Cardboard Pony

Show Day

Completed June 2026

This was a labor of love and a tribute to the best pony I know. Spicy (my real life pony) has been such a joy to train and enjoy over the years. Now at 27 years old she is still the one who greets me with a nicker every time I go out to the barn and will allow me to ride her even with lots of time in between. She is a beautiful, well bred pony with enough attitude to fit in the largest horse. But after a rough start in life I carefully trained her into a pony that respects and loves me and allows me to enjoy her to the fullest. It was very important to me to get her anatomy and likeness in cardboard. Even though she loathes children and would show her full sassy side whenever I would attempt pony rides for friends and family she tolerated my son riding and showing her. With the occasional nip on my arm during leadline she let me know that she had the ability to get rid of her young rider at any moment but in a moment of respect for me she would allow some leadline as long as treats followed. I hope that those who know English riding see how I tried to painstakingly capture exactly what a typical show day would look like with a young rider. ( I purposely kept the child’s heels at a flat position because it takes years of hearing heels down before you can accomplish it.)