I forgot to mention one funny thing that happened before the whole Riding Incident. One day last week, my mom brought a bag of stuff with her and started fussing around outside my stall. I couldn't really see what she was doing but when she got me out for my hay snack, I saw that she had hung a bunch of stuff on my door. Usually, the only things that hang on my door are my name plate and maybe a towel or some drying wraps. But this stuff is different. There's a rope of glittery, silvery stuff that has fluffy hairy stuff all along it (it tickles my nose) and hanging off it are some little colored balls and a soft little red pouch thing.
I was so curious about it all and I wanted to taste everything but Mom wouldn't let me. Then later she put my new halter on me and brought a piece of cloth stuff made out of the same soft red stuff as the pouch. She let me sniff it. It was really soft and felt nice on my muzzle. Then she rubbed it on my face and neck and that felt nice too. Then she put it on my head. Well, that seemed a little silly but my mom likes to do silly things sometimes so it was okay. She stood next to me in my doorway while Sparky's Mom held that little box thing they like to carry around and I knew that meant I was supposed to look at Sparky's Mom and put my ears up. So I did but I also took the opportunity to check out the stuff on my door.
Unfortunately, the next part of my post won't be so much fun. The day after our Bad Ride, Sparky's Mom came out alone. I guessed that my mom had finally gotten so sick that she had to stay on Stall Rest or whatever people call it so I didn't fuss. After all, I'm supposed to remember my Manners with everyone, not just my mom. But Sparky's Mom is dumb. She doesn't know anything and she makes me so mad! She didn't even give me my hay snack, she just put my lead on and started bringing me to the Round Pen.
I got a little sassy and bouncy as we walked because I wanted my hay snack and without a word, she just yanked on the chain on my nose! Hard! I couldn't believe it. My mom has given me a yank before but never like that so I just got even sassier and tried to bounce again. And she did it again!
Well, that got me in a very crabby mood but we got to the Round Pen and I figured I'd be able to run and that would make me feel better. Wouldn't you know it, she just slipped off the lead and put on the lunge line and started making me go in a little circle around her. I didn't want to go in a little circle. And she wanted me to walk and I sure didn't want to walk! It was dumb and I kept pulling and trying to trot and bouncing. She just kept making me go in that stupid circle.
Finally I got really mad and I twirled around and reared up and struck out with my front feet! I wasn't trying to hurt Sparky's Mom. That wouldn't be Manners. I was just trying to tell her that I didn't want to make dumb small circles and walk and stuff. But she just got mad and made me go some more.
After about forever, she took off the lunge line and told me to run. I did, too. I ran and ran. But then she made me keep running. I kind of wanted to stop running after a while but she kept pushing me so I kept going. I can run as long as anyone wants me to, after all. Then she decided she was going to make me go in the other direction. I didn't want to do that and I got sassy again and kept running the same way I was going. I knew it was bad - my mom has been really firm about making me change direction when she says - but I was mad and I didn't think Sparky's Mom was being very nice. But then she got right in front of me and put up her arms and looked kind of scary so I slid to a stop and finally turned. I didn't want to but she looked like she might do something crazy.
She made me run around that way for a long time too. I was pretty tired when I was done. When she finally let me stop, I walked up to her and nuzzled her. I just wanted to be friends and do nice things together. I don't see why I have to do dumb things. She was nice to me then though and petted me. She let me cool down a little bit and when she led me out of the Round Pen, she even brought me up on the grass to graze for a little bit. So that was nice but it wasn't much fun other than that!
The next day, her and my mom came out late. It was already dark and I'd finished my alfalfa by then. They just gave me my bucket dinner outside my stall and Sparky's Mom held a little stick that made light while my mom gave my stall a quick clean. She smelled pretty sick to me so I was right about that. Then they put me back to bed and that was that.
Which brings me to yesterday. Yesterday was a really Nice day. My mom came kind of early. I was napping in my stall, just standing up. Horses do that, you know. Sometimes we lie down but we can doze standing up too. Anyway, I was all sleepy and comfortable when I heard her voice say, "Hi sleepyhead!" My head popped up and I looked out my door to see her in her car! She'd come from the other direction over by the pasture and snuck up on me! I let out a big whinney and she went to put her car over where all the cars go and then came to see me.
She gave me my hay snack and cleaned my stall and then she brushed me. I could tell she had some cookies in her pocket because I could smell them but she didn't give me any unless I was a Good Girl. She told me to whoa while she brushed me and when I stood nice and still, she gave me one. And she asked me to give her my feet nicely so she could clean them and when she'd done all of them, she gave me on. It was like doing my tricks. I started feeling pretty good because I understood what she wanted and knew nice things would happen if I did it.
Then she put my lead on and brought me to the Flat Arena. It was really muddy and wet but we found a part that wasn't too bad and walked around for a little bit, doing tricks. One trick she wanted me to do was to stop at her shoulder when she says whoa. Sometimes I stop and then swing my butt around so I'm facing her but that's not how it's properly done. It was hard but I started to figure out what she was asking for and by the time we left the arena, I'd gotten better at it.
I thought we might go to the Round Pen or even back to my stall then but we didn't. Instead we started down the road toward the Little Rolling Arena. I hadn't been that way since the day we had our Awful Accident but it was a nice day and the sun was shining and I still felt pretty relaxed from my nap so I went along. As we got further from the barn, I got a little nervous and started looking around but Mom asked me to do a couple of tricks and I got so busy thinking about them that I forgot about being nervous. We did that all the way - we'd walk along for a while and then she'd ask me to do something and it would give me something to think about.
Before I knew it, we were at the Little Rolling Arena. I felt pretty relaxed and I knew Mom was happy with me. She was telling me what a Good Girl I was as we walked. We just kept going past it and headed across the parking lot. That's where I started getting in trouble that day. I got all excited about being near the Pony Arena because I wanted a turnout and then Bad Things happened. This time though, my mom just kept asking me to do my tricks every time I lost my focus and it helped a lot. I got a little fussy going down the hill to the arena and she had to speak sternly to me but that reminded me and I settled down. I walked right into the arena nicely and then she slipped my halter off and told me to go play!
That was really nice. I ran around a little bit and then I came back and visited with Mom. Then I wandered off again and sniffed poop and played in puddles and checked to see if there was a good place to roll (there wasn't). After a while, Mom walked away from the arena a little way and I got a little afraid she was leaving so I started racing around. She came back but I was feeling frisky by then so I did some good running and bucking and playing. I got kind of hot and sweaty and felt really good.
She let me stay in there for a long time. It was nice. I haven't been out in a big space in a long time except for that one day with Spark in the Gremlin Arena. Sometimes it's nice just to be able to do whatever you want. I know that's one reason Sparky likes living in the pasture because he can run and play when he wants, and he can nap when he wants, and he doesn't have to wait for his mom to bring him somewhere to do it. I wish I could live in a pasture but my mom says they only let geldings in. I think that's stupid.
Finally my mom came in with me. She put my halter and lead on and walked around in the arena with me, asking me to do tricks. I was kind of excited at first from running but doing my tricks settled me down again and when we went out the gate, I was able to think about what I was doing. Mom asked me to whoa nicely at it and not barge through and I was good about it. I started dancing a little bit going up the hill and across the parking lot but she talked calmly to me and asked for a trick or two and I stopped. I walked all the way back nicely and by the time we got to my barn, I was cooled out. I wanted to go on the grass and I kind of pulled that way. My mom straightened me out and led me on but once I was walking nicely, she asked me to go on the grass! She made me walk instead of trot onto it but then she let me graze for a while. That was really nice.
So we had a good day and I think I learned something. It's really hard to pay attention sometimes but if my mom helps me, and I try really hard, I can be a Good Girl and she won't get mad at me.
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