Worth his weight in gold :)

[Paula]

There was a show at the barn where I board last weekend and while I was the photographer and couldn't ride myself, Mr. Frodo had a big suprise and was called upon to participate :) Midway through the morning one of the trainers at the barn approached me and said that one of her students had an injury to his horse that morning and didn't have a horse to ride. He is a smaller man so she asked me if he could possibly ride Frodo so he could still participate in the show. It was just a couple of Intro level classes so I said why not. I didn't think about it until we went to tack him up but I didn't have his dressage bridle with me at the show and only had his trail riding bit which is a kimberwicke (mullen mouth) but since it was just a schooling show the judge let him go ahead since we couldn't find another 6" bit and we took off the curb chain. The gentleman hadn't been riding very long and Frodo was a complete champ with him! He ended up scoring a 61% and a 64% finishing 4th and 2nd respectively in large classes. The rider was thrilled as he has never scored above the mid fifties before. The judge had kind words to say about my 22 year old grand old man but did comment that "it looked like he had been drinking too much beer!" Frodo wasn't terribly clean for his rides and his mane could have been done better if I had known he was going to be shown, but here are some pictures to share - http://web.sendtoprint.net/proofbook/login.asp use the keyword frodo Frodo is all of 14 hands high on his tip toes but has a "generous" girth so takes up your leg well. It was neat to get some riding pictures of the old boy as I never seem to get any as I am always behind the camera and nobody else usually rides him. He is truly worth his weight in gold :)

[TropicalStorm]

awh, what a good boy!!!

[tweeter]

Oh, I love him! What a sweet boy he is, and I think he looks just fine. The rider looks good on him. Really nice of you to share :)

[see u at x]

Oh, I love him! What a sweet boy he is, and I think he looks just fine. The rider looks good on him. Really nice of you to share :)

I agree. Your horse is darling and both of them look like they're having fun. I want a fjord now... :) And you, of course, are a wonderful sport to be so selfless. I'll bet that guy will never forget it!

[Foxtrot's]

Thank you for sharing that sharing story. So many people are very protective of their horses. Yet in Pony Club it is part of what we do:
lend our horses, ponies for visiting rally or games teams or in emergencies. We have lent our horses and ponies umpteen times and it has taught our kids to be generous and we have never, ever, found that there was any "damage" to our beloved steeds, either mentally or physically. As soon as we re-mount them, they know exactly what's up.

Dear old Frodo. Thanks.

[slc2]

lovely!

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

Ok, this is a little freaky to me. First of all, Frodo is the name of my Anglo Trakehner gelding who is... ahem... 16.3h. :lol:

Second of all, I know this seems kind of silly, but, you joined COTH on my birthday AND your horse's name is the same as mine. :lol: Ok... sorry... :uhoh:

Great boy your Frodo is! My TB mare is also 22 and, in all fairness, has been officially retired for 6 years, but, she would not have gone that nicely... she would have probably had a melt down because we took her away from her precious alfalfa. :lol: :rolleyes: He gets gold stars from me!!! :D

[StrawberryFrosted]

Paula,
Your pictures look amazing and Frodo really stepped up to the plate and made that guys day!
What an amazing horse! I want a Fjord now! Frodo is soooooo cute!

PS. I love his beer belly, gives him personality :)

[InsideLeg2OutsideRein]

He's such a good boy and very nice of you to share! :) I loff his ears, btw!

[PiaffePlease]

He is so adorable! The rider looks good on him. How nice of you to let him borrow your horse, not many people would do that.

[kookicat]

What an adorable boy! :D And you're wonderful for letting the other rider use him. :)

[mickeydoodle]

how wonderful, what a cute boy

[Ready2Ride]

how awesome! What a good boy you have. My daughter and I want a fjord so bad. I'm going to have to show her your pics after school, she will love them. Beautiful pics. You should be proud! And you are awesome for loaning out your horse to someone and making his day!

[Dune]

PS. I love his beer belly, gives him personality :)

Funny you took the judge's comments that way, I figured the rider had a hard time with straight lines. Maybe the OP will elaborate. Either way, darling pix!

[Paula]

Thanks - I think Frodo is just the cutest! As for how the judge meant the beer comment - I'm afraid she was speaking of Frodo's girth rather than the straightness or lack there of of his lines :) She also made a few comments about the thickness of his neck - but he was a stallion til about age twelve, and that combined with being a Fjord, well lets just say he has a very stout neck. The thing is I moved Frodo to Florida from Los Angeles where the poor dear had been living in large equestrian centers with absolutely no turnout and no grass. When we arrived in Florida I promised him large fields and grass to romp in :) Most Fjords can't live on grass at all without muzzles, and even so have to be kept on dry lots. My Fjords Frodo and Galianna live 24/7 in a large ten acre grassy pasture and think they are in heaven. They hate going into stalls! But it does keep them a bit pudgy.

And Bugs-and-Frodo, Frodo said to tell you that chubby 14 hand shaggy pony's are the real hobbits of the horse world :) He even has the shaggy toes to prove it :)

As for lending Frodo out - I learned to ride at a pony club barn (though I was an adult) and over the years have loaned many of my horses out for pony club efforts. Frodo at 22 is not about to be "ruined" by anybody - and lets face it I am not such a great rider myself that I can claim to be the be all end all and the only one good enough to set seat on my horses ;) It was fun to see somebody else enjoying the old boy!

[JB]

Oh, he just looks so EARNEST!!
http://web6.sendtoprint.net/proofbook/frodo/zoom.asp?ig=i1&i1=20&m1=3&v1=&s1=&c1=1&ww=951&lw=951&js=1

What a doll he is, no wonder you are SO proud of him!

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

Well, your little guys certainly does play the hobbit roll much better than my tall, lanky WB. :lol: However, MY Frodo definitely wishes he could have the eating habbits of a hobbit!:lol: In the end, it was MY Frodo's sweet eyes that earned him the name Frodo, definitely not his stature or hairy feet! :lol:

HAHA, I moved my poor horses FROM the east coast (with the large grassy turnouts, and space to roam) TO California... to the desert, no less. The ONLY reason I am even slightly forgiven is because they are getting some REALLY NICE alfalfa out here. (Not the rocket fuel kind)