STUTTGART, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas County Fair is an event for every member of the family with all kinds of activities to choose from, from the parade to pageants and animals to rides.
For Vicki and Steve Stubblefield of Casscoe it is and has always been a family affair - no matter what the children and grandchildren are involved with, the Stuttgart Daily Leader (https://bit.ly/1Gi3scb ) reported.
“I have two granddaughters, who take care of the miniature ponies,” Vicki Stubblefield said. “They take care of the large ponies too and really enjoy them.”
Their friend, Lucas Gibbs, who attends St. John’s Lutheran School with her granddaughter, Hadlee Currie, joins the girls in taking care of the miniature horses and the other horses.
“We have two miniature horses and one dwarf miniature horse with the big horses,” Hadlee said.
The granddaughters have named the two Chief, a male who is 8 years-old; Tilly, a female who is 19 years-old and the dwarf miniature pony Bandit is a male that’s just 3 years old.
“My horse is chief and Hadlee has Lilly,” Maxie Stubblefield said. “Lucas usually has Bandit.”
Stubblefield said at just about every school holiday her granddaughters make sure the miniature horses and the others are washed, groomed and fed properly.
“At times, they walk the horses and they do ride them,” Stubblefield said with a laugh.
The bigger horses, Charlie a Palomino and Babe, a Quarter Horse, were purchased the same time three years ago when the two ponies and dwarf miniature were also purchased.
“This is the second year to ride our horses in the Arkansas County Parade,” Stubblefield said. “Last year, we rode the miniature horses and this year we rode the big horses.”
Hadlee Currie said that the male and female horses love being together; however, they don’t like it very much when they are apart or separated. Gives them what is known as separation anxiety.
The three ponies won two first-place ribbons in Show for the Miniature Horses. Tilly won a second-place ribbon for Junior Livestock entries.
“I love getting a blue ribbon,” Hadlee Currie said. “We love to show off our horses.”
Miniature Horses are usually less than 34 to 38 inches as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are found near the withers. While Miniature Horses are the size of a small pony, many retain horse characteristics and have various colors and coat patterns.
The Dwarf Miniature Horse is a smaller miniature horse in stature and weight. The miniatures are often used as household pets. Palomino, a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white man and tail and is very distinctive, especially as a show horse, such as Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger. The Quarter Horse is an American breed of horses that excels in sprinting short distances and the name comes from its ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less.
The Stubblefield’s also rode the horses in the Stuttgart Christmas Parade this past December.
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Information from: The Stuttgart Daily Leader, https://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/
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