Bullies in the pasture!

It was a windy day today and my mom and I had a fun time riding. But more exciting was the action out in the pasture and I've asked Sparky to write another guest blog to fill you all in on it. So here he is, my brave brother Spark!


Hi, this is Sparky. Bella is pretty nice to say I'm brave. I just know how pasture life works, that's all.

Since I last guest blogged here, the pasture has gone through some changes, with horses moving out and others moving in. Still, it's been a nice, friendly herd and we've had a peaceful summer. At one point, it was only me and Patch out there because Cowboy and Riley left, and Marquis got moved to a stall. But with just two of us in there, Marquis's mom put him back in with us.

Marquis has gotten a lot better since the last time I wrote. He's really settled in to the pasture and learned how to be a part of our herd. I like him now. We all do.

We didn't have just the three of us very long. Pretty soon Jet moved in. Jet looks a lot like Marquis. He's black with a white face and some white on his feet. He's not as big as Marquis though. Jet's nice. He's really quiet and doesn't cause any problems.

Then Glamour moved in. He's chestnut like me, but he's slimmer and lighter. Glamour is so nice. He's friendly to everyone and just wants to sniff noses and swish flies and stuff. He's just as gentle and sweet as a horse can be. From the first day he moved in, he followed us all around with a nice look on his face just trying to be close to us. We all like Glamour.

Dooley arrived just a couple of weeks ago. He's bay, and built kind of like me. I really like Dooley too. He's another really friendly horse. He was a little nervous when he first moved in because he came from a pasture where the other horses picked on him. He still has some cuts and bites that are healing from that. We let him know we aren't like that though. We just let him settle in and welcomed him with no chasing or nastiness. Glamour followed him around some but no one could be afraid of Glamour.

So that was our herd and we were so happy and content. Everything was working really well. We didn't really have a leader but if we did, it was me because I'm the most experienced pasture horse and I've been here the longest. But I never had to work at it because there were never any problems to fix. No one fought with each other, we all shared our hay every day even though the guys put separate piles in for us. We just like to eat together so me and Dooley and Glamour would share a pile and Marquis and Jet and Patch would share another. It was nice.

Then yesterday when me and Bella were out riding with our moms, we saw a person put a new horse in the pasture. Bella wrote about that and like she said, I wanted to get out there so I could meet him and make sure things went okay. As the leader, it's my job and I worried about the other guys because they're not quite as herd smart as I am. Patch is pretty good, and I knew he could probably handle anything that wasn't too bad but if there was a big problem, I wasn't sure if he'd be up to it.

Still, it seemed like the palomino was doing okay. Our moms let us watch for a few minutes and he trotted around nervously but wasn't aggressive at all. My guys were all fine like they always are, just making him welcome and letting him move around and get used to things. When my mom told me to move on, I did without too much fuss. It seemed like things were going to be all right.

But when we got back and my mom was unsaddling me, the same person walked by with another horse. I just knew in my gut that this guy was going to be trouble. He was jumpy and nervous but that wasn't what bothered me. He just smelled mad to me. Aggressive. I watched, hoping his person would put him in a stall or keep walking past the pasture but she brought him right over and put him in. And even from where I was pretty far away, I could see that things were going bad fast.

He was nasty! The other guys were all near the gate to say hello and see what he smelled like and even before his halter was off, he was kicking at them! Then his person took his halter off and he ran at them all, chasing them away from the palomino and biting and kicking. He wasn't just warning them either - he was serious.

I was more anxious than ever to get in there and when my mom brought me over and put me in, he came for me. I dodged him and scooted around by the hill so I could get over to the other guys. They were all huddled together staring at those two. I sniffed them all over to make sure they were okay - luckily the bay (Vern's his name) hadn't made contact with anyone but if he had, it would have been bad because he has shoes on all four feet.

I could see right off that he was protective of Bullet, the palomino. He kept rushing at all of us and keeping himself between us and Bullet. I moved toward them a little bit, just slowly, to get an idea of his behavior and he immediately got nasty, rushing at me and baring his teeth. I backed up again and thought about things. I figured maybe he'd settle down if we just gave him some space.

Our moms left and me and my guys kept together and left the other two a lot of space but that darn Vern just wouldn't quit. And finally I got mad. That behavior is just not acceptable in a herd. It's not like he was trying to challenge for leadership. If he was, he would have directed his behavior at me to show that he was a better horse for the job and he would have included everyone in his protection, not just Bullet. I would have respected that. But no, he was just being a belligerent old bully and I finally decided I'd had enough.

A horse like that is a danger to a herd. He takes the focus away from where it should be which is looking out for dangers that affect all of us and puts it on protecting ourselves from our own herd-mate. Plus, he causes separation in the herd which is never a good thing. He was putting poor Bullet at risk by trying to keep him away from us. If some wild animal or other bad thing came into the pasture, those two would be the targets because they were alone. But we'd be honor bound to try to help them - that's what you do in a herd. It was just a bad situation and no one else was going to do anything. No offense to any of my herd - they're all great guys but Dooley is justifiably nervous about aggressive horses, Jet and Marquis are just good followers and aren't going to take the lead, Patch is good but he looks to me and Glamour is just too darn sweet to even think about taking down a bully. That left me.

So I waited for my chance. I picked a distance that I felt was close enough and as soon as Vern strayed within that distance, I went for him! He didn't know what hit him - he was totally unprepared. I charged out of our group with my ears laid back and my teeth bared wide open and I went for him like I was going to tear him to a million pieces! It's all attitude, you know - the lead horse doesn't have to be the biggest, he's just got to be the horse who acts like he is. Vern is probably 17 hands and I'm only about 15.1 but at that moment, I felt like a giant and Vern seems to have felt like I was too.

I chased both him and Bullet away and let them know they'd better stay away, too. They were both shocked and Vern was completely changed. Bullies are like that, you know. They're cowards at heart and if you stand up to them, they'll back down every time.

That changed the whole dynamic of things. I kept a good close eye on those two and every time one of them crossed the line, I went for them. I never once bit them but I didn't have to. I had them on the run and they knew it. The other guys felt a lot better and they started feeling more confident and comfortable again. I let them know this is OUR pasture and we make the rules in it.

I kept after them today as well but towards afternoon, I started letting them get just a little bit closer before I chased them. I felt a little bad about chasing Bullet but it was necessary - he's the reason Vern's being a bully so I have to drive the lesson home. I'm going to make them earn their place in our herd but if they behave themselves and don't cause any problems, they will be welcomed when I'm good and ready. I'm not putting up with any bullying, that's all. I have some really nice friends here and they don't deserve that kind of thing.

That's how it is in a pasture. You have to be adaptable and ready to defend your ground. By the time we got our alfalfa, my guys were feeling so comfortable that a few of them chased the new guys off hay piles they wanted. We let them eat, but they had to eat where we said. Even Dooley chased them once. I was proud of them. They're a good herd.

Family

I was thinking about family today. Partly I think because I went for a ride with Sparky today and that was really nice. Sparky is my best friend but I also think of him as my brother. I know he's not my real brother but it seems that way. Our moms are related - I think my mom is his mom's mom, if you can follow that. That kind of makes us related. And we get along like a brother and sister do. We're different than friends. Closer in lots of ways. It's nice.

I don't know my real family. That's how it is for horses. I barely remember my mom. I remember she was pretty, and nice, and she took care of me. She used to nuzzle me when I was scared or uncertain and that always made me feel better. And she had a soft nicker that was special for me. But when I was still pretty little, I got taken away from her because that's what happens when you're a horse. And I haven't ever seen her since then.

I never knew my dad at all. He was a big racehorse and travelled a lot. Mom never said much about him. That's his picture up there. My person mom found it along with other pictures of my other horse relatives. She found all their names on my pedigree which is a list of your parents and grandparents and stuff. I was glad to see a picture of my dad. He's pretty handsome and I guess he ran fast. But I think I would have liked it better if he was just a regular horse and stayed home with Mom and me.

Still, I'm happy in my life. And I have a nice family and lots of friends. My life isn't really any different than other horses' lives - most of us don't get to stay with our horse families. Spark told me that he lived with his horse mom longer than most but he still had to go away eventually. It's just the way it is.

We had a nice day today anyway. Our moms came out kind of early and we had a hay snack together and then Sparky's mom took him over to where they saddle up and my mom groomed and saddled me. I was kind of cranky about it, I have to admit. Sometimes I get cranky and I don't even know why. Maybe it's because I'm not used to working at that time of day. Maybe it's because Mickey was really bugging me. I'm not sure but I actually bit my mom! I felt bad about it as soon as I did it and she got mad and hit me. That made me crankier and I kept making bite faces at Mickey since I couldn't make them at Mom.

I was moving around a lot, and swishing my tail, and laying my ears back. I was just mad! Mom finally got fed up with me when I stepped over and nearly pinned her against the wall. She yelled at me and made me move over and stand still and told me to knock off the silly stuff. I was a little better then but I still felt crabby.

But then she put my bridle on and she held my face like she does and petted me and told me how pretty I am and that she does love me lots but I have to be a nice girl and not be so nasty and that made me feel lots better. So I just laid my head against her and let her love me like that and I think we both felt like we'd put all that crabby stuff behind us.

She led me out to where Sparky and his mom were waiting and I was fine then. I love to go for rides and besides, I always remember what Kia said about how as soon as the saddle goes on, it's my job to behave and be a good riding horse. I'm trying really hard to live up to that. I miss Kia a lot. She's not coming back, I know that now. Her old mom was here today and she cleaned out her stall from top to bottom. She took all Kia's things and scrubbed it all out so you can barely even smell her anymore. So she's gone and I'm going to miss her. She taught me a lot.

We rode in the Flat Arena at first and I was kind of lazy. I didn't really feel like doing a lot and I trudged around with my head kind of low and wouldn't let my mom pick it up. She was persistent though and got me together and after we'd warmed up for a bit, she got me trotting. That made me feel a little more lively and then another horse came in to work with us and that made me perk up a lot.

One of the hardest things about being a good riding horse is not getting distracted by other horses working around you. Horses are sociable creatures and we just naturally want to check out strangers and sniff noses and find out about them. But you're just not allowed to do it when you're being ridden unless your person specifically allows you to. It's hard. Even Spark, who is always a Good Boy, has a hard time passing another horse without kind of leaning toward it and twitching his ears that way. We just want to make friends.

I was good though. The new horse was going the opposite way around the arena than us so we kept meeting each other and passing. Mom was ready as we approached the first time and she reminded me with her legs and a light touch on my reins that I had to keep going. I was walking at that point and I only slowed down a teeny bit but I kept going. After that, she didn't have to remind me much and I was very good - she even said so. Even when I was trotting, I minded my manners and didn't move toward that horse. Mom was really proud of me.

Then we did a couple of poop loops. I could tell as soon as we got on the road that Mom wanted me to pay attention and go right along like she had me do yesterday so I tried not to get distracted and when I did, she reminded me not to. It was a busy day with a lot of people riding loops and we passed a bunch of strange horses as well as a couple that I know. We passed my old neighbor Poco a couple of times, and we passed a grey horse I kind of know because his mom works him in the Flat Arena a lot. We passed two horses carrying their people and one of the people was leading another horse without a rider. That was really interesting and both Spark and I wanted to sniff them and ask them what that was all about but our moms told us to keep going so we did.

When we got down by the Little Rolling Arena on the first loop, we met up with a girl leading a pretty yellow horse. Mom said he was a Palomino and we walked along behind him for a little bit. Spark was so close that he managed to sniff his butt one time but then his mom pulled him away and told him to mind his manners. When we got by our barn and the pasture, we saw the person put that horse out in the pasture! So we knew it was a new pasture horse and we both wanted to stop and see what would happen. Sparky especially was interested because of course it's his pasture and he really wished he was in there so he could make friends and let the new guy know how things worked.

Our moms let us watch for a couple of minutes which was nice but then they made us go on. We did another loop and saw a bunch more horses and riders - it really was a busy day. Even so, we were both really good and our moms were very happy with us. We were walking along with our good, fast trail walks and we didn't stop and visit even once. I was really good about not drifting around and just going straight so Mom liked that. It was a good ride. I like it when my mom is happy with me and even though it's hard to behave, I still enjoy the ride.

We got back to our barns and while we were getting untacked the Palomino girl came along with another horse. This one was a big bay and he was awfully handsome - I admit I stared as he walked by. But it turns out he was a real jerk. She put him in the pasture and he started kicking at everyone and not letting them come near him or the Palomino. It was too bad too because that horse had been doing fine out there, making friends with the others, but now the bay wouldn't stop chasing and bullying everyone. It made me mad! That's my brother's herd and they're a nice, gentle bunch. They don't need some big bully out there kicking and chasing.

Sparky's mom put him out there and the stupid bay immediately went after him! Spark is smart though and he just moved around him far enough away so he wouldn't get kicked and went to hang out with his friends. They were all bunched up looking at the new guy like they'd just had a wolf put out in their field. I sure hope that horse settles down. I don't want my brother getting stressed or hurt. If he does, I'll figure out some way of beating that horse up myself! He'll be sorry!

So the day ended on a kind of bad note but hopefully it will be all right. Like I said, Spark is smart and I don't think he'll let that bully get the better of him. I'm sure he'll tell me all about it tomorrow.

Windy day!

Well, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging all week but it's been one thing after another. It was so hot during the first part of the week that I just didn't have the energy. Then the power went out. Mom said it was probably because so many people were running their air conditioners. I don't know what an air conditioner might be but apparently they use a lot of power. And then it cooled off again and that felt so good, I just wanted to relax and enjoy it. So I have some catching up to do.

Mom did come early the day after I last wrote and instead of cleaning my stall first, she saddled me up and rode me to try to beat the heat. It didn't work very well. It was only about an hour or so after my morning hay but it was already awfully hot. We rode in the Flat Arena and did some good walking, trotting and cantering work but after about half an hour, we were both drenched with sweat so we quit. It was a good session though. Mom had me trotting and then she'd ask me for a canter which of course was fun - you know how much I like to canter. We'd canter around the arena maybe one time and she'd ask me to trot again and we'd trot for a bit and then she'd ask for another canter. That was fun. We used to walk, then trot, then canter and then we'd go back to a walk because I'd get kind of excited and lose my concentration and it was hard to go back to a decent trot but now I can do it better.

After our ride, Mom hosed my down really well and put me away, then she hosed Sparky off too so he'd be more comfortable. Then she left but she came back later after we had our alfalfa and gave us our bucket dinners. She hosed us off again too but by then you could tell that the big heat was over and it was starting to get back to normal.

Sure enough, the next day was nice. It was beautiful actually and I felt so good. I was really frisky because when it was hot, I didn't feel like doing much so I had all kinds of energy built up. Mom understood and she brought me to the Pony Arena where I had one of the best turnouts ever! I ran and bucked and played and then I pretended to get scared of things just so I could run some more. Mom even ran with me a little bit and I always love that. It's fun. We pretend to race each other. Of course, I can run a lot faster than my mom but she runs in a little circle on the inside and I run in a big circle on the outside so it's like we're running side by side.

She rode me after my turnout but I didn't really feel like riding then. I was kind of satisfied and just didn't have the heart for it. She didn't make me do a lot. We did some trotting in the Flat Arena and then she decided to teach me something new. She had me stop and then she tightened my reins just a little bit so I didn't go forward and started kicking my right side with her foot.

Well, my first reaction was to try to go forward but she tightened up and said "whoa" so I knew that wasn't what she wanted. Then she did it again and I tried going forward again. She just kept telling me no and starting all over again so finally, I tried going backwards. I thought maybe it was a new way of telling me to back up even though I back up fine when we do it the regular way. But that wasn't right either - she squeezed her legs and said "whoa" again so I knew I wasn't getting it.

It was a little frustrating. I just didn't know what she wanted me to do. If I hadn't had a turnout, I might have gotten mad and started swishing my tail and being bad but I was pretty relaxed so I kept trying to figure it out. Finally I took one little step away from the leg she was kicking me with and she immediately stopped and told me I was a Good Girl.

Well, I wasn't even sure what I'd done that was good at that point. I wasn't really thinking when I took that step and didn't realize that it was what she was praising. So we started again and it took me several minutes to do it again. This time though, I took a little bigger step and when she immediately reacted, I put two and two together and realized THAT was what she was asking for. She wanted me to move my back legs away from the leg she was kicking me with.

After that, I was a little more ready to do it though I still didn't really get it. It was new and confusing to me. I'm not used to moving sideways (except when I do it accidentally when I'm looking at things and my body kind of wiggles around and my head is pointing one way and my butt is going another). But I tried and eventually I took a couple of good steps that were more like steps and less like shuffling and Mom seemed pretty happy with me.

When she got off, she petted me and then she touched me with her hand right behind my girth and asked me to step over. I knew just what she wanted then because we do that a lot when she's leading me or when we play in the Round Pen. Sometimes she has me step like that so I go in a whole circle, with my back legs going around and my front legs kind of staying where they are. She calls that a pivot. The funny thing is, the steps I was taking were kind of like the ones I took when she was on my back asking me to step sideways. It was interesting.

We rode the next day too but yesterday, I didn't see her until kind of late. She came with Sparky's mom and she petted me and told me they'd gone to the racetrack. Well, as you know I used to live at the racetrack so I was interested. She said they saw lots of pretty race ponies but none of them were as pretty or as nice as me. That was nice to hear. I know she's my mom and she has to say that but I think she really means it.

She just did a quick cleaning and let me run around in the Round Pen with Spark for a little bit before they left. It was fun except Spark kept getting in my way when i wanted to run fast. I'd get going really good and come around the circle and all of a sudden, there would be Spark! And I'd run into him. Then I'd toss my head up and buffalo around him and get running again and the next thing I'd know, there he was again! It was so annoying! But then his mom took him out and I didn't want to run anymore because I missed him. And besides, I thought he might be getting some food and I wasn't.

But that brings us to today which was fun because it was very windy! I love windy days. You can smell all kinds of things from all directions and you can't really hear things as well because the wind makes the sounds sort of blend together. Plus it blows your main and tail and makes you feel frisky and spunky. I was happy it was windy.

Mom took me out to ride and she headed me right out on the road for a poop loop. That was fine with me. We started along and she just kept the reins nice and loose and let me go along and I was having a nice time, looking around and watching the other horses, and the kids at the vaulting arena, and the guys working near the hay barn and the bunny on the hill and all kinds of things. Then we got back to our barn and she made me go past it and she started getting after me when I looked around too much. I wasn't trying to be bad. I just like to look around and sometimes I forget that I'm supposed to be paying attention to her. So she got kind of strict with me and made me go straight and stop dawdling. I got a little mad but then I stopped doing it and it was fun for the rest of the time.

We did three poop loops and then she turned me in towards the Flat Arena and I thought we were done but she rode me into the arena and let me know we were still working. I was a little mad at first but then I decided I didn't mind because it was windy and I was still frisky so we did some nice trotting around and that felt good. Then another horse came in to use the arena with us and I got all distracted and Mom decided it was time to quit for the day while we were still ahead (I don't know what that means but that's what she said).

It was a nice day though and after she put me away, she hung my saddle up near my door and wiped it all off while I poked my head out and sniffed it and her and nuzzled her neck and played with my halters and stuff. I liked that. I like it when my mom does things and I can be part of it. I think she likes it too because she kisses my nose and calls me Belly.

HOT day!

It was terribly hot today, hotter than it's been in a long time. It made me think about it and I think it's been a really nice summer so far. Hardly ever hot, mostly just nice. Cool at night and then nice and warm - but not hot - during the day. But today made up for it because it was pretty darn hot.

Luckily Mom didn't make me work. I didn't feel like it at all. She usually gives me a day off after she's ridden me for a bunch of days in a row. She rode yesterday so I was about due for a day off and this was a good day for it to be. So it worked out well.

Yesterday we had a good ride. First we rode in the Flat Arena for a little bit but then some other people and horses came in and started hogging all the room so we did a couple of poop loops. I didn't much feel like doing poop loops and I'm afraid I was a little sassy. I wanted to walk over close to the pasture fence as we went up the hill and Mom didn't want me to and we got into a little argument about it and finally I got frustrated and kicked out with one back foot! I was mad! I don't why I can't walk where I want to walk sometimes.

I fussed a little bit more but Mom wouldn't budge and I finally got sick of arguing about it. It just wasn't worth it. So I walked straight and went where she wanted to go and she quit thumping my sides and things got nicer. We rode by Misty's barn. Earlier while Mom was saddling me, Misty and her mom had come riding by and they stopped to visit. I like Misty and I like her mom. While our moms talked, Misty told me that her mom had ridden her in the Pony Arena that morning but there were all kinds of strange things in it. Her mom made her walk over a piece of wood that was raised up off the ground, and she had her back up between two poles on the ground. She said most of the stuff was okay but strange but then her mom rode her up to a piece of rope stretched between two posts. Her mom reached down and picked up one end of it and it started flopping around and Misty said that was when she decided she didn't like the way things were going at all.

Well, I really couldn't blame her. It sounded very strange and ropes are tricky. They can get tangled up around your legs or slap you or any number of things. So being a good and responsible horse, she figured it was up to her to keep her mom safe since her mom obviously had no sense about the situation whatsoever. So she started backing away and turning around and trying to get a safe distance away. Her mom argued with her for a bit but she finally got her point across. She's a good horse.

Misty was eating a hay snack when we went by her place and I tried to drift over closer just in case there was some for me but Mom made me keep going and Misty looked a little grumpy and her mom just waved so that was that. We got down to the Little Rolling Arena where the road levels out and I started walking right along and by then I'd forgotten that I didn't want to go on a poop loop so we kept going past my barn and did another one. That one was smoother because I wasn't fussing anymore.

When we got back to the barn the second time, the Flat Arena was empty so we went in there and Mom had me do some more trotting and walking and trotting. I made up my mind that I was going to be a Good Girl about it and I popped into a nice trot as soon as she asked me to. She was really happy with that and had me do some circles and go around the arena a couple of times before she asked me to walk. Then she asked for a trot again and I did it again. I could tell she felt good about that.

So then she started working on getting me to trot a little smoother. Back before my feet were bothering me, we had worked on what she calls contact, where I carry my bit nicely and balance my body so that I'm not just shuffling along but pushing myself forward with my hind end. It takes a lot of practice and I'd gotten so that I was starting to understand it but then my feet started bothering me and I had a lot of time off and I forgot all about it.

Yesterday, Mom started working again on that and I found that once she reminded me, I remembered a lot. Once I was trotting, she sort of took up the reins so I could feel them more and pushed me a little more with her seat and legs. It made me remember how to use my back end more and my trot got a little smoother which she liked. Then when she asked me to walk, she kept up the contact and urged me forward and I was walking on light contact too.

It's hard work and when you're not used to it, you get tired quickly. Mom just worked me like that for a short time in both directions, going at a walk and trot, and I'd remembered a lot by the time we finished. Then she let the reins go loose so I could stretch my neck way out and relax and that felt good. She let me walk around the arena like that a couple of times but she kept me walking along the edge of it and now just going wherever I wanted to. I felt good, like I'd done a lot of work and made her happy.

So it was nice to get a day off today. Mom gave me a hay snack and cleaned my stall, then she took me for a nice walk. We went to the Pony Arena and I got a drink at the water trough like I like to, and we went to the Little Rolling Arena but I couldn't find just the right spot to roll so I didn't. When we got back to the barn, Mom hosed me off even though i wasn't sweaty at all. It felt good though because it was so hot and since there was a breeze blowing, it really cooled me off.

She put me away and went away for a long time but she came back after I'd had my alfalfa. She brought me my bucket dinner too which was nice. I'd wondered if I was going to get one because it was awfully early for it when she was there the first time. She took care of Spark while I was eating and I noticed when she brought him back to the pasture, he was all wet so she must have hosed him off too. That was nice. It will help him keep cool too. And then she got me out and hosed me again and I liked that.

So now I'm pretty comfy and it's cooled off some. Mom said it was going to be hot again tomorrow and that she was going to come early and ride me. That will be nice. I'll try to be Good.

Everyone but Dad!

That's who came out to see me today! It was pretty exciting. I was in my stall and all of a sudden, I heard Sparky's mom's voice! I looked out and there she was and with her was Emily with that dog that Emily brought one time. Ishi. I figured they were going to take care of me and I waited in my stall while Sparky's mom got him out of the pasture. But then I heard MY mom and all of a sudden, there she was!

She got me out and got me and Spark a hay snack and that was good. I was happy to see everyone. It's nice to have visitors after all. Mom cleaned my stall out and Sparky's mom fussed over him. She always does that. I don't know why. He's not nearly as pretty as me. I mean, he's nice and I love him but I have dapples. And I have a star and black points. Nobody ever fusses over me.

She finally stopped and then she untied me and led me away, over to where Spark usually eats his dinner and gets his saddle on! I was a little confused. My mom was still in my stall and Spark was still tied outside my stall and it just seemed very strange that Spark's mom was taking me. I thought she might have made a mistake and grabbed the wrong horse but I don't know how anyone could get the two of us mixed up. It was a little scary.

She put me in cross ties and started brushing me and I got a little fussy and she yelled at me. Then I kept moving my butt around and she slapped me! It was awful! She's always mean to me. I wasn't trying to be bad. I just didn't know where my mom was. Finally my mom came and she had my saddle pads and my girth. It was all so confusing. I didn't know where Sparky was - turns out my mom had put him in my stall! With a hay snack! Can you imagine?

Sparky's mom started cleaning my feet and I started fussing with my back feet and she made the Bad Girl noise and then Mom made it and then they both hit me. Then Mom got her stick and showed it to me so I knew I had to be good so I was and Sparky's mom cleaned my feet and told me I was a Good Girl. But it was only because I didn't want my mom to hit me again.

Then my mom put my fly spray on and she did my face and talked nice to me and gave me kisses so I felt a lot better. After that, I tried to behave a little better though I still fussed and fidgeted while Spark's mom saddled me up. I don't know where Emily and Ishi were - I think they went for a walk.

When I was all saddled up, Spark's mom brought me to the mounting block and got on so I knew she was going to ride me. That was kind of funny since my mom was right there. But I walked out into the Flat Arena when she told me to and we started riding around.

I was a little unsure at first. It's strange to have other people on you, especially with your mom there. But Spark's mom kept urging me forward and I got more comfortable and finally started walking nicely. It turned out to be kind of fun. There were some poles set up in the arena and we walked over them a few times. And she asked me to trot a few times and I did. I wasn't even too bad about it though i did get mad and kick my back leg out the first time she asked. After that, I settled down though.

Some other people were riding in there too for a while and one of the guys brought a big truck thing in that was full of dirt one time. I wanted to go see it but Sparky's mom wouldn't let me. And I looked at the other bay mare in the mirror. I like doing that. Have you ever seen a mirror? We have them in the Flat Arena. If you walk up to it, you can see a bay horse that looks just like me but when you get really close and poke at it with your nose, you can't feel her nose. It just feels like a wall. But you can see her poking her nose at you. It's very interesting. I like to look at the mirror.

After we rode around the arena for a while, Sparky's mom rode me out of it. Emily was there with Ishi and I wanted so badly to go sniff noses with her (Ishi not Emily) but Spark's mom wouldn't let me. She took me for a poop loop instead. That was fun. We went past my barn and then she let me canter up the hill by the pasture! I love to canter! I tried to be really good but went a little sideways by mistake.

Then we rode up the hill toward my old barn. Partway up, I kind of broke into a trot. I'd just rather go fast up hills. it's so much easier than walking. Spark's mom didn't make me stop trotting so I kind of broke into a canter. I got pretty excited about it and bucked a little but luckily we were going uphill so it wasn't as bad as when I do it in the arena. When you buck going uphill, it's kind of like making your rider level with the ground. At least, that's what I say.

She made me behave after that and I was good for the rest of the ride. I showed her how I know how to go down hills now without walking funny because it doesn't hurt anymore. She liked that. I hope she had a nice time riding me. I don't mean to be bad for Sparky's mom. I'm just not used to having her ride me. I love her lots. She did tell me I was a Good Girl and she thanked me for letting her ride me. So that was nice.

Maybe next time Emily will ride me too. I like having all my friends come to visit me.

Round and round and round we go

Well, she rode me in the Round Pen today. I knew it was going to happen. She kept talking about it. And actually, it wasn't that bad. I had to work pretty hard but it ended up being okay and she was happy with me so that was good. And then we took a poop loop.

She turned up around the usual time. My stall was an awful mess. It was bad yesterday and I didn't have much in the way of shavings so today it was really terrible. Kia's gone and from what I hear, she's gone for good. I get stressed when she's gone. I just can't seem to help it. She's my friend and it's spooky when that stall is empty. The door is left open and there's no one in it and it just seems so dark and strange and quiet over there. I hope another horse moves in soon. I'm going to miss Kia a lot but I'd rather have a stranger in there than nobody.

Of course, that means Beau is gone too. I knew it when I heard Kia was gone for good but I found out for sure today when we rode by his stall and it was empty. It's hard to be a horse sometimes. You make friends or you meet another horse you really like but you don't have any control over where your person takes you and they don't either. I just have to make my mind up to it, I guess.

But the upshot of the whole thing is that my stall was pretty messed up. Mom just cleaned the whole thing out today and put two new fresh bags of shavings in it. It's so nice! I'm trying to be good and keep it that way but I don't know how well I'll be able to. Once it gets really dark and there's no one in the next paddock, I'm more comfortable staying inside than I am going out to poop and pee. That's why it gets so bad. Mickey's no help. He just cribs.

Anyway, after she cleaned, she tacked me up and took me to the Round Pen. She brought a bucket with her. That's one of the things my mom does. She can't ride me into the Round Pen because she has to shut the gate and it's heavy and awkward and there's no way she could shut it from my back. So she has to lead me in but that leaves her with no mounting block. So she brings a bucket with a piece of hay string tied to the handle and she turns it upside down and steps on it. Then she uses it as a mounting block. She hangs onto the string and once she's on my back, she pulls up the bucket, rides me over near the fence and drops the bucket outside. It's a good system.

She started out just walking me around and around and around and once I was loosened up, she asked me to trot. I hesitated just a little bit and she asked again and I did it. Then she had me go the other way. Well, that's the way that I tend to resist more. I don't know why. I'm just used to it. So she asked me to trot and I started drifting to the center and she straightened me out and asked again and I trotted.

Well, she just kept making me walk then making me trot, then making me walk then making me trot. We'd walk about three paces then a trot. And we'd trot about five paces and then a walk. I got sick of giving her a hard time pretty quick - it wasn't worth it - and then I kind of forgot about it entirely. I just got in the rhythm of doing it.

She did ask me to canter a couple of times and I wanted to but I didn't feel comfortable about it. It's not easy to canter in that Round Pen. It's so small and my balance just doesn't feel quite right in there. I like to have a little more room. So I just trotted really fast and just couldn't seem to make myself canter. She pulled me up and told me it was okay - I think she knew what I was feeling. She wasn't mad.

We worked in there for a good bit. I got pretty sweaty. Mom was happy though because I'd behaved myself. She got off and led me out but then she brought me to the mounting block and got on again so we could do a poop loop. I didn't mind. It felt good to be able to really stretch my legs after being in that cramped little Round Pen.

We rode up the hill by the pasture and when we got to the top, we saw one of my mom's friends on his horse. I don't know his horse's name - he's a nice Paint with kind of fancy gaits. Mom let me stop while she talked to her friend and the horse and I kind of nodded to each other. We don't really know each other well enough to chat but he's nice enough. I was a Good Girl while they talked. I just stood quietly with my reins loose on my neck and I didn't try to whuffle on the ground or anything. I'm learning.

When my mom was done talking, she gathered up my reins and asked me to go on and I did. I was a little sloppy at first because I wanted to see if the other horse was following behind but she told me to just go on and I did and eventually forgot about him. Mom is getting really picky now about me going straight and not drifting. She uses her reins and her legs and somehow I can't wiggle very well and it's just easier to go the way she wants me to. I only drift because I like to look around but she keeps me working so hard I can't look around very well. It's okay. It's my job.

We went down the hill near my old barn and saw Misty and her mom. Misty was tied up outside her stall and her mom was giving her some hay out of a bag. I'd seen her earlier when she and her mom rode past my barn and talked to my mom so I stopped at her barn so my mom could talk to hers. I also thought maybe she'd give me some hay but she didn't. Mom made me keep going though. I guess she didn't want to visit. She just said hello real quick and we continued down the hill.

Then we went past the Little Rolling Arena and when we came around a corner, there was a woman on a horse stopped in the road talking to Spencer's mom who was walking without Spencer. I walked right past really nicely without stopping and Mom was happy with me for that because I often do stop when we meet other horses. I always want to say hello to them but I was trying to be good. This time it was nice though because Spencer's mom finished talking and then the other horse rode along with us!

I like to ride with other horses. Mostly I just do it with Spark and while I love Spark and love riding with him, it's exciting to ride with another horse. This was a pretty bay mare like me only instead of being tall and leggy like me, she was more round like Spark. Mom told me later that she's a Morgan. I'd seen her before - she was one of the horses that was in the Gremlin Arena that time when Sparky fell down.

She was a very well behaved horse and just gave me a quick and quiet hello then kept walking nicely straight ahead while I kind of walked along sideways trying to look at her. Mom gently straightened me out and I did better and tried to walk like she was. I didn't want my mom to be embarrassed by my behavior. The other rider asked my mom nicely how I was doing and Mom told her I was coming along really well. That made me feel good. We rode with them all the way to my barn and then my mom said she was going to stop there and told the other lady, "Have a nice ride." The mare nodded goodbye to me and nodded back and then Mom got off and petted me and told me I was a Very Good Girl.

So it ended up being a good day. Mom hosed me off really good and I had a nice fresh bed to go to. She gave me my cookie and my bucket dinner and now I'm pretty comfortable except for that dark empty stall next to me. I sure hope another horse moves in soon.

Good horse, bad horse

I have got to be better about keeping up with this blog! I do apologize! Some days not much happens but then the next day all kinds of things happen! It's all I can do to keep it all straight.

The day after my last entry, my mom came out to ride me. She brought me out in the Flat Arena where we worked on some trotting. I was still giving her a hard time about trotting. It doesn't hurt anymore but I'd gotten so used to being fussy that it was just habit. She was patient but firm with me, straightening me out and insisting with her legs and seat and finally I'd trot and she'd praise me. We got into a little bit of a rhythm and I was feeling a lot better about it when I decided to canter.

She hadn't asked me. She was riding with a kind of loose rein so that I wouldn't get jabbed with the bit when we trotted since I was still being a little fussy and tossing my head. So I was trotting along and I had some extra rein and I decided to just pop into a canter.

She didn't seem to mind too much, just sat down and rode it but then I messed up by getting excited, putting my head down and bucking! I was just so happy to be running. It's no excuse, I know. I know I'm not supposed to buck and as soon as I started, Mom took up her reins and got me under control but not until I'd gotten a few pretty good ones out. She was a little off balance and not real happy with me.

She asked me to trot again and than to canter and I did but then I yanked on the reins again and tried to buck! It just feels good. I'm not going to lie. She gave me a quick smack and then rode me up to the Gremlin Arena where she worked me on trotting. A lot. I did pop into a canter once and I did buck again but she was ready for me and pulled me right back into my trot and made me keep going. She told me that we were going to ride in the Round Pen next time to work on cantering without bucking.

I hate riding in the Round Pen. It's boring and stupid. You can't get going very fast and it's harder to buck because you have to go in kind of a tight circle and really pay attention to where your feet are. I wasn't trying to be bad - I was just having fun but Mom gets so picky sometimes. I guess it's not as fun for her although I can't see why not. She never falls off or anything.

We didn't do the Round Pen thing yesterday because she was in a hurry. I guess she had to see her doctor. People have doctors too like horses do. She's been seeing either a doctor or a Shoe Man - I'm not sure which. So yesterday she lunged me in the Round Pen and we actually had a lot of fun. She had me go both ways and I was pretty good about changing direction which is something we've been working on. She had me walking and trotting and cantering and I tried to be real good so maybe she wouldn't ride me in there.

After we finished lungeing. she did some of those fun cookie games we did before. We backed up all the way across the Round Pen, and we did little circles or pivots and we did cookie stretches. It was lots of fun. I love those games best because I get to play with my mom AND I get cookies.

So that brings us to today. Mom told me when she got here that we were going in the Round Pen and I was disappointed because I'd hoped she had forgotten. But then Spencer helped me out. Spencer is one of the horses in my barn and he was walking on a lead with his mom when he decided to get silly and dance and his mom let go of his lead. I wish my mom would do that sometime but she never does. Anyway, Spence took off running around having a good old time. He ran up the road by the pasture and then into the grass. When his mom got close, he took off again and ran down the hill and onto the road.

He ran under the barn overhang and came pretty close to us. My mom talked to him and tried to get him to come to her but he took off again and ran all over the place for several minutes with his mom tailing behind. It was pretty exciting but I knew better than to get all carried away with it. I was tied outside my stall at the time and Mom was saddling me so I knew it was time to behave. When my saddle goes on, that's when I really have to be on my best behavior so I try not to let it excite me when other horses are playing or running. Mom is really strict about that.

Spencer's mom finally caught him and she brought him in the Round Pen and made him run around a lot. I know how that is! Sometimes when I get silly on the lead rope and forget to behave, my mom does the same thing. She always says, "If you have enough energy to be silly, you have enough to work." Moms can be pretty tiresome.

But today it was good because with Spencer in the Round Pen, we couldn't use it. My mom took me for a poop loop but when we got back, they were still in there and it looked like they'd be a while because Spence was still tearing around so she just brought me in the Flat Arena and we worked there.

I decided I was going to try really hard to be good and I was. It wasn't easy but I managed it. Mom rode me around a couple of times at a walk and then asked for a trot. I hesitated just a little so she gave me a firm tap with her stick and that reminded me so I trotted and it was nice. She was happy about that and we did a couple of circuits then walked and then she asked me again.

This time, I trotted as soon as she asked and I could tell she liked that. She trotted me around several times and then did a figure 8 which changed out direction and asked me to walk. We walked for a little bit and then she asked for a trot again. Well, I hesitated again. It's funny, just changing direction makes things seem so different. You get all used to doing things one way and then you're going in the other direction and it's all backwards. Mom gave me another tap and I remembered again and we did the same thing. We trotted, then walked and then I went into a nice trot without a problem.

At that point, we were trotting along and I felt my mom sit down and ask me for a canter! I didn't think she'd ask me in the Flat Arena since I'd been giving her trouble lately but she did and was I happy! I broke into a nice canter and she encouraged me but she kept a firm hold on the reins so I couldn't get my head down even if I tried. I didn't mind. It felt good to canter especially since I knew she wanted me to instead of me just doing it on my own.

I went down to a trot as we crossed the short end of the arena but she urged me right back into it which was fun and we did a good lap at a canter and then she pulled me down to a trot again. She asked me to walk, and then asked me to trot, and then asked me to canter and I was good for all of them again. So we kept doing that, going from one gait to another. Sometimes she had me trot, then canter, then trot and sometimes she had me trot, then walk, then trot, then canter. I had to pay attention to what she told me to do instead of trying to anticipate it. That's hard sometimes.

But it was fun and she seemed happy with me. We did it the other way too but it's harder for me to canter that way so we only cantered once. Mom says I have to practice more on transitions that way to build up the muscles I need to balance correctly. That's okay. I like to practice things, especially if we get to do more cantering. I think we will more often now that my back doesn't hurt anymore. I'll try to be good and not buck.

After our ride, she let me roll in the Flat Arena which was nice because it was awfully hot today and I was sweating a lot. Then she hosed me off and put me away. I had to wait for my bucket dinner while she took care of Spark but that was okay because I needed to get a drink and relax a little bit. Spark is feeling better. He says his knee hardly bothers him now so I think it will be all better soon. That's good. I don't want him to have anything serious wrong.

Catching up on the news

Well, I have a lot to catch up on even though I only missed one day of my blog. My life is just so interesting! There's always stuff happening. Really, I'm a very lucky horse.

Yesterday, Mom came and got me out and then got Spark out and we had a hay snack together. We'd just finished it when Spark's mom arrived! That was nice. Spark and I figured we'd get to ride together and that's always fun. First though, our moms took us to the Pony Arena for a turnout.

I was so happy about that because I was very frisky. I think my mom knew it because she put my chain lead on over my nose. She hardly ever uses that one anymore because I'm mostly a Good Girl but every now and then when I'm especially bouncy, she does. She's gentle with it and never yanks on it or anything but it does remind me to behave.

First we stopped for a drink at the trough like we always do and then Mom brought me into the arena. Then she made me stand there and wait while Spark examined the trough and decided that it wasn't going to eat him. I think I've mentioned that Spark is kind of nervous about water. You'd think he'd be all right with a trough since he has one in his pasture but it's a different trough and I think he gets kind of freaked out by my splashing and playing.

So I had to wait. It seemed to take forever! I was fidgeting and bouncing and trying to rear and Mom was making me stand and be good and I could hardly contain myself. Finally, Sparky's mom brought him in and let him loose and my mom took my lead off and I just FLEW across that arena, bucking and snorting and playing! I raced up to Spark and slid to a stop in front of him, reared right up in the air and tried to bite him, came down and bucked and asked him to run - I just wanted to go!

Mom flipped the whip at us and we got moving, Spark trotting nicely and me putting my head down and pounding for the other side! Oh, it felt good! I ran and played and bucked and reared and kicked and snorted! Spark got into the spirit too and ran with me a little bit and then got all snorty and dancy when he heard some people talking beyond the fence. It was a lot of fun.

One of the girls that works with the Camp Kids was watching and she pet us and talked to our moms once we were calmed down. She thought we were pretty. That was nice.

When we were all done running, our moms put our leads back on and led us out. I was still kind of bouncy and tried to bolt and buck when we left but Mom made the Bad Girl noise at me and I remembered to behave. She let me have another drink and then we walked back to the barn to get saddled up. We rode up the hill to the Gremlin Arena and went in there.

There were already two horses and their people in there trotting around but we joined them and did a lap around at a walk. Then my mom asked me to trot and before I even thought about it, I broke right into it. I was so eager to go along with the other horses that I forgot that I didn't like to trot. As it turned out, it was fine. My back didn't hurt at all and my mom felt perfectly fine up there. I was happy about that and we trotted around a few times. Spark was trotting too and he was feeling great as well.

Then the other two horses left so we had the arena to ourselves. We went the other way and trotted again. It was great. I usually have trouble bending in that direction but I really didn't yesterday. I was just trotting along like it was no big deal. Spark did the same and he used to have trouble that way too. I was hoping that Mom would let me canter when the Bad Thing happened. Spark's mom asked him to canter and he popped right into a beautiful, smooth canter as nice as you could want. I was in the middle of the arena watching and suddenly he stepped in a soft spot in the dirt and lost his footing. He tripped and came right down on one knee and his mom pitched off over his head.

I felt really bad for Spark. And for his mom. It can't be any fun to fall off a horse but I know it's no fun for a horse to fall down. Spark was shook up, you could tell. And he felt bad because no one likes having your mom fall off you. You always feel like it's your fault. She was okay and checked him over. He seemed to be all right, just shook up so she got back on and just walked him around a bit and then we rode home. There's no sense pushing it when you've just fallen. Sometimes you can't tell if you've hurt yourself until after you've rested.

Today just my mom came and she got both of us out again. Spark told me while we were eating our hay that his knee was kind of painful. I tried to be nice to him on account of that, and not lay my ears back when he ate my hay. Kia squealed at him a few times because he was tied in front of her stall. Oh, yeah, Kia's back and I saw Beau in the trailer when she got off it so I bet he's back in his old stall. It's too bad he's not next to me anymore but at least I have Kia. I missed having someone there.

After Mom did my stall, she put me back in it and took Spark away. I saw her hosing off his leg. That's what she does when we have hurting parts. She's done that with my bites. It does help. The cool water feels good on it and it helps bring the swelling down. Later when she walked him past, I could smell liniment on him so she must have put some of that on as well. That will help, too. She's used liniment on me. It smells funny but it feels good.

Then she got me out and we went to the Round Pen. She started free lungeing me and I was kind of trotting around a bit when she told me to get going. She flicked the whip and I speeded up a little bit but not much. I just didn't feel like it. So she flicked it again and then started trotting next to me! Well, that was fun! I started trotting faster so we could race and she trotted along with me and suddenly I saw her change into a canter.

Well, if she was going to canter, I was too so I broke into a nice canter. She laughed and called me a Good Girl and we cantered around and then she went back to a trot so I did too. We trotted for a little bit and then she cantered again so I cantered. It was so much fun to run with my mom! I loved it. Then she slowed down to a trot so I did and then she stopped so I did, too. She was breathing kind of hard but laughing and she told me I had to keep going but I wasn't going to if she didn't. It was too much fun doing it together and I didn't want to do it alone.

She ran around with me a little more and then we did some of our fun games where she walks around and I follow her. She had me back up with her and go in circles and lots of those things. I like those games. Then she hugged me and told me I'm the best horse ever and we went and got me some cookies and brought me back to my stall where I had my bucket dinner. It was a nice day. I sure hope Spark feels better tomorrow though.

Better today

I have to admit I feel better today. I even feel a little foolish for making such a fuss over a gelding the way I did. It's just that I've liked him for so long and then to have him next door to me, it kind of went to my head. And then he was gone. But I've made up my mind that it really doesn't matter. There are plenty of other horses out there and I have a bunch of admirers. And I'm young. There's no sense in getting tied down to one horse at this point in my life.

My mom rode me today for the first time since the carrot doctor saw me. It was a nice day, not real hot with a breeze blowing, and I was feeling pretty frisky. She gave me a little turnout first and then saddled me up. She got on and took me out in the Flat Arena.

She just rode me around at a walk for several circuits of the arena and I have to say I was a lot more comfortable than I have been. I still didn't want to trot though. I just hate it and I always expect it to pinch my back. It didn't, I have to admit. Mom made me pick up a trot and once I did, it was fine and we trotted around several times. But when she asked me again going the other way, I balked again. I think I just need to get used to the idea.

She didn't seem too worried about it. Instead, she steered me out of the arena and towards the pasture so I knew we were going to do a poop loop. I was a little resistant at first. I don't really like leaving my barn and it was getting close to hay time. But she insisted and so we started up the hill and that's when she leaned forward and urged me on. I was a little confused for a minute and then I realized she was asking me to trot up the hill! Well, that's different. I like trotting out on the road where I can really stretch my legs. I popped right into a nice trot but that felt so good, I soon switched into a canter. She didn't mind. She let me canter up that hill and it perked me right up.

I was still a little unsure though once we dropped back to a walk and I started doing my drifting thing where I just meander along from side to side. Mom put her legs right on me though and kept me going straight and by the time I was halfway up the next hill, I'd stopped drifting and was starting to enjoy myself. I found I could walk right along without my back pinching or anything hurting and it was pretty fun to step out like that. We reached the top of the hill and started down the other side and that was when I noticed the big difference.

I used to hate going down hills. I wasn't sure what it was about it, if I was doing it wrong or if it was my saddle or what but I just couldn't get comfortable about it. Now though, it was fine. I was able to walk right along at the same fast pace down the hill as I had up it. Mom felt more comfortable too - she wasn't bouncing back and forth like she had been when I was walking like a camel (I don't know what a camel is but that's what she used to tell me I walked like). It was kind of exciting and by the time we reached the bottom of the hill, I was bouncing along even though I was still walking.

Mom loved it, I could tell. She just rode along with my reins loose on my neck and let me go with my head low and my legs swinging. She was relaxed in the saddle and moving with the rhythm of my walk and we marched along at a nice clip. We got back by our barn and I barely even looked at it - just kept right on going up the hill again and around for another lap. This time I didn't waste any time meandering. I was having fun walking.

I did break into a little trot once or twice on the uphills but Mom just sat deep and told me to walk and I did. I just felt good and wanted to go. It's amazing what a difference it makes to have your back feel better. I hope that carrot doctor comes around again sometime. I've never felt this good.

We stopped after two poop loops. My hay was waiting for me and Mom let me go right in my stall and get it as soon as my bridle was off. I wasn't hot at all, not even sweating but I'd had a nice brisk walk and felt good. Mom says that maybe tomorrow we'll be able to ride with Spark. I'll bet he's going to like the way he feels too.

He's gone!

They took him away! How could they? I've been so upset, I can barely think straight.

The grey. That's who I'm talking about. The handsome grey in Kia's stall. Beau. That was his name. Isn't that beautiful? It fits him. He's such a gentle, sweet guy. He just nosed me softly and nickered at me quietly. And now he's gone!

I don't know where they took him, if he's gone forever, if he'll be coming back. I don't know anything. I was such a wreck that I made an awful mess of my stall. My mom was pretty shocked when she saw it. One whole side of it was soaked and the other was just full of trampled bits of manure and I don't care! I'll live in filth! What does it matter now?

She gave me my alfalfa and eating it at least gave me something else to think about. But now I'm back in my stall and there's a big empty stall next to me. No Beau, not even Kia. It's probably Spencer's fault. Spencer hated him and treated him horribly. He probably drove him away.

I got to go out with Sparky for a while today. That was nice. Spark understands. He nuzzled me a lot and tried to cheer me up with some bite face. I love Spark. He's such a good friend. I did feel a little better after that. At least I know someone is still here who cares about me. And Mom let me stop and sniff noses with Chip and that was nice. I do like Chip, too. And he never goes away and he really likes me too. But it's not the same. Beau was my Dream Horse.

If Kia was here, at least I could talk to her about it. She'd understand. I'm surrounded by geldings though and they don't know what it's like to be a young mare in love. I think I'll just go out in my paddock and be miserable. But if Mickey is cribbing, he'd better watch it because I'll tear his head off!

The carrot doctor

I had the most interesting day today! For one thing, there's a new horse in Kia's stall. I've seen him before in another stall and he's SO handsome. He's a grey Thoroughbred and he's tall and has gorgeous eyes and he nickers at me! I think I love him. I like to poke my nose up against the bars and if he's not paying enough attention to me, I lay my ears back at him and swish my tail. That gets his attention! I like Kia but I kind of hope she never comes back. That's him in the picture sniffing noses with Sparky. Isn't he a hunk?

So this morning, Mom came really early. That was odd. She came to my stall and instead of cleaning it, she took me out and brought me to the Round Pen. I was really frisky this morning. We didn't really do much yesterday and it was kind of nice and breezy today so as soon as she let me loose, I took off running! I ran and ran and ran around that Round Pen. It felt really good. I ran until I finally had to slow down to a trot, then a walk. Then I walked over to Mom to say hi and nuzzle her. She gave me a hug and petted me, then she asked me to go the other direction so I did. I ended up running that way too. I just felt like running.

Mom took me back to my stall then and went to get Spark. She tied him up outside it near Hunky-boy's stall and left me inside. It was kind of weird. Usually she takes me out and gives me a hay snack and cleans my stall. Today she just hung around. After a little bit, Sparky's mom showed up and she just hung around. Then a truck drove up and a man got out.

That was the carrot doctor. Mom called him a chiropractor but I call him a carrot doctor because he brought lots of carrots and fed them to us. It was so nice. First he looked at Spark. He said hello to him and gave him a carrot, then he felt him all over. He talked and talked to Mom and Sparky's mom and from what I could understand, he was talking about all the places Spark might be hurting. Then he touched him on his butt and Spark flinched so he explained that Sparks sacro-something-or-other joint hurt him and he needed to adjust it. He lifted Spark's back leg just a little bit and then kind of punched his butt and I could tell by Spark's expression that it felt pretty good. The carrot doctor did it two more times and Spark was all perked up. Then he got a carrot.

The carrot doctor checked his other side then and found another spot where poor Spark flinched. He fixed that one too and Spark told me he felt so much better, it was amazing! He got another carrot and then the doctor fixed all his legs and checked his neck and feet and everything. Spark said he felt like a new horse and he got lots of pets and carrots before he went back in the pasture.

Well, I was getting impatient in my stall because I wanted carrots too. Sure enough, Mom put my halter and lead on and the carrot doctor came into my stall. He said hello to me and told me how pretty I am and what a pretty name I have. I like it when people tell me I'm pretty. He gave me a carrot too. That was nice.

Then he started going over me just like he did with Spark. It was fine until he got to a spot on my back just where the back of the saddle sits and it really hurt! I flinched, I couldn't help it, and he talked nicely to me and felt it carefully. Then he put his hands up there and somehow he sort of punched it and wow! I felt something move and all of a sudden the pain was gone! I couldn't believe it but he ran his poker thingy down my back again and there was nothing hurting.

Well, I liked that. He gave me a carrot and told me I was a Good Girl and I decided I was going to stand nice and still and let this guy do whatever he wanted. No one ever made me feel good like that so fast. Sure enough, he found another spot on my other side and that one hurt even worse. Oh, it hurt! It was hard for me to stand still when he found it but he talked softly to me and told me he was sorry for hurting me but he had to find just the right spot to make it feel better. He did, too. When he adjusted it (that's what they call it), I gave out a grunt because it felt so good.

He checked all my legs and my neck and everything but nothing else really hurt. It's funny, I knew my back hurt but I'd kind of gotten used to it feeling like that and I didn't know what to do to make it better. Sometimes I had to walk funny, like when I went downhill, because it wasn't comfortable and that's probably why I don't like to trot because it just hurts those spots. I feel a lot better now and I had a lot of carrots. And I was a Good Girl for the carrot doctor and I hope that handsome grey guy noticed. He sure is cute.

Liberty horse

I had a spa day today. That's what Mom called it. What that means is she spent lots of time making me look pretty. She put me in cross ties and was going to use some clippers on me but the plug thing she needed to use didn't work so she couldn't. That was okay. I don't really like clippers. They make funny noises and tickle.

So I didn't get clipped. But Mom did cut my mane and tail. My mane had gotten awfully long and even though it looked kind of pretty, Mom decided that I have such a pretty neck that it made more sense for it to be short. That way people can see my neck. I think that makes sense. I do have a pretty neck, everyone says so. So Mom cut it short and then pulled it a little bit to make it look better. I like it. She also trimmed my tail so that it's even and doesn't look so ragged on the end.

She also brushed me really well and cleaned my feet and put fly spray on me. She washed the sore on my side with some medicine. I've had that sore for a long time. Mom thinks it's from lying on one side in my bed so today she put lots and lots of shavings in my stall. That was nice. Hopefully it will help that sore. It doesn't really hurt but it looks ugly.

After all my spa treatments, Mom took me to the Round Pen. I didn't really feel like lungeing today though. I just wanted to play with her and I kept walking up to her and nudging her with my nose. She made me go around a few times and I trotted and cantered a little bit but as soon as she let the whip drop, I came right up to her and stopped with my head in her chest.

So she put the whip down and started walking around the Round Pen. I followed her. I like to follow her like that without a lead rope or anything. It's like we're friends going for a walk. She walked for a little bit then stopped and said, "Whoa!" So I stopped too. I even stepped back one step so that my head was just even with her shoulder. She liked that. Then she walked forward, saying "Walk on," and I followed again. She kept walking and stopping, telling me whoa and walk on and I just did whatever she did.

Then she changed it. She stopped and said whoa and I stopped. Then she stepped backward and said, "Back" so I stepped backward too. Every step she took back, I took one back. It was fun, like a game. Mom was happy with me, I could tell. She gave me a cookie and then we walked on again.

She started doing all kinds of fun things. Once she moved in a little circle away from me and I followed. It was such a little circle that my front feet stayed in the same place and my hind feet went in a bigger circle. Mom called that a pivot on my forehand and said I was a Good Girl. She gave me another cookie for that. Then we did that in the other direction. That was a little harder but I still got a cookie.

Another time, she made a bigger circle. When she did that, I followed and my front feet went in a big circle but my hind feet stayed in the same place. She called that a pivot on my hindquarters. We did that both ways too. That one was really hard but I did it well enough to get cookies.

We had so much fun! We did all kinds of fun games with Mom leading the way and me doing whatever she did. It was exciting trying to figure out what she'd do next and trying to follow her without messing up. And it was even better when she gave me cookies. When we were all done, Mom petted me lots and told me I was such a Good Girl and that I was a Liberty Horse. I don't know what that means but it sounded good the way she said it. We even did some of that stuff on the walk back to the barn, stopping and backing up and me getting a cookie for it.

And when I got to my stall, that's when I saw my big deep bed! So it was a really nice day. I hope we do more of that stuff soon. I really like those games.

Cookie stretches

Mom rode me again today but before she did, we did some cookie stretches. I love to do cookie stretches because I get cookies when I do them. They're like a game. Mom holds a cookie and I have to reach for it. She has me reach around to my side, and down to the floor, and way out in front of me, and between my front legs. It's easy and when you do it, you get a cookie!

She did some other stretches with me too but I don't get a cookie for them. She stretched my front legs and my back legs, and she pulled on my tail which feels really good. I lean right into that one - it makes my whole back feel nice. She also does this funny thing where she pokes her fingers in both sides of my butt and it makes me bunch my butt up. It feels okay but it's strange. She does give me another cookie when she finishes all the stretches so I don't mind.

Than she saddled up and we rode. We mostly rode in the Flat Arena today and we did a lot of work at a walk. It was kind of fun though. I don't know if you realize it, but horses can feel every little thing you do in a saddle. We can feel if you're a little off balance, or if you're twisted. We can feel the smallest changes in your seat and we try to figure out what you want by the way you're sitting and moving and holding the reins.

My mom always tries to give me directions with her seat but today I could tell that she was really focusing on it more than usual. For instance, when we were walking along the long side of the arena, I could tell that she was looking straight ahead and thinking about keeping her seat balanced and straight. Sometimes riders think about the turn ahead and they don't realize they're seat moves a little bit. Then the horse has to figure out if they want us to turn or if they're just getting ready. When you're just learning all this stuff like me, it can get confusing sometimes so I think my mom was trying to be really clear for me today.

It was fun. She rode me straight down the side and when she was ready for me to make the turn, she adjusted her seat to move in that direction while she used her legs to tell me to go around the corner. She hardly used the reins at all - just a little bit to help me get my head in the right spot. She also did things like ask me to go across the arena diagonally and she made me go right to a certain spot. I got the idea quickly because I do understand about things like legs and seat - I just don't always pay as much attention as I should. Today, I couldn't ignore it though because it was the only movement she was making.

After a while of doing that, she asked me to trot and we did some trotting exercises. I was glad because even though the other stuff was kind of fun, it gets hard when you're doing it for a long time. It's a lot of thinking and paying attention and I'm not real good at paying attention. I needed to do something else so we had some fun doing some trotting.

I have some trouble trotting sometimes. I don't like it and I get a little cranky about it. Today, Mom asked me to trot and I hesitated so she asked me again and I finally did. She only had me go about half way around the arena then pulled me to a walk for a few strides. Then she asked me to trot again. So I did and again she only had me go a little way then had me walk. The next time she asked me to trot, I popped right into it and when she asked me to walk, I tried to keep going. I mean, do you want me to trot or do you want me to walk? Make up your mind! But she made me walk again and then asked for another trot.

I know what she was doing. She wanted a nice smooth transition into a trot and she was making me do it over and over until I got it right. Once I did, we had a good long trot around and around, with some figure 8's and a little serpentine thrown in. It felt good, I have to admit. I love to canter but there's something about a good spanking trot that gets your blood flowing.

We finished up with a short poop loop. Instead of going the usual way, we went past the Rolling Arena and up a little trail that comes out by the barn I used to live in. It was fun to take a different route for a change and I like going that way because I often see bunnies. I love bunnies. They're cute and small and they look very soft. I want to sniff one but they never stay still long enough for me to get close to them. I didn't see any bunnies today but I did see some squirrels and birds. They're nice too.

It was a good workout. Not enough so that I was tired out but enough so I felt like I was ready to relax. I like those days. And I got a bunch of cookies so that made the whole day better.

Work

So today Mom saddled me up but instead of getting right on me, she brought me to the Round Pen and lunged me in my tack. That was different. She's done that once or twice before but today she really worked me. I know it's because I wasn't that good yesterday and she wanted to make sure I was doing what she asked me to. So she had me walk and trot and canter and then back to a trot then a canter then a trot then a walk.... She kept asking for different things and I had to do them.

I didn't mind. I like to lunge most of the time and it felt good to work. She was pretty strict with me though. One time I bucked a little when I started to canter and she made the Bad Girl noise at me. And another time, she asked me to trot and I cantered and she twitched the lunge line on my bit and said, "Trot!" so I went down to a trot. I guess I have to behave myself.

It was a good lunging session and when we were done, she got on and rode me. We rode for a little bit in the Flat Arena and she had me go from a walk to a trot then back to a walk again a bunch of time. It was fun though because we were doing circles and figure 8's and different changes of direction and that always makes it interesting. I tried to be a really Good Girl and didn't try to take off or buck or canter or anything. I was a little disappointed that we didn't canter but I know she's trying to hammer it into my head that I have to do what she asks me to. Besides, it was awfully hot.

We didn't work too long in the Flat Arena. Pretty soon, Mom brought me out and we did a couple of poop loops. She changed it a little bit too which was interesting. Instead of going up the road by the pasture, she rode me across the grass on the hillside. That was strange. I kept stopping and trying to reach down to get a bite but she wouldn't let me and told me I had to keep going even if we were in grass. That was hard to do.

Then we continued up the hill toward the barn I used to live in. By the time we reached the top, I was breathing kind of heavy. I'd done kind of a lot of work and it was very hot. Mom knew I was feeling it so she let me rest a bit then she rode me down the hill on the other side and instead of turning back toward our barn, she continued on toward the Pony Arena.

I got kind of excited as soon as we turned toward it. I remembered the last time I was there, when I got loose and ran around. It made me feel pretty bouncy and I'm afraid I tried to bolt just a little bit but Mom was ready for me and wouldn't let me. She rode me to the water trough and that's when I realized why we were there - she thought I might want a drink. I did, too and I stuck my head in and got a nice big one and played a little bit. It felt so good to get wet and to take a drink. Mom makes me work pretty hard but she does understand what I need.

I was still pretty bouncy when I finished up and I sort of danced on tip-toe through the hay barn. I could hear some noises on the other side of the wall and it made me feel kind of nervous and funny. I didn't know what might happen when I came out the other side and I was ready to take off and run. But all there was when we got there was a man leading another horse so after just a little bit of a jump (because they sort of seemed to come out of nowhere), I was okay. Mom felt me relax and she let out my rein and we walked on towards the barn.

She took me around again but I felt a lot better after having that drink so I walked the whole circuit without any problem. She did get after me about walking straight - I do tend to wander from side to side but that's just because I'm always trying to look at things and it's hard to look without kind of moving in the direction of what you're looking at. Mom says I'd walk off a cliff if I saw something interesting in that direction.

Walking along like that on a loose rein is a nice way to cool down after a ride so by the time we reached the barn the second time around, I was mostly cooled off. I was still pretty sweaty though so she unsaddled me and hosed me off before putting me in my stall. But I got an extra treat in my bucket dinner because she put some apple in there along with my usual carrot. It was a good day. Hard work but fun.

Fun with my mom

My mom rode me today. It was fun. My bite was a lot better and the saddle didn't hurt it at all. She cleaned my stall and then she very carefully saddled me, making sure it wouldn't be uncomfortable. I just stood there dozing while she tightened my girth so she knew it wasn't hurting me.

She got on and started walking me around in the Flat Arena. I felt good. It's been so long since we've been able to ride regularly so every time we do, I get kind of excited. Mom walked me for a few circuits like she always does and then asked me to trot.

Well, I jumped right into a canter. I just wanted to go and I love to canter. I don't like trotting, as you know. Mom let me canter - I think she figured I was already doing it and I may as well get my energy out. We went around most of the arena and then I slowed to a trot on one turn and we trotted a bit and then she asked me to canter again.

That got me really excited! I love it when she ASKS me to canter. I bounced right into a fast canter but I was going so fast, I kind of missed the end of the arena and bounced right out of it. Mom slowed me down and got me back in and then asked me to trot again. I trotted really fast for a few strides but then I jumped right into a canter again and I was so wound up that I started to buck. I did one little buck and that felt good so I did two more kind of big bucks.

I know I'm not supposed to buck. I just couldn't help it. I could feel Mom losing her balance a little on the third buck but she pulled me right around and made me move my back feet so I couldn't get my head down anymore. Then she smacked me with her stick and told me sternly to trot.

That made me mad! I wasn't trying to be bad, I just couldn't help it. And she didn't fall off or anything. Why'd she have to hit me with her stupid old stick! I swished my tail and reared and she made the Bad Girl sound and smacked me again and I reared again and she did it again so I trotted. I didn't want to though.

Well, after that it was just work, work, work. Mom would ask me to trot and I'd try to canter and she'd make me trot. She made me trot in circles, little ones, and just when I got used to going in a circle one way, she'd make me go the other way and trot circles. Then she'd change again. I trotted and trotted and trotted and then she had me walk and told me I was a Good Girl. Then she asked me to trot again and I tried to canter again so we did more circles.

It was hard work. I just wanted to run, that's all. But she gets all bossy and makes me do what she asks me to do. Sometimes my mom is no fun at all.

After a lot of that work, she let me walk again and then took me for a poop loop. That was a little better, although she still made me go where she wanted to go and wouldn't let me stop to sniff poop or anything. Then when we got back, she brought me into the Flat Arena again and asked me to trot. I tried to bounce right into a canter again and she made me do MORE trot circles. I was awfully hot and tired by the time we stopped.

By then, my alfalfa had arrived and she unsaddled me and cleaned me up and hosed me off. She wasn't mad at me at all. Mom never gets mad at me really. She makes the Bad Girl noise when I'm doing things I'm not supposed to do but she doesn't yell at me or act impatient or angry. And I was being good by the time we were done and she petted me and told me so. Sometimes it's just hard to do.

I sure enjoyed my dinner tonight. Hopefully we'll ride again tomorrow. I'll try to be good but I sure hope I can canter.

What a day!

I had such an exciting day today! I'm still kind of bouncy because of it all.

I guess I should start with yesterday. Mom came out all ready to ride me but when she started brushing me, she found another big bite! This one was on my side right where the saddle goes. She tried putting two saddle pads on me but as soon as the girth went on, it hurt so I put my ears back and swished my tail and she took it all off again. She understood what I was telling her.

We were both disappointed and it's all Mickey's fault! He keeps biting me. He's so stupid. It's because he's always cribbing. That's all he does all day long. He stands by our paddock fence and bites the wood that separates us. Then he makes this annoying grunting sound. Over and over again, he does it and it's gotten to the point that I can't stand it! So I charge him with my ears back and my teeth bared, and he rears and strikes, and I kick the fence and then he bites me. But at least it makes him stop cribbing for a little while.

Yesterday Mom decided to lunge me instead so she brought me to the Round Pen. While we were there, my daddy came again! He's been coming a lot lately. I was very good lungeing on the line but I did keep peeking over the fence to see what he was doing. I knew he must have a carrot for me - he always does - and I didn't want him to think I wasn't around because he might leave without saying hello to me and giving me my carrot. But he saw me and he walked right across the field special to come see me. He petted me and gave me my carrot and blew in my nose which I like. I love my dad.

So today my bite was still pretty swollen and painful. Mom got me out for my hay snack and brought Sparky over to have one too. Then when my stall was all clean and we were finished with our hay, she put me back in my stall and took Sparky away with my saddle on him! I was a little jealous because I knew she was going to ride him instead of me but she gave me a little more hay to eat in my stall so that kept my mind off it. I did watch them ride away though. It's always strange to see my mom on another horse, even Spark.

They were gone for quite a while and I was standing in the door of my stall looking out at my paddock when I heard my mom's voice call my name! I whinnied and looked around and there she was on Spark in the Flat Arena. They must have ridden in without my seeing them. She rode just a little longer out there then I saw her get off and a little while later, I saw her hosing Spark down. Pretty soon she walked by my stall on the way to put him out in the pasture and then she got me.

I was pretty anxious to get out by then. I'm used to doing something right after my stall is cleaned and I like to be on a schedule. When it changes, I get excited. Mom put my chain lead over my nose because I think she thought I might be a bouncy and she was right. I just couldn't help it. We started off down the road for a walk and I was pretty good but I did kind of bounce every now and then.

We got down to the hay barn and Mom turned toward the place where all the cars park. I got even more excited because that's the way we go to the Pony Arena and I like to get turned out there. Plus that's where the water trough is. I started twirling around and rearing a little bit - I was just so excited, I couldn't contain myself. Mom got pretty stern with me and I tried to behave but it was hard.

There were lots of Camp Kids and Farm Horses by the Pony Arena but none of them were inside it so Mom brought me in. She closed the gate and took off my lead and as soon as I was loose, I took off running across the arena! I galloped to the other gate and when I got to it, I saw that it was open so I galloped right out!

All of a sudden, people were yelling, "Loose horse!" and some of the Camp Kids were calling out in high pitched voices and it got very loud and confusing. I was so excited to be loose but I didn't know what to do or where to go so I just galloped across the dirt and over to a small barn near an area piled with bags of shavings. There weren't any horses in that barn so I turned and ran back a little ways but I didn't want to go near all those Camp Kids. I turned again and ran toward the shavings and around the corner of the barn and almost ran right into a girl who reached up and grabbed my halter and talked quietly to me.

As soon as I stopped, I could hear my mom calling, "It's okay, Belly, I'm coming," and sure enough, there she was with my lead. I was happy to see her. It was much too confusing to be running around loose and I was kind of scared by it all. It's funny - it seems like such a good idea to run through an open gate but once you do, it gets scary when no one is there to tell you what to do. Mom led me back to the Pony Arena and made sure the gate was closed, then she let me loose again.

I was really bouncy by then. All that being loose business had gotten me so wound up I barely knew what to do with myself. I ran around and around and kicked up my heels and stopped at the gate and snorted at the other horses and kicked out with my hind leg just because it felt good, then I ran around some more. There were lots of people watching me, the Camp Kids and their moms and dads, and all the horses were pretending not to notice me but I know they were all secretly watching and wishing they could run around like me. Mom just let me do whatever I wanted and once in a while I'd stop and walk up to her and nuzzle her face just to make sure she was still there. She'd pet me and kiss my nose and then I'd go off and play some more.

I got pretty hot and sweaty and finally got most of it out of my system so Mom put my lead back on and took me out to get a drink at the trough. That was nice! I took a good long drink and then dunked my head in and played for a little bit. When I was ready to go, I kind of tossed my head and did a little rear and Mom told me to settle down and quit being so silly so I tried to walk nicely. She took me right to the Little Rolling Arena then and I just threw myself down and had a good roll. Oh, it felt nice! I love rolling in there and after all the excitement, it was just what I needed. As soon as I was done, I got up and just kind of launched myself into the air. I went into a big buck and kick, with a rear and a shake and a strike and sort of a twist all rolled into it. Mom was ready for it because I do like to come out of a roll like that sometimes so she just stood back and let me bounce for a minute then told me to calm down and we walked back to the barn.

I was pretty well cooled out by the time we got there and Mom hosed me off really good, letting the water run on my bite for quite a while. She'd hosed it before we went on our walk too so hopefully it will be a lot better tomorrow. She did put some of that yucky medicine in my food again but I'm kind of getting used to it. And besides, it was such a fun day that I don't even care. I can't think of the last time I've gotten to play so much.

Now if only Mickey will leave me alone and quit making that stupid noise of his, everything should be all right.