Lots going on

Things have been different since Spark moved in nearby. For one thing, his mom comes out every day now which is really nice but kind of dumb. It's nice because I know Spark likes to see his mom and I like to see her too but it's dumb because lots of times she comes without my mom and then Spark has his mom and I don't have any mom at all. She always says hi to me and usually gives me a treat and that's nice but then she goes and sits with dumb Sparky and I have to be alone.

I don't like that part and I get mad and plunge around my stall sometimes and finally when I'm all over being mad and I'm just sad that I don't have a mom there, I go and rest my head on my ball toy and just stand there. Somehow that makes me feel better.

But always, just when I'm feeling like my mom will never come, I hear her car! And that's the best part of the day because then she calls my name and I whinny happily and hurry to my stall door to see her. And she opens it up and greets me and gives me lots of pets and tells me how Good I am and then things are all better.

Things have been busy too. We've been working a lot and not just on one thing. We've been working on lots of things and it's been fun and exciting. One thing we've been working on is doing stuff in the Flat Arena with me in my halter and lead. My mom leads me around and she doesn't let me roll, or sniff poop, or anything fun which is pretty dumb and boring. Then she makes me stand nicely and she fusses with my feet trying to get me to stand square (that's what she calls it but I don't know what that means. I'm NOT square, after all). Then I have to just stand there, like a bump on a log. It's really dumb.

Sometimes Sparky and his mom are with us and he does the same things. Sometimes they set up a Cone in the arena and then our moms will have us trot toward the Cone and stop at it. I like that part. It's exciting to trot in hand (that's what it's called, you know) and I usually start off trying to gallop and doing a lot of head tossing and even a little striking out, just because I'm excited. But my mom tells me I'm not allowed to do that and so I settle down and start trotting nicely. Stopping at the Cone is easy - I know how to stop at Cones, after all.

Then my mom will ask me to pivot or back up or something. I don't mind that stuff. That stuff is fun but the standing part is so dumb! We're doing all this because my mom is going to bring me in a Show. I don't really know what that is either. I asked Sparky, because his mom is bringing him too, and he said it's when you have to be really Good and do what your mom tells you to, only it's with other ponies and lots of people are watching. Well, that's just the sort of thing Sparky would say. He's always on about how you have to be Good and do what your mom says. So I'm not sure if that's what a Show is or not.

It sounds kind of dumb if that's it but Kia used to go to Shows all the time and Mickey does too. In fact, Mickey sometimes gets these interesting cloth things that his mom hangs on his door and he says they're things he's won at the Show. I try to eat them when I get a chance because they're so soft and silky, they seem like they'd taste good.

I know I have to be Good for my mom whether we're in a Show or not because it's just Manners but I hope it's not so much standing still as it seems.

Other things we've been doing are more fun. Like the other day, my mom took me in the Round Pen and we played the Cone Game only we played it at a fast trot! That was so much fun! I was a little surprised at first when my mom told me to stop while I was trotting but once I realized what she wanted, I was excited to play. It was lots of fun to get going at a really quick trot and then have to stop really quick. Then I'd go again and before I knew it, I'd be at the next Cone and it would be time to stop again. My mom was really proud of me. She says I'm the smartest horse she ever met.

After we finished doing that, we walked around to pick up my Cones and my mom started teaching me a new game called Fetch. She showed me a Cone, then she tossed it a little ways and said "Fetch!" When she said it, she hurried toward it and I followed and she put her hand down near it and I poked my nose on it and she told me how Good I am and gave me a cookie. So I knew that's what she wanted. She kept throwing it and saying that word and every time she did, we'd go to the Cone and I'd reach for it. I even lipped at it one time and she got very excited and happy about that, petting me and praising me. It was lots of fun. I love learning new games and I can't wait to play that one some more.

That was yesterday and one thing happened that really made my mom proud. I had a loose shoe and when we first got in the Round Pen, I started running around really fast because I was pretty frisky. My mom had hosed me off because it was hot and the water felt good on me and made me ready to run. But as soon as I began running, that darn shoe started clinking and flapping around. It was really annoying but I was so frisky, I didn't care. My mom didn't like it though and she quickly put her stick down and asked me to whoa.

I didn't want to but she did ask, so I trotted up to her in the middle of the Round Pen and she petted me and told me I was really Good. Then she went to my back foot and picked it up to look at the shoe. The darn thing was hanging half off - I'd sort of torn it off one side and my hoof was pretty messed up from it. It was way too loose to stay on but it was still pretty tight on the other side. Mom pulled on it and wiggled it, trying to loosen the nails. It took some time but she managed to get that side loose enough so she could get it off.

The whole time she was messing with it, I stood perfectly still. She was so happy with me and I was pretty proud of myself too. It's not easy for me to stand still anyway, and I was pretty rowdy, and I was loose in the Round Pen so for me - really for any horse - to stand so nicely while someone was yanking their shoe off is pretty impressive. I got lots of cookies later for that.

Today wasn't quite as hot, and my mom and Sparky's mom came to the barn together, and they came kind of early so it was really nice. They took us out and groomed us in the aisle and then began saddling us up. I love having Sparky two stalls down. It's so fun. We can see each other all the time, and our moms can fuss with us at the same time, and we get to be in the aisle together.

My mom put my new Dressage saddle on me but since Sparky's mom was riding him, she couldn't use his girth on me. She's been using it because this saddle has shorter billets than my other one and my girth is just a little too small. But she got it on me today, even though I got a little mad because she had to really pull. It wasn't too tight - I just always puff up a little when I get saddled. All horses do that. We can't help it.

But it was okay and I do like my new saddle. It doesn't cover my shoulders at all and I like that. My other saddle is okay, and it does fit me, but I don't like the way it feels to have a saddle touching my shoulders. It makes them feel like I can't move them very well. This one makes me feel like I can really step out and go forward.

Our moms rode us up to the Gremlin Arena. I was pretty good until we got to the Rolling Arena, then I started jigging a bit going up the hill. I couldn't help it. I was excited to be out and riding. I kind of expected my mom to tighten up the reins and make me walk but instead she kept them loose and pushed me forward with her legs. That made me straighten out and I sort of did a slow trot up the hill. She didn't mind that - it was only when I bounced or went sideways that she corrected me and only but pushing me forward. So by the time we got to the Gremlin Arena, I was ready to trot.

As you know, I generally don't like trotting under saddle. It's always seemed pretty dumb. And in fact, I did try to canter instead when my mom let me know I could go forward faster than a walk. But she didn't let me, instead sitting down and slowing me and then trying again. The first time, I trotted sort of diagonally across the arena and it wasn't very pretty but to my surprise, I wanted to do it. It used to be that when she asked me, I'd just move sideways and resist. But now I want to.

I think a lot of it is the saddle. Back when I had a saddle that didn't fit, it pinched my shoulders and even though my other saddle doesn't do that, I get anxious when I feel it touching me there. But my Dressage saddle doesn't do it at all so I don't even think about it. Also, I think me and my mom kind of know each other better now. It used to be that when I started trotting, she sometimes jerked my mouth. Not on purpose and not all the time but I think she sometimes felt like I was a little out of control.

Now she feels like she understands me better and I trust her more. I think she likes the saddle a lot too, because she feels more balanced on my back. So we're working better together and that's a good thing. All in all, we had a nice time today and we trotted lots of times. Sparky was good too and had a fun ride with his mom. And it was fun to be riding with him too.

Our moms hand walked us back down to our barn. I was hot and sweaty and our moms sponged us off with cool water and this stuff called Vetrolin that smells really good and makes my muscles feel nice. They left us with a hay snack and I had a nice nap after that.

Later though, my mom came back. It was just about time for the hay truck and I heard it coming but I also heard my Shoe Man's truck. That was good, I thought, because I needed a shoe on that back foot. I was happy to go over to the Shoe place but I was surprised to see a different Shoe Man! I think it must have been someone in the family though because he kind of smelled like my Shoe Man. He was lots younger though so I think he might have been his colt.

Well, I didn't like that much. I'm used to my Shoe Man and he's used to me. This guy was nice I guess, but he did things different and I don't like different. Also he didn't work as fast so he held my feet forever and I got sick of standing on three legs. I have to admit I was kind of bad. I didn't kick or bite or anything, but I did try to pull my feet away when I got sick of standing there and I got very fussy towards the end. My mom finally had to really smack me. But I got through it and I have nice new shoes now so that's good. And my mom put me away and gave me my beet pulp and my hay was waiting and it's cooler out so all that is good.

I can't wait to see what we'll do tomorrow!