Introducing Ida

Ida and I at Star Vaughn. This was our first day riding together.

I will tell you honestly, I am guilty of horse crushes. During these phases, I silently stalked and admired certain horses at my ranch from afar whom I felt possessed a combination of both beauty and individual flair. I would seek out their stalls and covertly learn their names. Their full, graceful tales and funny facial expressions would go with me as I went forth in the world from the ranch. I'd purposefully go out of my way when wheeling about horse poop to walk by them in their turnout. Secretly, I would feed them treats like a naughty girl overfeeding a fat pony.

All of that has stopped though. I met Ida about four weeks ago now.  This mare is just to die for. There are a lot of reasons that I have fallen head over heels for her and no longer have extra-relationship horse crushes. Here is a very small and by no means all inclusive sampling:

A) As the author of a "beauty blog for horse and rider," one might expect that I have a particular passion for grooming. Luke, the other model featured in this blog, exasperatingly despises my beautification obsessions and simply does not tolerate any sort of grooming....except having his tail hot oil treated . Don't ask me, I don't get it. Well, Ida just adores my fawning and fussing. She just sinks into me and melts when I scratch behind her ears and at the jowls of her mandible. She falls asleep as I curry and curry her until her coat shines like a diamond.
 B) She came without shoes and the lease agreement that she is not to be shod. Yes, I drank the purple Kool Aid of hippy blasphemy in the hunter show world: I prefer unshod feet. I subscribe to "natural hoof shaping."
C) Her tail is ombre. Ombre is so fashionable and on trend right now. Like bow ties.
D) She is so sweet and appears to enjoy me, which is far more than I can say about my grumpy old TB Luke who at best tolerates me.
E) She came with the name Ida. I love old timey, vintage names. I have a list of "dream horse names" to include examples such as "Irene Adler" and "Tzarina Nicola the First."

Please look at Ida's face and not mine. Apparently, my trainer is handing me a "plate of shit" from the look on my face.

I just wanted to introduce her as one of the new primary models for Fourteen Carrots. Ida is half Connemara pony and half Dutch Warmblood. She is 15.2 hands and still fits the exact same girths as my 16.2 hand boy Luke (here I am trying to tell you nicely that she is "stout" or she "doesn't need any more treats" or she "could be on her way to equine metabolic syndrome"). Ida is eight years old now. We need to help her develop her hind end a bit, work on our circles, and effectively stand still at the halt. Love her to bits and pieces and am so happy that she came to hang out with us for awhile! You will be seeing lots of shots of this beauty to come.

English pleasure class at Star Vaughn