them the ropes.  With Florida’s changing weather, they have already experienced winter, summer, and fall all within a week’s time!

I’m very excited to tell you about another new horse that is coming to Bridlebourne.  He and I have been email penpals now for awhile and he sounds like a great guy.  I’ve already met his mom, Millie, and although I think she was a little standoffish due to my reputation for welcoming people by lifting my leg,  I think I’m really going to like her, too.  Casino and I will meet in person for the first time next week.

Well, boys and girls, ladies and gents, that’s all for now.  Snickers, Cesar, Hailey, and I all wish you a Happy Halloween.  Stay safe and have fun. 

To stay up to date with my blog you can subscribe to the feed so you will be notified of new posts and feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time…

Spot

Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Spot.  I am a rough coat Jack Russell terrier and I live at Bridlebourne Stables with my sister, Hailey, and lots of fun people, horses, and other dogs.  I have quite the reputation as being in the midst of any and all activity at the farm so I was asked to keep you up to date  by writing this blog.   I really am quite busy supervising the stall cleaning and mowing and assisting Michelle with the horse training and lessons, but I am always willing to chip in where needed.  I don’t know what Miss Paula and Mr. Jim, the owners of Bridlebourne, would do without me.

As you can tell from the pictures on the website, my home is quite idyllic.  There is lots of grass and ponds and ditches where all the dogs like to run and play and, oh yes, arenas and pastures for the horses and a beautiful club room and viewing areas for people.  One of my personal favorite things to do is ride around on the Gator with Steve or Marlon.  But it is not only fun and games there is work, too.  I have to help bring in the horses and catch mice and greet the cars when they come down the driveway.  Dr. Shelton’s truck is one of my favorites to chase.  He is the veterinarian that comes to the farm.  We haven’t seen as much of him lately because all the babies have been born and all the mares have been bred for the year.

Brian and Robert are the farriers that come to the farm.  All the dogs love farrier day because we love, love, love hoof clippings!  Chewing and eating hoof clippings is almost as good as sneaking into a stall, after the horses are turned out and before it gets cleaned, to roll in the “fragrant” bedding.  That always gets a loud response from Miss Paula when she gets a whiff of us.  I don’t know why she gets so excited.  She must like the aroma as much as we do.

                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                     Snickers                                                  

Then there is Snickers.  Snickers is a great dog.  She goes home at night with Miss Paula and Mr. Jim.  She is part Beagle and is very smart and beautiful and loves Miss Paula very much.  I have a crush on her and am very jealous that she gets to go into Miss Paula’s office during the day.  She doesn’t pay much attention to me… I think she is just playing hard to get… how could she resist my charm and joie de vivre!

Alan, our farm manager, has a big dog name Cesar.  He lives at the farm and is a very good watch dog.  He can even fight armadilloes.  He doesn’t like to be outside much in the summer, but loves to run in the back pastures in the evening with Alan. 

                                                                    Cesar

Now that I’ve made some introductions, I need to bring you up to date on what has been happening at this busy place. 

We had a summer intern for the very first time this year.  Her name was Kaelya.  She was great.  She helped everyone, especially Miss Paula.  She did office work and helped train the ponies and went to the horse shows.  We are all very happy she will be coming back in January to stay for awhile.

There was alot of buzz about Miss Paula and Michelle’s trip to Holland and Belgium in July.  They bought several horses to bring back to the farm.  One is a big jumper named Winchester – Chester to his friends, and Zenith Dance or Zee and a pony named Rafael.  Chester is really sweet and kind.  He doesn’t seem to mind when Hailey and I help with the turnout.  He can jump a really big jump, too.  I still think I am the best jumper (I did win the terrier races at the end of school Shodeo), but Chester is pretty good.  Zee seems a little younger and interested in everything.  He has alot of energy and can turn fast and seems excited about life.  I think he and I have alot in common.  Then there is Rafael.  You wouldn’t believe how the ladies and girls swoon over this guy.  I mean, really, what does he have that I don’t!  Ok, so he is bay with four white socks and a blaze and a cute head and he moves like a dream (or so I’ve been told) and jumps a 10 (whatever that means).  He’s just a pony, right?  I am really tired of hearing “Oh, he is soooo cute. ” “ I could just squeeze him. ” “ Look at his cute little ears.” “Look at him trot.”  “Look at him jump.”  I keep thinking -People!  down here.  I’m cute.  I have cute ears.  You can squeeze me.  But no.  They are mesmerized by “Raffie”.  Oh well, my consolation is that I’ll still be here way after he is gone! (Check out our Horses For Sale page)

It has been a little quiet around here lately because Michelle and eight of the horses have been at horse shows the last two weekends.  I heard Miss Paula telling Alan that everyone did really well, but that she was particularly pleased about a young horse, Kona (Special Blend), who was Champion Baby Green one week.  I guess he was really quiet and jumped really well and won the hack.  She also modestly told him that she was Reserve Champion in the Pre Adult equitation division on Charley.  That was a big deal for her because she hasn’t shown over fences in a really long time.  My good etiquette prevents me from disclosing how long it has actually been, but suffice it to say it has been before cell phones, iPods, X boxes, and the Internet!

       Scarlet Starlet (Congrats/Red Hot Star)

It was actually a very good week for Miss Paula.  We breed show horses here, but we also breed thoroughbred race horses.  At the Ocala Breeder’s Sale, one of our very own homebreds was the session topper.  Scarlet Starlet “Pebbles” sold for the most money of any of the several hundred horses selling that day.   Watch for her at the races next year.

Luis, who works here, and his wife, Reina had a baby boy last Saturday.  I had heard that they were thinking about naming him after me but instead decided to go with Angel.  I think they must have thought it might be confusing to have two Spots so just decided to name him after my angelic personality.

This coming weekend, Michelle will ride Chester, Zee, and Kona at the horse show.  Tomorrow, I will have to be on standby in case she needs my help loading the guys on the trailer.  Sometimes a little nip at their heels speeds up the process.  And then again sometimes I just hear “Spot, we don’t need your help.”   Some people just don’t know how to accept a gracious offer of assistance.

That’s all for now.  Check back to find out how everybody does at the show and what mischief, I mean, what jobs I will be doing at the farm.

Spot