Rough ride

I was kind of a Bad Girl tonight.

I didn't mean to be. I was just feeling frisky. Mom didn't ride me yesterday which was fine. I had a nice day off and she took me for a walk and I had a good roll in the Little Rolling Arena and it was fun. Then today she came out late, probably because it was hot again and by the time she got here, it had cooled off some and I was frisky.

I didn't even realize I was frisky at first. She saddled me up and we went out into the Flat Arena and started walking around warming up. There was another horse in there trotting around but I didn't care. I was just lazing along, looking at things and trying to sneak a bite off the bushes whenever I got close enough to them.

Then she asked me to trot. I immediately did my thing where I walk sideways instead and she smacked me so I bounced into a trot and then I decided I really did feel like going. Only I felt like going fast so I started rushing along with my head up and trying to go sideways at the same time.

Mom didn't much like that so she put her legs on me and moved me into a circle so I stopped trotting and swished my tail and put my ears back because I wanted to keep going straight and fast. So she smacked me again. And that's when I got mad and it turned into a fight.

I trotted again because she made me but I kept pulling and bending the wrong way and not turning when she asked me to and when she'd make me, I'd stop trotting and so she'd push me and I'd get sassy. She just kept pushing and finally I got really mad and really sassy and reared so she smacked me and told me No and I reared again. This time I REALLY reared! I went straight up, with my ears back and my feet right out in front of me. I thought that might make her stop telling me what to do but it didn't - she just leaned forward, smacked me again and told me, "No, we're not playing that game - we're going to trot!" And she made me trot.

I just wanted to run. She had me trot some circles and when I finally did it she started having me do figure 8's which are bigger so on the part where I trot across the diagonal, I kept trying to canter. She just pulled me back into a trot and made me go on which just made me madder than ever! So I tried cantering again only this time I bucked. All that did was earn me another smack and then she pushed me right back into a trot!

The other horse had left by this time so we had the arena to ourselves. Mom just kept making me go around and around at a trot and I kept fighting her and trying to go faster. She just kept me in the figure 8's and finally I stopped fighting quite so much and just trotted pretty fast. I still wasn't happy but I stopped trying to run. She just kept riding those figure 8's and after a while, I started getting a little tired so I began bending around the turns and dropped my head a little bit because it was easier.

About that time, she changed the pattern and started having me do serpentines up and down the arena. I had to think a little bit more to do those which made it kind of fun so I sort of forgot about being mad and concentrated on not tripping over my feet. Then we finished up by doing some full circuits of the arena at a trot. By that time, I was sweating pretty well and ready to listen to her more. I was just full of myself when we started, that's all. It's hard to behave when you're feeling really frisky. I know that rearing and bucking and being sassy is bad but sometimes I just can't seem to help it. Mom never seems to get mad though - she just keeps riding and making me do what she wants to do and it kind of wears me down. And she always pets me and tells me I'm being good when I finally am.

She finally pulled me down to a walk and we did a few circuits on a loose rein to cool off and relax. I felt pretty good by then. It was a nice workout and had really helped get my energy out. Mom unsaddled me and hosed me off and then on our way back to my stall, we stopped to see Chip;

I really like Chip. I think I've mentioned him before. He's a handsome bay gelding who lives in the end stall. He's nice and friendly and his mom is nice too. She gives us all treats when she comes. Today she gave me some yummy stuff called watermelon.

Chip and I have sniffed noses before but today my mom let me visit with him for a long time. That's us in the picture. We got to sniff each other really well. He's a nice horse and a gentleman. He sniffed my nose a lot and then reached out and sniffed my neck and nibbled it really gently. I sniffed his neck too and then he reached his head up and put it right over my neck. That's kind of how horses hug. I liked that. We rubbed our heads on each other's necks and nuzzled each other's faces. Our moms liked that we got along so well and talked about turning us out together soon. I'd like that. I bet Chip would be fun to run and play with and then we could really get to know each other. I love to have friends that I can get turned out with.

Finally we had to go. I didn't want to leave but I had to go to my own stall. Besides I hadn't had my bucket dinner yet and that's pretty important. So it ended up being a nice night. I had a good ride once I got my antsiness out and I got to visit with Chip which was so nice. I hope we get to go out together soon. That will be fun.