Monday 7 January 2013

Happy 2013!

                               
Hi guys! Perfect Ponies here! Happy New Year!
You guys have been so supporting over the 2012 year and I want to say thanks!
Once again, I'm almost 3000 readers! I need you guys to help me there!
It was our first day back at school today. We get to do an individual project about anything you want and do you know what I picked? Obviously, horses. My project altogether should take maybe three boards, but I'm sure your only allowed one :(.
One board would be halved. One section on English riding and tack and the other on Western riding and tack. The second on horse breeds and the third on horse colours. Maybe I could squeeze the horse colours in with the breeds. This is going to be some work!
But I know it will be worth it. Only two other people than me go horse riding, and one doesn't even know what going lame means!

Now, I want you guys to help me. My perfect pony, Lily, a small coloured mare, is going to start competing soon with me as her rider. I just need a show name!
Let me know if you have one. If you are wondering, she will mostly compete in dressage, I think, but will also do some showjumping as she is a solid jumper. MIGHT start eventing, I just have to see how she goes about the jumps.
Here are some suggestions my friends gave me:
Jigsaw
Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw Pieces
Bits and Pieces
Bitz n Boltz
Nutz n Boltz
Bitz n Bobz
Lil' Miss Dynamite
Splash of Colour
Splattered Paint
Splash
Splatter
Pushy Patches (Because of her fiery temperament)
Patchy Party


Wednesday 26 December 2012

Merry Christmas! (And Quiz!)

Hi guys! Merry Christmas!
REMINDER: Competition One: Your Dream horse. Look at post titled Christmas and look at bottom for details.
Competition 2: Banner competition. Look at post Titled ALL NEW CHRISTMAS COMPETITION for details to enter.

Email your entries to : inluvwithponies@gmail.com

MUST be in by New Years Day (Jan 1st)

So! What did you guys get for Christmas?

I want to do another quiz, I know, another one.
This one should be a cinch for those who know about preparing for shows!
This shouldn't be hard for most people as there is only 5 questions and NO BQ!

Preparing for shows (showdays, gymkhanas, etc.)

1. What can be used to plait your horse/pony's mane besides a Plaiting/rubber band?

a. Needle and thread

b. Cord

c. Hair bauble

d. Hairband


2. What design would you draw on your horse/pony's rump with or without a stencil?

a. Circle

b. Triangles

c. Checker/Chess board/ Quarter design

d. Nothing


3. If you were competing in Cross Country in a show, what gear and clothes would you need/wear?

a. Helmet, jacket, gloves, jodhpurs, riding boots, shirt and tie

b. Helmet, back protector, jodhpurs, riding boots

c. Helmet and back protector

d. Helmet, back protector, gloves (if needed), riding boots, jodhpurs, whip


4. What category is the Pussiance event in?

a. Dressage

b. Showjumping

c. Cross Country

d. Hunter Trials

5. Should your horse wear bell boots or tendon boots for dressage?

a. No, it will hurt your horse!

b. Yes, you should.

c. No, you will be eliminated. 

d. It makes no difference. It doesn't matter.


Answers:
1. A
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. C


Monday 24 December 2012

Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Tonight, a big, heavy man in a cherry red suit will be dropping presents into everyone's chimneys. Yay!
There is one amazing vid on Howrse (Horse Breeding Game). It is a caroling vid. You guys will love it!
I love to play Howrse but I mostly play Howrse UK, where I can be hunted down with the name Lilaimztwili. Howrse is a really fun game! (Hint: Don't skip the tutorial. It's gives you loads of things!)
But that is for another day (Possibly December 26th and upwards). Now here is the vid they have on the Players Home Page in the News area. This vid belongs to Howrse, not me.


Thw Howrse and Owlient team wishes all the best for 2013! Join them on howrse.co.uk
So, what do you think? If you're a bit confused, the song is 'Silent Night'. Pretty cool, huh?
(if video doesn't show, please register on to Howrse UK and take a look to the right side of the screen where all the news is in the Player's Home Page. It is under the name '

Christmas Carols!

Anyways, yesterday I did a Horse Breeds Quiz because I'm big on quizzing you on your knowledge. SO I NEED EVERYONE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ME YOUR PERCENTAGES! I want to know!
(Email address at bottom)
Now for those of you who don't know, I have a new Christmas Competition! To learn about it, click the post CHRISTMAS COMPETITION and you can learn the details there.
If you wanna enter, please send your entries to:
inluvwithponies@gmail.com
PLEASE enter!

There is a second one on too. It's called Your Dream Horse.
To enter, email me.
For details look at my first December post Christmas!
(It's at the bottom of the quiz) 

Anyways, I was wondering about a quiz. I know you're saying, "Really? Another one? You gotta be kidding me!" but I really like testing your knowledge. This will only be 7 questions with a Bonus Question (So, 8, really) so honestly, it won't be that hard.

English and Western Tack and riding

1. Is a Dutch Gag bit for English or Western?

a. Neither. It's for dutch riding. Really, you should know that.

b. English

c. Western


2. In what type of riding do the riders do bareback instead of tack?

a. English

b. Western

c. Neither. In English riding they only go bareback sometimes, and that's still with tack. 



3. In English riding, what does the martingale do when your horse has it on?

a. Keeps them from putting their head down

b. Keeps them from putting their head up

c. Keeps the saddle on and in the right place


4. Can you translate Walk, Trot and Canter gaits into Western? (Sorry if that's a bit confusing)

a. Walk, Jog and Lope

b. Slow Jog, Fast jog and run

c. They don't change. Honestly, you should know that!




 5. Western riders hold the reins in one hand. What is that called?

a. Lope

b. Rope reining

c. Neck reining


6. In basic words, What is Competitive Trail Riding? (Hint: Western riding)

a. A competition where you have to ride over rough terrain and whoever finds their flag with their name on it first wins


b. It measures the fitness of your horse/pony. It's basically a journey from 20 - 120 miles.


c. Riding through fake haunted forests



7.  What type of riding do 'Polo' and 'Hunter Pace' belong to?

a. Neither

b. English 

c. Western


BQ: What breed of horse has a bit of a 'cow sense'? (Hint 1: That 'cow sense' is for Western riding / Hint 2: Think about it)


a. Quarter Horse


b. Mustang


c. Lusitano


d. Arabian (Arab)


e. Thoroughbred

f. Anglo-Arab

g. Clydesdale 

h. Connemara

i. Kerry Bog

j. Hanoverian

k. Holsteiner

l. Irish Draught

m. Irish Hunter




Answers: 
1. B
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. B
BQ: E: Thoroughbred


Results:
0 - 3 right (including BQ)

Okay, well, it is hard to identify Western and English riding. It's quite confusing. But different origins have different styles of riding and if you want to be a pretty much pony/horse expert you need to learn. Don't get me wrong, you are pretty good. There MIGHT be a chance I'd do a post about it, the difference between Western riding and English riding.  Google the ones you got wrong, learn about them and quiz yourself until my post (Near enough to the end of JAN 2013)


4 - 6 right (Including BQ)
You know a good bit, you proved that, but you aren't exactly perfect either. Don't get me wrong, you are good. Google the ones you got wrong, learn about them and quiz yourself  until my post (Near enough to the end of JAN 2013)


All right (NOT including BQ)
Well done! Don't worry, that BQ is pretty confusing with loads of possible answers instead of a, b, and c. It's the same for everyone else.The answer was Thoroughbred. It's surprising, right? I would be thinking it would be a Quarter Horse or a Mustang. Wouldn't you? That's why I put up the hint 'Think about it'.

All right + BQ
Awesome! You know a lot about Western and English, and the differences too. There with be a post up near the end of January about the differences and about the two riding styles. It might help you improve your knowledge. What style do you ride, or do you at all?

Thanks guys! Ye were ALL fantastic. Some of these questions are hard. There is 50 points for each question you get right and 100 for the Bonus Question. What do you get? Merry Christmas Everyone!

Without BQ:
1: 50
2: 100
3: 150
4: 200
5: 250
6: 300
7: 250





Sunday 23 December 2012

Horse Breeds Quiz! :)

Hey guys! It's Perfect Ponies here and...

Merry Christmas!

It's TWO WHOLE DAYS to Christmas! Can you believe it? I can't!

I have been asked to do A Horse Breeds Quiz! I can't wait to quiz you on your knowledge of the horse breeds! Good luck! No cheating!


1. What horse breed is also the name of a car?

a. Mustang

b. Volvo

c. Fjord

d. Oliver


2. How big on average is the Shire Horse?

a. 16.3hh

b. 11-14hh


c. 17.2hh

d. 20hh+


3. How big would Shetlands be?

a. 11hh+

b.  11hh-

c. 14.3+

d. 13hh+


4. What colour are Friesians?

a. Friesians are cows and black and white!

b. Chestnut

c. Grey

d. Black


5. Who is the Lusitano's 'Twin brother'?

a. Andalusian

b. Exmoor

c. Volvo

d. Spanish Purebred Horse

6. Where does the Lusitano originate? 

a.  Spain

b. Majorca

c. Portugal

d. Andalusia 


7.  Where do the Holsteiner and Hanoverian originate?

a. Iceland 

b. Arabiana

c. Steiovera

d. Germany


8. What is an 'Anglo-Arab'?


a. Half throughbred, Half Arab cross

b. Half Clydesdale, half Exmoor cross

c. A breed that always is born with a black coat

d. Angloanian and Arab cross


9. Where does the Marwari originate?

a. Kentucky, USA


b. India

c. Clifden, Galway, Ireland

d. Brazil, South America



10. What bred is almost 100% black?

a. Friesian 

b. Arab

c. Anglo-Arab

d. Exmoor Pony


Answers:
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. D
5.A
6. C
7. D
8. A
9. B
10. A

0-3 right:
You do know I put some made-up stuff in there? Really? You have to focus on breeds! Soon there will be a post on breeds. Google 'horse breeds' and get all that info in your head! Until that post, you might have to! Take the quiz again!
Percentage: 0% - 30%

4-6 right
You know a few breeds here and there. There will be a post up soon. Quiz yourself on your knowledge now and wait for the post to come up for more of it!
Percentage: 40% - 60%

7-9 right
Perfect! You know a fair bit but there is only 10 questions! But you do know a Shire horse from Exmoor pony, don't you?
70% - 90%

10/10 all right!
You know a lot, don't you? But you can learn more. Wait for my Learners Special: Horse Breeds and learn all the more!

Percentage: 100%

Well done for your participation! Look out for my new Learners Special: Horse Breeds that will up sometime around January!



Saturday 22 December 2012

ALL NEW CHRISTMAS COMPETITION (22/12/12)

All new Christmas Competition!

I want YOU to make Perfect Ponies a banner for their blog!

MUST have a horse in the picture

MUST have a title of Perfect Ponies

MUST say something about being a pony blog. You have until New Years Day (January 1st)

MUST be made with mybannermaker.com

Good luck!


Christmas!

                                                          Hi guys! Happy Christmas!
I haven't been blogging in about two or three months due to school and stable work and making an effort in the horse commitment! I may start the blogging up again! Yay!
When I last posted, a had about a 1000 readers! And when I checked five minutes ago I had over 2605 VIEWERS! Thanks everyone so much for reading even when I completely stopped posting. It means so much! I saw that my most-read post is the General Knowledge Quiz, so I decided I might do another one at the end of this post. It's Christmas! What are you getting?
Things that have happened since I stopped posting:

The buying of our new, flashy horsebox for Lily's shows

My highest jump on complete nutter TJ, who gave me a whopping 1m 35!

My stallion getting bound (Constipated. It was when we went away for the weekend and my cousins were taking care of the horses: BIG MISTAKE!)

My instructor asking me if I could take over the ride on TJ.

And... well... yeah, that's it, I guess.

Now it's time for Christmasy books! There is one I really love and it's by my favourite author, the one and only Stacy Gregg. She has written my favourite series in the entire world, The Pony Club Secrets. I'll telll you about them another day! She is writing the Pony Club Rivals, which I will also tell you about another day. But this is her Christmas special for The Pony Club Secrets books, starring Issie Brown. This special for Christmas is called Issie and The Christmas pony.



 Issie and The Christmas pony is a heart-warming, lovely story that is just amazing all year round, not to mind Christmas!
An extra-special Christmas story about Issie and her friends at pony club. With gymkhanas to win, rivals to defeat, mysteries to solve and ponies in danger to save - these books are perfect for all girls who love ponies. Issie had always wanted her very own pony, and perhaps this Christmas her wish would come true... In this gorgeous Christmas special, Issie tells the story of how she first met Mystic - and how a little magic helped Issie and her perfect pony to stay together forever. A sparkling, festive prequel to the popular Pony Club Secrets series.
 What do you have to say about it? :) 

This is Stacy Gregg with her horse Luka (Top)
and this is also her with Ash (bottom).

To learn more about Stacy Gregg, her books and her horses, visit:

www.stacygregg.co.uk












Now to wrap up this festive special, I will be doing a General Horsey Knowledge quiz with 10 questions. Don't cheat! That's even worse than getting the answer wrong!


1. Which one is the colour 'Bay'?


a.

b.

c.












2. How many Centimeters in a 13.2 hand horse?

a.  138

b. 132

c. 168


3. Where does the Arab horse originate from?

a. Arabia

b. Arabiana

c. Indiana


4. What is a farrier?

a. It's another name for jockeys. Jockeys race horses.

b. He's the person that comes to shoe a horse

c. a farrier has nothing to do with horses at all. You should know that!

5. What is a 'Bomb Bucklery'?


a. A bomb bucklery is a vicious buck gone wrong. The horse ends up on top of it's rider.

b. A bomb bucklery? Bomb Bucklery is a horse that won the Kentucky Derby ten times over!


c. Has nothing to do with horses/isn't real when talking about them. You should really know that!



6. Where is the Spanish Riding School?

a. Andalusia, Spain

b. Vienna, Austria

c. Kentucky, USA

7. What is a white horse called when talking about horses?

a. Lipizzaner (It's a breed)

b. Grey (You don't call horses white!)

c. White... right?


8. True or False: Both the walk and the gallop are both a four-beated gait.

a. True

b. False


9. Which one of the following is the best to describe a palomino?

a. Golden coat with white/blonde mane and tail.

b. Dark brown with white/blonde mane

c. Reddish-Brown coat with white/blonde mane


10. What is an appaloosa?

1. It's a horse colour

2. It's a type of bridle

3. Not sure


BQ: What horse would you prefer/suit you?

a. Chestnut gelding 16hh. Amazing all-rounder. Not a novice ride. 3 yrs old.

b. Palomino mare. 14hh. Super star jumper. 6 yrs old. Suit novice ride.

c. Blue roan mare. 15.2. Needs more training in jumping and dressage. Suit advanced. 3yrs old

d. Dapple grey stallion. 17hh. Advanced ride only. Is superstar all-rounder. 3 yrs old

e. Bay mare. 13.2hh. Suit any rider. Lovely all rounder, very quiet. 10 yrs old.

f. Any of the above





Answers:

1. C 
2.A
3.A
4.B
5.C
6.B
7.B
8.A
9.A 
10. A
BQ: Your choice :)


Results:

0-3 right
Honestly? No offence, but you don't know a whole bunch about ponies. Start reading my blog, every post. There's some valued info in each. You need it!

4-6 right
You know the basics. But your not exactly perfect either. You need to keep reading. You'll be a star!

7-10 right
Pony star ! Well done, you proved you know a fair bit. But when it comes to horses, we can always learn more, right? I'm still learning more as well. Keep reading!

So what is your perfect horse? Email me at inluvwithponies@gmail.com. I want to know! 


Christmas Competition! Your dream horse. I want to know!

Email your entries to me at inluvwithponies@gmail.com and make sure to include all these or I can't include you!:

Name
Colour
Height
Temperament
Strong point
Breed
Gender: (Gelding/mare/Stallion) 

And hurry!







Wednesday 10 October 2012

Congrats!

Thanks to all of you I have reached 1000 viewers!
Thanks so much guys - this means a lot!
I writing a story a the moment - not going to be published! Just
a normal story! I thought I would just put up a 2 chapters. It's not great - I know! PLEASE don't put up bad, mean comments about it because
I'm A LOT younger than you think!
But first - since I'm Irish - I'm going to say thanks in Irish :)!
(I should remind you, it might no be great because I'm not great at it!)

Go raibh maith agat do gach duine an oiread sin - ciallaíonn sé go leor chun teacht ar lucht féachana 1000!
Go raibh maith agat as cuidiú liom a fháil ann! : Thanks so much everyone - It means a lot to reach 1000 viewers! Thanks for helping me get there!

The story is called 'Bitter Truth' and is a Not an adults book. It's for kids (10 +)! It combines horror and horses - the best themes for my writing.




   Chapter One


Rew White watched the chestnut colt as he played, chasing his mother around the field. Rew put down her bag and climbed up onto the wooden post-and-rail fencing to sit down and watch. At that very moment, the colt turned his head and saw her. He bounded up to her like a puppy, nickering happily to her and she reached out her hand to stroke him.
“Hey, Flame,” she whispered to the colt, noticing how much the colt has grown in the past year. The colt’s name, Flame, was given to him by Rew because of his glowing chestnut coat. His dam was almost identical him, the magnificent chestnut mare Flair. Rew and her family were very horsy. They lived on a stud farm with just over 50 horses!  Flair was classically trained in the haute ecole dressage movements from The Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Then she was abandoned, left alone to starve. Then when Rew’s dad took her and her sisters on a trip to Austria to see the riding school, they found the amazing mare and took her back with them.
His sire was a black Dutch Warmblood named Black Shadow. He was amazing. But he died three months ago and it hit Rew hard. Every night she would always dream about him, cantering rider-less in the dark, with fog and mist in the background. Sometimes she would even imagine him coming back to her. She would often see him waiting for her in the shadows outside her bedroom window, but by the time she was outside to meet him he would have disappeared into the night. Her family have tried to talk to her about it but she doesn’t want to listen. She refuses to believe that her special horse was gone. Black Shadow was 16.2 hands high and she had always ridden him, and he was always good to her, even if he was a stallion. Rew was only eight, and if she had ridden stallions before you wouldn’t think it. But she had riding talent beyond her dreams. She started to ride at a very young age and she doesn’t realize she’s such an amazing rider. She was in a day dream about Black Shadow when she was suddenly shaken out of her fantasy by someone calling her name.
“Rew! Where are you? It’s almost dark. Do I have to drag you?” Rew heard the stern tone of her mother’s voice. She quickly hopped down and grabbed her bag.
Rew was still pretty upset about moving here, even if it was beautiful.  They were based in Riverside Valley, a rainy little piece of land in the centre of Ireland with lovely scenes and lots of ponies! Six months ago they moved out of Ireland and out of Riverside Valley , leaving over half of their horses behind them, giving the land to their uncle. Instead they moved into a massive stud farm with loads of horses and ponies waiting for them. This stud farm was based in, in the heart of rural Wiltshire.
Rew had loved so many of the horses they left behind. It was so heart-breaking to give them to her uncle. At least she knew they would be cared for well.
Black Shadow and Flair were two of the horses they took with them. Sadly, Black Shadow was effected by the plane ride and new surroundings so much that Rew thought it might have made him sick. But the tests hadn’t come back yet and she wasn’t so sure what had happened. The vet didn’t know either and called every other vet and more people and they don’t know either.
Rew took one last, longing gaze at Flame and his dam before walking down the dusty dirt path to their mansion of a house.
Rew’s mum wasn’t so pleased to see her daughter coming in so late. “Honey, really? I don’t want you staying with that mare and colt all day long!”
“Why’d you want me, Mum? I already had dinner and I’m not that tired…” Her mother shook her head in disbelief.
“Honey, maybe I want to lay eyes on you for just a minute to make sure you exist! That colt has gotten you hypnotized!”
Rew decided not to answer. Instead she slipped past her, heading for the fridge.
Rew had a big family. There was her parents, Anita and John White,  and her 11-year-old sister Olivia. She also had a15-year-old sister Lauren, and a 16-year-old snobby sister Monica. She had a younger brother Evan, who was four, and twins with Jack. The oldest was Cherise. Cherise is 27 and moved out last year. She recently got married and is on a honeymoon in Kenya with her new husband, John Maybury.
Rew headed for bed. It was a tiring day.



                     

   Chapter Two

                                      

The next morning Rew and Olivia decided to go for a hack in Spring Meadow. Spring Meadow was the pretty little meadow that bordered the back of their stud farm. At the very edge of the meadow was Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is a cold, dark forest that had all kinds of scary things in it. Rew and Olivia weren’t allowed cross the border between Spring Meadow and Dark Forest.
The girls decided to take the twin Lipizzaner mares Crystal and Snowbell.
“Here Crystal! Here Snowbell!” Olivia yelled. The snow-white mares looked up from their grass. Giving a loud whinny, Crystal galloped up to the gate with Snowbell following behind at a fast canter.
“Hey, girls,” Rew giggled as the ponies reached the gate, “Ready to ride?”
“Of course they are!” Olivia laughed, giving Crystal a pat, “They never, ever want to a miss riding through the Falls!” The Falls were a gathering of waterfalls on a bridge that looked amazing. Below it was Seabed Beach, the ideal place to go for a good gallop, or a trot, canter and walk.
“But I thought we were going through Spring Meadow…” Rew was confused. Couldn’t her sister make up her mind?
“Oh, I know,” she sighed, “She just loves a ride through the Falls!”
As the girls tacked up, Olivia noticed something strange.
“Ohmygosh!” she squealed, “It’s Kristy!”
Kristy was Olivia’s best friend. They went to pony club together and they both adore horses.
By the time they had noticed Kristy, the girls were finished tacking and about to mount up. The girls grabbed their ponies and rushed down the lane to meet their friend.
“Kristy!” Rew and Olivia said together. Kristy had been forced to leave their pony club by her posh, rich parents and forced to have private lessons instead. Kristy had hated the idea of leaving the pony club behind, but she had to do what her parents’ asked.
“Ohmygosh! It’s you!” The girls gave Kristy massive hugs.
“I haven’t seen you guys in ages!” Kristy groaned, “I’ve been miserable without you!” Kristy’s parents were so uptight about her mixing with people that weren’t as rich or as posh as they were. The made her switch to a private, expensive school called Kingswood.
“We were just tacking up Snowbell and Crystal,” Rew was telling her, “You can go on Sparky, the dapple grey in the Gelding’s stables, if you want.”
“I’d love to!” She grinned, “let’s tack her up!”
                                  

After Sparky was tacked up, the three girls mounted up and set off to Spring Meadow.
“I haven’t seen Sparky in so long…” Kristy murmured, stroking his neck, “ The last time I saw him he was a tiny, newborn foal!”
“Wow!” Rew grinned, “You missed a lot!”
The girls walked up the dirt and gravel path and through to the entrance to the beautiful meadow.
“Ready, guys?” Olivia gathered up her reins, “let’s try a canter.”
Olivia kicked Crystal on, cantering up the dusty dirt track and through the big trees, long plants and brightly coloured flowers with Rew and Kristy following at her heels.
After five or ten minutes, they came to the border of Spring Meadow. Olivia pulled Crystal to a halt, and as did Sparky and Snowbell. Right in front of her was the entrance to Dark Forest.
“Why’d we stop?” Kristy asked
“Sorry, Kris, but we can’t go here,” Rew said, “This is Dark Forest. We’re banned from entering here. Even Monica isn’t allowed!”
“I don’t see what’s so bad about it,” Kristy sniffed, “Have you guys ever heard of breaking the rules? C’mon, Liv, surely you can go with me. We’re both 11.”
“Umm…”
“But, Olivia!” Rew objected, “You can’t! You’ll get killed if Mum and Dad find out. Surely you have some sense?”
Olivia swallowed. “Uhm, sorry, Kristy. We can’t go there. It’s too dangerous.” Kristy shook her head.
 “You guys are unbelievable. Have some fun! Honestly,” Kristy shook her head, “If I’m the only one that understands the term ‘fun’ then I should be the only one to go in there.” With that, Kristy pushed Sparky into a trot, entering the deep, dark woods.
“No! Kristy!” Olivia cried after her, “Don’t! Come back!”
Olivia didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t just turn around and leave Kristy alone. Could she?
“Liv…?”
Then the girls heard a scream. It had to be Kristy!


Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and if you didn't PLEASE don't write mean comments cause I'm a lot younger than you all think!