My family acquired Woody from our friend and farrier, Terrie. She had been given Woody to wean when he was a yearling, and had had him on her farm ever since. The lady who bred his parents, Esther Miller, was another family friend, and was ParellI Natural Horsemanship trainer. Interestingly, Woody's father actually came directly from the Chincoteague Island, however his mom was born and raised in captivity.
Woody settled into the role of annoying pest pony to all the other horses on Terrie's farm right away, and was periodically ridden by either Terrie herself, or other advanced riders on the farm. When the time came that I began to look for another horse to replace Sassy, Terrie had a stroke of genius. She introduced my mom and I to Woody, allowed me to ride him some, and a deal was struck the same day. Soon Woody was delivered to our farm, and Sassy was brought back to Terrie's in exchange.
He arrived on our farm in the spring on 2008, so he and I have been a team for almost three years, now. Our first year together was spent trying to find a common ground, and unfortunately it included many fights between us. He didn't want anything to do with my plans, and he resulted to using his strength to break free of them. He has an annoyingly dominant nature, and at first I didn't know how to handle it. I tried bribing him, being very soft with him, being very rough with him, and nothing seemed to work. I spent my first year searching and searching, and though I was making progress with him, it wasn't to the extent I had hoped.
A big change in my understanding of him occurred when I took him to a Harry Whitney clinic in Tennessee for a week in the summer of 2009. Harry really showed me how this pony works, and how to really and truly get through to his mind. Woody is very black and white and needs a clear plan given for him to follow. When I gave him just that, he fell right into line with me, and ever since that week, Woody and I have been unstoppable. We understand each other on a deeper level now, and he is now at a place where I can consistently have good rides on him.
Recently my mom has been riding him as well. She and him get along great, and he is more than happy to take her on all the trail rides she wants... after all, she doesn't ask him to gallop across the hay field like I do. This little fat pony definitely appreciates their rides together, and there are many more to come in the future. Look out, here comes Woody the ultimate trail pony!
BASIC FACTS
Full Name: Hollywood Spice
Nickname: Woody
Age: 10 years old
Breed: Chincoteague Pony
Height: 14.1hh
Gender: Gelding
Color: Piebald Pinto
FAVORITES
Favorite Toy: the pedestal
Favorite Treat: any kind of fruit (except oranges)
Favorite Drink: bottled water
Favorite Place: out in the great wide open, he despises arenas
Favorite Activity: messing around and goofing off with his little brother, Teddy
