Galloping

Today was a nice day. Not so hot and there was a breeze blowing. Days like that make me feel like running. I don't know why. They just do.

Kia was back today and wearing a bandage on her neck. I was sniffing it and trying to figure out why it was there when I heard my mom's car drive up. She called to me when she got out like she always does but I was still examining Kia so I didn't whinny for her until she called a second time. Kia was okay. She said her mom took her somewhere and a horse doctor jabbed one of those sharp things in her neck and then put a bandage on it. She didn't mind that so much but there were some awful animals there called Cows that were really scary and she couldn't wait to get back in her trailer and come home.

I've seen Cows before. There were some at the place I lived when Mom came and found me. I didn't realize they were dangerous though. I'm glad I didn't stay there any longer. Those Cows might have done something awful! That's why it's good for horses to have friends. We look out for each other. Now I know, if I ever see Cows again I need to be really careful.

Come to think of it, Sparky once told me that he'd seen scary Cows when he lived in Minnesota. At the time, I figured they might have been a different kind of Cow because Minnesota is a long, long way away and has snow and stuff. I thought maybe they were Snow Cows. But if Kia says there are scary Cows here, I think all Cows must be bad. You can't be too careful about these things. I'll just make a point of it to spook and run if I ever see a Cow. I wouldn't want one to get me or my mom. It's my job to keep her safe, after all.

After she cleaned my stall, Mom took me for a walk. That was nice. We haven't been for a walk together in a long time on account of her being in that stupid bandage. I did kind of worry that it might not be the best thing for her to do and I stopped and sniffed her foot a few times just to point out that she IS lame after all. I don't like to go too far when I'm lame. But we went pretty slow and rested a lot so I suppose it was okay. And it was nice for me because it gave me chance to eat stray pieces of hay or grass that I found, or to sniff poop on the road.

When we got to the Little Rolling Arena, Mom took me right in so I was able to drop down and have a really nice roll. It feels so good to roll in that arena! The little stick things in it scratch your back and your face in all the right places but they aren't sharp. They're just more satisfying than regular dirt, although dirt is good too.

After that, we went to the Pony Arena. There were a bunch of Camp Kids and farm horses there, some of them working in the arena and some of them tied up outside it. Well, the horses were tied up. The Camp Kids weren't. People don't get tied up. I wonder why that is. I never really thought about it before. Anyway, Mom couldn't turn me out in the arena because of all the commotion but she did let me get a drink and play in the water trough so that was fun. Then we walked back the way we came and Mom put me in the Round Pen.

I didn't really feel like doing anything at first. I just followed her to the middle of it and asked her to pet me. She made me go to the rail though and start trotting. I was just sort of shuffling along, not really trying but she flicked her whip and encouraged me to speed up and then she asked me to canter.

Well, all of a sudden, I started having fun. I broke into a canter and as soon as I got going, I realized how good it felt and how long it had been since I'd had a good run. I kicked up my heels a couple of times, put my head down and started to gallop! I went around and around that Round Pen, racing like I was still at the track. It was so much fun! Mom just let me go, every once in a while telling me to be easy so I didn't get going so fast I hurt myself.

Oh, it felt good! I finally started easing up and after a few more circuits at a fast canter, Mom began telling me, "Trooottt....trooottt...." I didn't really want to slow down and it took me a bunch more rounds to finally drop to a trot. It was a fast one, with my head up and my nose all snorty. She asked me to walk and then stop and I stood there with my tail up feeling excited. It feels really good to run so fast - I can't tell you. It's like being a bird up in the sky, swooping and ducking and then soaring back up. You feel so free and wild, like you can do anything. I just love it.

Mom walked up to me and pet me then and I ducked my head down for a quick rub but I was still pretty frisky. She backed up and asked me to go the other way and I stretched into a trot and then went right back into a canter and then a gallop that way. i just couldn't seem to stop. My legs wanted to reach out and go and I just let them. I raced around that way for a while and then bounced to a stop and turned quick the other way again. Mom tried to keep me going the way she'd asked but I ducked past her and took off, heels kicking up and my ears pressed right back against my head. I wasn't trying to be bad - I just felt like being wild. She let me - I don't think she really cared which way I was going. She knew I needed to run.

By the time I quit, I was pretty well winded but I felt wonderful! My breath was coming in big gulps and my nostrils were wide open so I could get all the air into them that I could. I had sweat all down my chest and I could feel foam between my hind legs. Some horses don't understand but us Thoroughbreds love to run so much that we'd rather do that than anything else. It's just how we're made.

Mom walked me around a little bit then hosed me off really well. She let me cool out thoroughly before she gave me my bucket dinner. I was ready for it by then. All that running had worked up my appetite. Now I feel like a new horse and I'm going to have a nice sleep in my shavings tonight.