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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Day Four: 30 Day Challenge

Day Four: A horse that impacted your life


This is Joydale Pollyanna, a registered Morgan mare out of Johna and by Kennebec Chief.  She was my Sparky's half sister (they shared the same sire).  This is me about seven years old (1986) during my weekly riding lesson at the Joydale Morgan Farm.  Pollyanna was the quintessential lesson horse.  She was bombproof (unless a skydiver happened to accidentally land near the ring....yes, the farm neighbored a sand pit that a local skydiving company used....), had the slowest trot, and was very, very patient and forgiving.  I love how I am pulling on her mouth in an effort to keep my thumbs up (LOL) and she is just tolerating me.


Pollyanna certainly impacted my life the most out of all the horses I have known.  Granted, ALL of the horses I have known have impacted my life in some way, but without Pollyanna, I would not have had such a good grounding.  I learned how to ride on Pollyanna's broad back.  I learned how to steer, post the trot, and navigate cavalettis.  I learned how to tack up a horse and how to groom and pick hooves.  

That is me on the left, tacking up for the lesson in the pic above.  That is my cousin Stacey on the right.

Pollyanna even took me to my first horse show as a ten year old (1989), and helped me win my first ribbon ever (third place in walk/trot equitation) and my first blue ribbon a few classes later (walk/trot pleasure). 


My first horse show ~ York County Riders in Hollis, ME

My first blue ribbon at my first horse show!

Pollyanna lived a good, long life.  She foundered and had Cushings and eventually had to be put down a few years ago.  She was a fixture to me, a horse that is as much a part of me as my own family.  I quickly moved on to riding her sire, Kennebec Chief (who taught me to canter and jump) and then later leased another of her half sisters, Joydale Tiffany (who ended up teaching me a whole lot more about riding and training and showing...), but it is Pollyanna who started me on the path as an equestrian.  There will never be another horse like her.

Classic Pollyanna pose: The end of a day at horse camp, enjoying free roam of the lawn and trying to steal the kids' Popsicles!

Comments

  1. A lovely tribute to a wonderful horse - she looks very kind and willing in all the pictures.

    (verification: flexing!)

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  2. Hi honey,

    Your fourth entry had me in tears. I remember those long summer days and your early riding experiences and yes I do remember Pollyanna and my fear of your riding Kenny.

    A nice story that I enjoyed reading.

    I love you Elizabeth,

    mom :)

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  3. We all have so many wonderful grounded memories of Polly giving us the foundation in our hearts and abilities. Thank you for putting them in to words. She means so much to so many, and truly I feel she would "say" the same in return : )
    Great post as usual Liz! xoxo

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