[Raury]

Mark!

[dreamwalker]

Gingerbread pony is open! Feel free to post your forms now ^.^

[grapejuice]

quick mark-y moo <3

[Darkest.Nation]

mark!

WIP!

[Mango30]

Name: Gingerbread // Sweet Tooth
Gender: Mare
Option piece: Option B
Writing: Back in her native home of Norway, the holidays were ALWAYS exciting for Gingerbread! The mare always became bubbly when these festive times came around. She enjoyed seeing the tinsel being thrown everywhere, wreaths being hung on stalls, and everyone getting their own stocking! But best of all, the little 'play' that they do every year. Ginger never had a role in it in past years because she was a little too excited. But this year, she was determined to get a part! She behaved as perfectly as she could and always nickered at everyone. Eventually, one of her handlers had shown her a picture of a gingerbread person and gleefully told her, "Look! You're in the play!" Gingerbread couldn't believe it!! She was taking part in it! And so, she went on training. Being trained new tricks for the play, when and how to do things on certain cues, and not knocking down all the props (which happened more times than anyone could count!). When the day of the play came, she was so excited! Her handlers dressed her up in ginger-bread like garments and cut her mane so it had little hearts into it. The audience was the riders, trainers, and other locals from the town she was from who loved seeing each show that came every year. Gingerbread managed to contain her excitement enough that she was able to successfully execute the play with other horses and humans and it was a hit! She couldn't be happier! Afterwards, she was given lots of horse-safe gingerbread, which definitely fed her major sweet tooth. From them on, she's always loved the holidays, gingerbread, and just making people smile and laugh with her little acts from the show she had learned.

[dreamwalker]

This will close on the 4th! Please make sure to work on your entries if they are incomplete. If requested I will offer a one week extension past the set end date.

[aray17]

Username; aray17
name; Sleigh Bells Ringing // Finn
gender; stallion
Height: 16.1hh


Story A: For months, I daydreamed about what California would be like in the winter. I dreamed that there would be snow everywhere and horses prancing around in the cold. I dreamed of rolling in the fluffy snow and wondered if it was going to be different from the snow here in Norway. When it was time to board the plane for the journey, I was so giddy and excited to meet new friends and I wondered if there would be any tolters like me. From my homeland, we all have thick coats and manes that stick up but I wondered if I would be the odd one out and completely different from the rest. When my plane landed and the light rushed into the plane, I was eager to meet new people. But, when I looked outside, there was not a drop of snow. I thought What where is the snow? It's winter time but there's no snow? What is this place? The skies were dark and cloudy and it was cold but not nearly as cold as it was back home. I was slightly disappointed but still had some hope that I would see snow somewhere. After a long trailer ride, I finally arrived at the ranch. When I got out, I saw all of the tolters had long, fluffy manes that didn't stick up like mine and they all were wearing blankets. There was hardly anyone out in the pasture and most were in the warm stables and yet they still seemed as if they were cold. Immediately I wanted to go to the pasture to run and stretch and that is when I met Khrys. She had a thick, fluffy coat like mine and it was reassuring to see someone similar to me. She was friendly and kind, but definitely different. Everyone had a weird accent and kept asking me to repeat myself and to say something in my native language. It was fun getting to know a bunch of new tolters but after a while I got tired of re-introducing myself and having to explain why my mane was sticking straight up and why I talked funny. After a month of staying in the foothills of California, I started to miss the cold and snowy forest of Norway. I missed my friends and family. Here, I had to start a new routine and make new friends and I still hadn't really bonded with anyone. All of the other tolters were very nice to me but they already all had their friend groups and I just didn't want to barge in and mess up what they already had going. One morning, I peeked out of my stall door and into the pasture to see Cadbury and her mate, Tropic strolling together. At home, I had a mare who liked me and I liked her but we both were too shy to make a move and here, I was alone. That was until Kanaapali introduced herself to me that same day. I was taking a drink from the trough and up walked this beautiful mare who I had only seen from afar and never had gotten the courage to talk to. She said "Hi, I've noticed you around but haven't ever gotten the chance to say hi. My name is Kanaapali but everyone calls me Kana. What's your name? I heard you were from another country as well." As I had water dripping from my mouth and was trying to swallow the rest of the water in my mouth, I forgot I was trying to drink water and I started talking and spit a little bit of water onto her. Oh my goodness I was so embarrassed. Quickly I said "Oh my goodness I am so sorry. I did not mean to spit onto you." She laughed and smiled. Kana said while lightly smiling and laughing "It is totally okay. I completely caught you off guard." I started to get nervous and blush. I said "My name is Finn and most tolters here call me "foreign boy". I am from Norway." She smiled and my head dropped a little from embarrassment. I thought to myself Oh gosh nice going Finn. You probably just blew your chance with this lovely lady. You should just go home to Norway before you embarrass yourself anymore. I looked at her and she was smiling at me. Kana said "Well Finn, you're Finn to me and I'm not from around here either. I am from the tropical islands of Hawaii and it took me a while to make friends here too. I noticed you kind of hang out by yourself. Why don't you hang out with me and my friends today?" She looked up at me and blushed a little. I said "Yes of course! That would be awesome! Thank you for inviting me. I have heard of Hawaii but have never been there myself. What is it like?" I instantly became friends with Kana's friends and after spending lots of time with Kana, I fell in love with her and made her my mate. And that is how I found my mate and my new group of friends who accepted me and actually called me by my name of Finn as opposed to "foreign boy".

Norway winter:
California winter:
Both drawn and painted by me

[Ariana Black]

Wishing everyone luck

[dreamwalker]

I am waaaay behind but closed for judging ^.^

[dreamwalker]

waaaayyy behind on posting a winner, but congrats! I actually had picked the winner a while back and just forgot to post it so I apologize for the wait ;v;
I kept finding myself drawn back to your entry, great job!

Username: heyheygirl101
Name: Gumdrop Buttons // Gingy
Gender Stallion

We learnt of Gingy through a mutual friend who went to Norway to pick up a stallion of her own, she told us of this fluffy little pony that looked as if he were a gingerbread man, with the gear they had on him. She showed us some adorable pictures, with small children gathered around him and him pulling a sleigh and new it was love. So we got in touch with the stables and started making arrangements to bring Gingy to his new home. Now his name wasn't originally Gingy, but Pepperkake, which we later learned meant gingerbread in Norwegian. Now of course we here at Ironwood are all fans of Shrek, so with him looking like a gingerbread man we only had one idea in what to call him and of course that was Gingy. So we told the stables in Norway and they kindly started using the name he would have when he got here, so that he would know it as his own.
The process to get him into Canada was a long and trying one, there were many shots that he had yet to receive due to his young age and some that don't even get administered to horses in Norway because those diseases can not survive in the climate there. This lead to many veterinarian visits for him and early mornings/late nights for us because of the vast time difference, but we had to ensure there would be no reason to keep our little Gingy from us when he finally made the trip to Canada.
With all of his records finally checked and double checked by his Norwegian family, our own, and our contact at the CFIA, we booked his plane ticket to come to his new forever home here at Ironwood stables. We had exactly a month to finish preparing his stall and his quarantine paddock, which was was just a paddock for only him so he could be acclimated to his surroundings before we introduced him to a large herd. The first two weeks flew by as we put the finishing touches on the barn and his stall fixing up the door as the previous tenant had decided to kick it off the rail. Making sure the automatic water pump was working, and adding the finishing touch of his name plate on the top of the stall. We added the final coat of polish to his etch gold name plate and loaded into the the truck, heading to the airport in Calgary, to meet our little Gingy.
We didn't bring the trailer because we knew they would be holding him in quarantine for at least a few days so Canadian vets could verify his shots and ensure he wasn't bringing any potentially dangerous contagions to Canada. But we were able to go in and meet him in big white suites that would be incinerated upon our leaving the facility that held all of the quarantine animals.

Seeing him for the first time was the happiest moment of our lives, seeing him all fluffy and content in the lovely little blanket we sent before his leaving Norway. Feeding him some oats and apples making sure he knew that all though we were leaving him in the care of the government for a few days we were so excited to have him in our life.
The days past and finally the call came, he was completely healthy and contaminent free. We loaded up the trailer and hopped in the truck taking what felt like the longest drive of our lives back down to Calgary. Happily we signed forms and papers. As he came walking out. His little gingerbread and candy cane covers blanketed still wrapped around his fuzzy body. The drive home flew by even with all the stops we took to make sure Gingy was comfortable in the single horse trailer. But with his blanket and already decently thick coat it wasn't hard for him to stay warm and content.
After what felt like 2 hours even though we know it was more, we arrived at the stables. Our herd flocking to the rails to see the new arrival, neighing and whinnieing excitedly. Backing him up out of the trailer nervously we could only hope the herd would accept him.

6 months later... Gingy has happily integrated into our herd, having made a few fast friends and a few aquanticences he has enough true friends that he will never be bullied out of food or position. By far our happiest Christmas thus far is our gift Gingy.