Big Shooter
April 27, 2012 
It's okay.
You can say it.
That he's about the cutest pony you've ever seen.
I would whole-heartedly agree.
It's also okay if you say that he looks as if he may need to be on some sort of Jenny Craig program for ponies.
I would agree with that statement as well.
He's a portly little guy.
We may have to work on that.
It's tough to keep a saddle on 'em when they're so rotund.
"Hey, chubs... Come up for air once in awhile!"
So, there are a couple things you need to know about Big Shooter, other than that his cuteness factor is off the charts.
#1: He loves to be scratched. He's almost like a dog in how snuggly he is.
#2: Yes, he is broke to ride.
#3: He's no pokey pony. He's only 7, so he has some zip, and is a lot of fun to work with.
#4: When we first met him at the sale, he was totally chill and lounging in his pen. When we loaded him in the trailer (after we had purchased him) he had an anxiety attack, started rearing up and trying to get out. Since we've had him at home, he's been the most mellow pony you've ever seen. I can relate to his existence... Mostly peaceful bliss, interrupted by moments of intense hyperventilation. I may tend to be that way myself.
#5: Since he's so much smaller than the other horses, we thought he might be the odd-man-out and be lonely, so we found him a (free) friend. Meet Little Smokey...
He's a yearling shetland pony. This is what happens when my sister and brother-in-law borrow us their horse trailer and say they don't need it back anytime soon.
The thing about pony ownership, for us, is that it has always been inevitable. I grew up with ponies and horses; have always had them. Mr. Blue Eyes grew up with livestock and pets as well. Our whole goal of living here on the farm was to allow our kids to grow up as 'farm kids', experiencing all the wonderful parts of farm life that we both enjoyed, and learning how to be caretakers and hard workers along the way. God-willing, Big Shooter and Little Smokey will be part of our farm family for a long time to come.
Reader Comments (1)
Oh, they are adorable. When I was growing up we had a minature pony, his name was Grizzwald. He had a big tummy too... we still got a saddle on him, so there is plenty of hope for Big Shooter. Can't wait to meet the new additions to your family in person.