Sienna...The Cheetos Eating Pony!

My kidlets recently asked why I never blog about Sienna anymore. Huh??? I think that I always include her (when applicable), but they said that they felt that she was not on enough...ho hum!!! Well we can't have that now, can we?? So, I told them that I would do a quick post about Sienna, and how much she has always been loved and treasured. Sienna was born during a 4-H meeting at my parents farm on May 25, 1993, and as you can see from the above picture (yes, that is me!), I was right there to dry her off!
The story goes like this...
Amber had a little pony by the name of Red, who had recently been rescued by his original breeder/owner. Red had been kept, unbeknown to anyone, in a 10x10 dog kennel his whole life, and when his owner passed away, he was discovered. His owners' family contacted Isabelle (his breeder) who quickly came and took him back. Did I mention that Red was about 25??? Shortly after his rescue, he came to live at our house, and he was so debilitated that he could hardly walk. This was not from a lack of food, but from a lack of muscle tone due to his confinement. He was not the best looking, or the best acting little pony, but he quickly won a place in all of our hearts ...especially Amber's. (Below is a picture of Red and Amber)Right about the time Red was rescued, we had bred our little American Shetland mare, Star, to Isabelle's American Shetland stallion, Commander, in hopes of having a young pony foal for Amber to raise as her own. (Amber has always ridden horses, but she also has a love for driving them as well) My mom has all of the good pictures of Star (she was shown by all three of my sisters in riding and driving classes), but I found this one of her and Sienna to show you what she looked like. (Her tail was really long and thick, so I am thinking that the wind was blowing in this picture.!)CD's Commander, Sienna's sire (pictured below at age 22). Not hard to tell who she took after, is it...lol!!??Unfortunately, Red colicked that first winter out of captivity, and had to be put down, but at least he had seven months of knowing what love was, and learning how to be a horse. Amber was devastated (we all were), and we began to anticipate the arrival of Star's foal even more.
When Sienna was born, we were all amazed at how much she resembled Red, and we didn't think that it was just a coincidence either. She was Red's little replacement, and she would lead the life that Red, and every other mistreated pony, should have led. (The End)Please don't get all Fugly on me about the above picture (with Sienna standing on the picnic blanket with my sisters). I put it up to show you just how darn cute she was! Sienna has always been such a character, and she used to frequently come in our house when she was out grazing in the yard. Below is a picture we took of her, when she was two, eating corn off of our plates...and don't worry, she never pottied in the house...lol!!!
Now for a little PSA ( Hi Mrs. Mom!!) about ponies...
A lot of people detest ponies and say that they are nasty, hateful, and mean, but I will not hesitate to tell them that they are wrong. Ponies are not born nasty, hateful, or mean, rather they are made that way by being mistreated by children their whole lives. For some reason, a lot of parents think that ponies are like baby sitters, and let their children do whatever they like to them. Trust me, even the most mild mannered horse would have its patience tested by a bunch of snot nosed brats climbing all over it. (Sorry! Not all kids are awful, and it is really the parents' fault for not monitoring/teaching their kids to respect ponies). We have bred and raised several ponies in the past, and not one of them ever had a horrible disposition...not one!!

The disposition of most ponies, before they are ruined by adults who don't manage their children, resembles that of a big dog, or a goat. They are friendly, inquisitive, and just ask that you treat them with respect. (ADDENDUM...I was just reading this on Sunday morning, and realized that I forgot to mention that as a result of all of their years of surviving on their own in harsh conditions, ponies can be rather stubborn and tenacious.That is why they are not always suitable for children...because kids tend to have the same personalities...lol!!! Honestly, some children are better suited for horses than ponies, because horses will tend to take a lot more flak from a pushy child than a pony will. Ponies are creative and have learned how to shove children off of their backs by running under low-lying tree branches, or scraping them off on an arena post. Seriously!!!)

The other unfortunate thing that happens to ponies, is that people let them founder, often repeatedly. Ponies evolved in very harsh conditions, with very little food sources, so now that they live in the 21st century, they face the risk of over-eating all of the time. Despite what many people think, ponies only need about two hours of grazing per day, or about 1/4 to 1/2 a flake of hay twice a day. This may be adjusted according to the ponies weight and size, but even larger ponies that may look more horse-like, will founder. Ponies have the magic capability of getting fat just by looking at food...lol!!! Gee...I do too, so does that mean I am a pony???
So...if you want a great little pony, you may try to rehabilitate one that has been mistreated, or you may buy a younger one that still has a shot at being raised right. Either way, ponies make great children's mounts...just don't let your child abuse them by pulling on their mouths, kicking their sides, or dragging them around.

What kind of life do you think Sienna has had???