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Beautiful Horses of Pennsylvania |
Sullys Hollywood and Holly Berry Who could pass up an opportunity to photograph and Appaloosa named Dottie, whose owner claims has "the most beautiful tri-colored face with the sweetest disposition..." Add to that the promise of a foal at her side. Dottie and her filly, Holly Berry, were classic Appaloosas. Oh, so lovely!
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Bo's Shadowfax Bo's Shadowfax has lots of nicknames. His super-creative owner, Gay, listed them: "Bo, Bo-Bo, Bo-ster, Bodle-ee-odo, and Bo-job." I can really relate, because my horses all have lots of nicknames too! And my new puppy never will learn her real name, because I'm always calling Pup-ski, Pipie, Pumpkin, or some other crazy name. (Piper is her real name.) Speaking of creative, did I mention Gay and her husband Edgar have a huge Swine Chef statue in their yard? See photos below. (I think the message, "No Pork Served Here," is in honor of their pot bellied pig.) I wish I would have also got photos of the giant life-sized dinosaur sculpture in front of the house. Gay -- was it you with the two toilet planters marking the entrance of your drive? [Note: Special landmarks such as these should always be included in the directions to your home... and hopefully are recorded on the "Street View" drive by clip on Google Maps.] Here's that pig:
Anyways... a normal painting of Bo just didn't seem right for his creative family! So this painting is just a bit on the wild side. Gay's description of Bo is so sweet, I have to share most of it with you: "Bo prefers the company of people to his pasture mates or his pot-bellied pig friends. When my husband repairs fence, Bo is 'helping,' his head over Edgar's shoulder, one huge eyeball on the portable drill. He also helps me, his human mom, undress in the barn, grabbing my winter scarf and lifting my hood off my coat. . . . On the trail by himself with only his mom on his back, he's only a bit scared. When he sees a big turkey, his ears perk, his eyeballs widen until the creature shrieks and disappears into the woods. When Bo has company, such as when Edgar rides the bicycle on the golf cart or walks beside him, he's much braver under saddle and can even keep his cool with rumbling garbage trucks passing by. Of course, in the ring he's a perfect gentleman, his mane and tail flying in degree turns. He especially likes when Tony the cat admires him from the top fence rail." Gay writes that Bo is also the poster boy for Straight Arrow's whitening shampoos. His white parts were glowing when I visited! Gay adds, "just like the pop hit, Bo surely thinks, 'I'm too handsome for my hide.'" |
Snowy Snowy's owner Amanda was assisting with the photo shoot where I was taking pictures of Boomer, RF Scarlet Rohara, Ravenhill Tsornin and Dottie. She mentioned how pretty her Quarter Horse was, and since I had some extra time in my schedule (unheard of!!!) Amanda turned Snowy out in the arena and I started snapping pictures! Snowy was quite photogenic! And loved running around! So please welcome the newest addition to the Beautiful Horses of Pennsylvania - Snowy!
Snowy and Amanda
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Cotton Clyde Candy aka Boomer Monique, his owner, writes, "Boomer is 'a ham' on four beautiful legs. He loves the camera and loves people. He has the personality of a golden retriever who loves to please humans and listens well. Sometimes you forget he weights 1200 pounds and is a horse, otherwise you would like to take him in your care and take him home for the kids to play with and get the newspaper for your husband." This six year old Mountain Pleasure Horse is a beautiful blond, just like his owner Monique! Together they are quite a pair! Monique promised that Boomer "loves to strike a pose for the camera." And he did indeed!
Boomer and Monique |
Tsornin Sherry nominated her two Arabians, RF Scarlet Rohara and Ravenhill Tsornin, and I couldn't resist either. They are both gorgeous. I'm still working on Scarlet's painting, but here's the completed painting of Tsornin, her six year old gelding. Sherry wrote, "He thinks everybody has to admire him, because, well, everybody that comes to farm does...it's usually his flaxen mane that catches their attention. . ." and that what caught my eye too. I loved the way he galloped around the huge arena with his mane and tail streaming along - - shining with a beautiful opalescence in the wonderful morning light. He's a beautiful Arabian!
Sherry being lunged by Tsornin.
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Double Exposure Double Exposure is a sweet American Shetland pony whose career revolves around carriage driving -- and appropriate for the winter of 2010 -- pulling a sleigh! I can only imagine the fun the family is having with this year's abundance of the white stuff! Katrina and Albert compete in carriage driving with Double Exposure as well as just enjoy the adventure of driving in fun places! Katrina wrote, "It's been 6 years since this sweet driving pony came into our lives. And we couldn't be happier! We have so much fun exploring different venues with DE and our wicker carriage, among them are the Rockefeller trails in Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine, Shelburne Farm on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont, Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and our yearly pleasure driving shows on the East coast. . . . an then there are the times we enjoy just driving around the farm at home." "Snowy weather brings more excitement with our sleigh at home or at sleigh rallies!"
Double Exposure and Katrina with their wicker cart. |
Jumping Bean and April Fire Jumping Bean and April Fire are both therapeutic riding horses at Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. April was nominated by Wendy, who explained that April had been neglected at her previous home, arriving at the Center 200 pounds underweight and suffering from rain rot and fungus. Wendy wrote, "We bathed her every day and body clipped her to get all the matted manure crusted hair off of her. We slowly worked her onto grain and by July she had gained the weight she needed... [she] enjoys working with our independent students especially those who are walk trot riders. April has come to lover her new home and her pasture mates." One of April's buddies is Jumping Bean, nominated for the Beautiful Horses of Pennsylvania by Joann, who filled me in on Bean's background. She explained, " Before coming to Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center he was a hunter jumper show pony. He was then purchased for the program by one of our students. He has a great temperament and is quiet and understanding. He loves to play games such as bowling, basketball and baseball with his riders.... he knows when to stop if his rider is off balance or not listening." She adds, "All the little kids in the barn who come to ride him each week spoil Bean. They think he has the best hairdo in the barn." Joann reports that Jumping Bean was named Therapeutic Horse of the year at Devon Horse Show in 2008!
April Fire, Wendy, Jumping Bean and Joann
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Wanna Be Platinum Laura is the young owner of Wanna Be Platinum, a Mustang Cross who was born out west. He now lives in Pennsylvania, and Laura nominated him for the Beautiful Horses of Pennsylvania series, writing, "Wanna Be Platinum (Oscar) has the inviting face of an angel and a heart of gold. He has the softest black eyes of any other horse that quickly draw you in....Happy to have anyone on his back, he is patient and understanding and has brought me to many blue ribbons and fun filled rides. Oscar may not be the perfect example for a breed but he is the perfect tx ample for someone who possesses infinite love an curilsity....Oscar would make the perfect Beautiful 'Pony' of Pennsylvania." I too thought Wanna Be Platinum had the face of an angel! Hopefully you will enjoy his painting.
Wanna Be Platinum and Laura
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Comanche Comanche was full of spunk on the day I visited. He was racing around his beautiful riding arena scouting for patches of grass to nibble on. Of course he has a mouth full of munchies in his painting! A Tennessee Walker, Comanche is a wonderful red roan color. Add some bright sunshine, and he just sparkled with lots of shades of orange, red and gold. Corrine, his owner wrote that the he is the first horse she's owned, and "I wasn't a very experienced horse person . . . and to my surprise Comanche wasn't a very experienced or trained horse. We had many fights and I've cried many tears, but I refused to give up on him; knowing that I would never want someone to give up on me." She continued, "A day without Comanche is like a day without the sun. Comanche is the most beautiful horse because he is the best friend a girl could ever ask for."
Comanche and Corrine |
General Lady Francis General Lady Francis, AKA Dutches, is a beautiful Percheron mare. Barbara, her owner, wrote, "I love riding Dutches because it's like sitting on your sofa and enjoying the view." I got lots of wonderful action photos of Dutches running in her big pasture, but chose this pose for her painting because during our visit Barbara and I were both talking about the giant horse statues outside of PF Chang restaurants. We both would like to have one of the statues at our homes! Dutches reminded me of those statues in this pose! She's almost the same size as one of those huge Chinese horses! When Barbara was looking for a horse -- a year long venture -- she met and rode Dutches. Barbara wrote, "I was drawn to her as she to me. I left that day and my heart was aching to go back. I took my husband and he liked her. Walking around her then trying to pick her feet up was a challenge. She would put her weight and lean on the leg I was trying to pick up. When someone else tried - no problem. I would go over and same problem. I went to pass her and she nudged me and I looked at her and she lowered her head. I knew right then and there she was my girl." Here's some more excerpts from Barbara's nomination of Dutches. "My friends wanted to use her for volting. They love standing on her and hanging on her and sliding off her butt. I have my farrier and his two dogs on her with me and she doesn't care." "I have been around horses all my life and none have this much personality. She is one special horse and will remain in my heart forever." Barbara and Dutches are quite a pair!
Barbara and General Lady Francis
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Wave Runner Wave Runner - aka "Danny" - is a Danish Warmblood pony cross who is one lucky gelding. He is the apple of his owner's eye. When I visited, Emily, who is 14, had Danny following her like a puppy as she wove around an arena filled with jumps and props. With no leadline, Danny was right behind Emily -- going over jumps and twisting around obstacles -- and having a great time! Barbara, Emily's mother, nominated Danny for the Beautiful Horses of Pennsylvania project. Here's what she wrote: "Danny is our first horse. My 14 year old daughter is the rider in the family. She had been taking lessons for a while on many different horses. Her trainer had been suggesting that we buy a horse for quite some time when Danny came to the farm. She rode him in her usual Saturday morning lesson. Now most Saturdays i stay for the lesson and watch, but for some reason that week I went to run a few errands. When I got back people couldn't come up to me fast enough to tell me how amazing she looked on Danny. "I replied back with my usual yeah, yeah, yeah. "I left that day and didn't really think about Danny. Sunday morning I got a call at 9:15 am from her trainer. I let it go to the machine because I had a feeling what the call was about and I needed another cup of tea and a shower before I was ready to deal with what was to come. "When I called her back I was told that Danny was 'the one.' This was the horse for her, he was 'the one.' If I heard that phrase once that Sunday I heard it 50 times. To make a long story short, we bought Danny that cold November Sunday. I hadn't planned on buying a horse that day, month or even year, but I am very glad I did because he IS 'the one.' My daughter loves him and rides him with all her heart and soul. They are an amazing team that impresses people every week. He loves her, takes care of her and truly is the 'the one.' The rest of our family has grown to love him also. He has opened up a whole new world for us, one I never expected to be in a year and a half ago but am so grateful we entered. Danny is 'the one' for my daughter and our family."
Wave Runner and Emily
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Andalusians
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