Big girl work

Well, we did do more cantering and it was awfully fun! Let me tell you all about it.

My mom and Sparky's mom came out together which was really nice for Spark because he was so happy to see his mom. I know just how he feels. It's awful when you don't see your own mom for a couple of days. They came out kind of early and I was just waking up from my nap when they arrived so I was sort of sleepy and lazy at first. My mom got me out and Sparky's mom got him out and then my mom took a Bag and went looking for a hay snack for us.

That was nice. In just a short time, she'd found enough so we both got a small pile of hay to munch on. Then she began grooming me while Spark's mom worked on him. At one point, she was testing his back like the Carrot Doctor does to see if it was sore and poor Spark was flinching through his shoulders so she told my mom to look and they both were concerned about poor Spark. I was concerned too. I don't like seeing my brother in pain. It's no fun at all. Spark is so Good too - he never complains and he tries really hard to be a Good Boy and do what his mom asks him to do. Me, I let my mom know immediately if my saddle hurts or if something doesn't feel right. I swish my tail or bite or buck or try to kick or whatever I have to do to let her know and she figures it out quick. But Spark doesn't like to make a fuss so sometimes our moms don't see it quite so quickly.

His mom just brushed him really good and said she was going to take him for a walk so that was good. Spark was happy about that because he likes to go for walks with his mom. He's been wanting to get out and do something but he didn't want to be ridden because of his hurtiness. Meanwhile my mom was putting my duds on for us to go riding.

We went out into the Flat Arena and warmed up. While we were out there just walking, Glamour and Teddy's mom came with her little dog. He's so cute - he's just small like a bunny but frisky and perky. I want to smell him but my mom didn't let me get close enough today. Maybe next time.

Anyway, we were just riding around when we heard Sparky's mom and Glamour's mom calling back and forth and saying that the horses weren't in the pasture! My mom rode me out on the road and we headed up the hill to see if we could figure things out. I felt very important because my mom was using me to actually do something important. Spark was with us too because his mom brought him along in case the other horses were loose. She thought maybe they'd come to Spark because he used to be their herd boss.

In the end, it was all right because they were just way out in the pasture. There was a spot in the fence that was down but they hadn't found it so everything was fine. My mom brought me back to the arena and I thought all the excitement was over but then she started really riding and we got to work on things. She had me trotting in circles and changing direction, and she had me trot all along the long side and then across the middle. She kept changing direction in different ways so I had to really pay attention so as not to get my legs all tangled up. It was fun.

Then she asked me to canter! I love that and I popped right into my canter and she was happy with me. We were going a different direction than we were yesterday and it's a little harder that way than the other but I did it and it was fun. Then she trotted me again and changed direction and we cantered the other way too! We even did it more than once that way and I didn't buck at all and cantered just right. She was really happy with me.

By this time, Spark and his mom had started on their walk and were at the top of the hill by the manure pile. My mom took me out on the road and we started up by the pasture to catch up with them. We'd just started up the hill when she urged me into a trot. I took about one step at a trot and then broke right into a canter and she let me run up the hill. It was a really nice canter if I do say so myself, kind of slow and relaxed and I could tell my mom liked it. I was still a little excited when we got to Spark and his mom and I was dancing a little bit but I soon calmed down and just walked and we had a nice walk all around the farm.

We saw some friends - Cozzie and Misty and Indian - but we didn't get a chance to sniff noses with them. Spark did go see a mare he used to live near and that was nice. Then we went into the Rolling Arena and that was kind of exciting. I haven't been in there in a long time. It's big and there weren't any other horses in there so it seemed even bigger. We walked around the whole thing though and it wasn't so bad. My mom said that's where the Show was and Spark said he'd been in there with lots of other horses and it was kind of scary but okay. I think I'd like to be in a Show.

Pretty soon we left there - Spark had a nice roll on the way out - and went back to the barn. It was a good walk and a nice ride. Spark's mom hosed him off and my mom let me roll in the Flat Arena and then hosed me too. We got our dinner and it was still early enough for Spark to have his nap before hay time. He was pretty tired by then and needed it. He never takes naps at the same time as the other horses because he says someone has to stand guard. I guess that's in case of Mountain Lions. Luckily none of them came while he napped because I wouldn't have known what to do and I don't think anyone else would either.

Trying to work here

Have you ever tried to do something and everyone around you is bugging you and keeping you from doing it? That was kind of how my day was today.

It happened like this. My mom came out today and got me and Sparky out of our stalls so we could eat hay scraps in the aisle while she cleaned. That's nothing new. She almost always does that and we both like it. So we munched while she got one of those rolling bucket things and began cleaning our stalls. Then when she was about halfway done, she untied Sparky and brought him to the Round Pen.

Well, I didn't want to be left out so I whinnied loudly as she put him in there and she came back and asked, "Belly, do you want to go out with your brother?" I nosed at her to tell her yes and she must have understood me because she untied me and walked me over there too. I was happy and eager to go but I remembered to be good on the lead. I've been very good lately and my mom has been really pleased. I don't want to mess that up now so I walked quietly but fast and she was happy with that. She doesn't mind me walking fast as long as I'm not pulling or getting ahead of her. The Rule is that I have to walk next to her, with my head just in front of her shoulder. When she stops, she expects me to stop too and if I take one or two steps ahead of her, she makes me back up until I'm in the right place. I know where she wants me now though, so if I do make a mistake, I don't wait for her to ask me to back up - I do it myself. She really likes that.

Anyway, it was just a short walk to the Round Pen so we didn't do any stopping or backing or any of that stuff. It's just Habit now for me to walk nicely so my mom doesn't make me work hard at it like she used to but she still expects me to behave. She tells me that I have better manners than Sparky does sometimes because Spark will often try to put his head down to eat a stray piece of hay or sometimes he stops and makes her have to urge him on again. I don't do any of that anymore. I Learned.

I was happy to go out with Spark and we greeted each other by sniffing and squealing which is what we like to do. He likes to pretend he's a Herd Boss and I'm his Herd and he's telling me what to do. I don't mind because it usually means we play and run a little bit while he pretends to Bunch me. Spark plays differently than some of my other friends like Indian. Indian just likes to run fast like me so we just race around and around. Spark likes to play that he's a Wild Horse and he says Wild Horses don't just gallop around because they have to conserve their strength so they can run away from Mountain Lions. Spark says Mountain Lions are always after horses in the Wild. I'm not really sure what a Mountain Lion is but they sound scary so I'm happy I live in a stall and don't have to worry about them. Anyway, if any of them came around our barn, Spark would chase them away or Bunch them or something.

We had a fun time playing while my mom cleaned and then she came out with her Bag Stick and asked us to run a little bit. We were both pretty frisky and I ran while Spark trotted because he'd rather trot most of the time. That's okay. It's still fun. It got really dusty in there though so we didn't run too long. It's amazing how much dust two horses can kick up in that Round Pen.

My mom led us back to the barn together. She's been doing that a lot lately and we've been really good about it. It's hard to walk nicely with another horse. Horses don't tend to walk at the same pace so you have to remember to pay close attention so you don't get way ahead or behind. Me and Spark used to be pretty bad at it because I walk a lot faster than he does. He'd get behind and instead of speeding up, he'd stop because the lead would be pulling on him. Then I'd get impatient because I wanted to go and I'd have to wait until my mom got him back up to her. It was pretty hard for my mom. But now we're both lots better and we try to walk at the same speed. We do pretty good most of the time and we've gotten better about either slowing down or speeding up when we need to. Mom's been really happy with us.

When we got back to our stalls, she put Fly Spray on Spark and put him in his stall but she kept me out so I knew we were going to do more stuff. Sure enough, she groomed me nicely and put my duds on. I was happy. It was a nice day for a ride. Not too hot but still nice and warm out, and there weren't a lot of horses out in the arena or on the road. We got all ready and went out to the mounting block but as soon as my mom was on my back, Spark let out a big, desperate sounding whinny.

Well, I whinnied back to reassure him and to let him know I was right there but he kept on whinnying and then Solo, the horse in the stall on the other side of me, whinnied too. It made me kind of anxious. I didn't know why they were so upset but they were and it made me upset. I didn't want to go anywhere with them whinnying like that. What if they were warning me about Mountain Lions or something?

My mom just ignored it all and asked me to go out on the road. She started riding me toward the Little Rolling Arena and just kept pushing me on when I stopped and looked back. I could hear them both, especially Spark, and every time he whinnied, I let out a little scared-sounding whinny of my own. My mom loves my whinny. She says that when I call to other horses, I sound just like a baby. I don't know why that is. When i whinny to her, it's a nice big whinny but I get all anxious when I'm calling to other horses and it makes my whinny sound shrill and high-pitched. I guess it does sound kind of like a baby but I can't help it.

She mostly ignored my whinnying anyway and just kept urging me on every time I stopped. She was nice about it, petting my neck and reassuring me but she was insistent. Finally when I got down near the pasture where the Camp Horses live, I got upset and I started backing up and trying to turn around. That's when she gave me a good crack on my butt with her whip and told me in no uncertain terms that we weren't going back to the barn.

I went on but I was pretty upset. It all made me kind of jumpy. I felt very alone, even though there were horses all around me in stalls and fields and stuff. It's not the same as being with horses you really know, and when your brother is calling and calling to you, you just want to go see what's the matter with him. I really wanted to go back to the barn.

But I went on and I tried to be good. My mom rode me as far as the point in the road that's kind of between the Little Rolling Arena and the Rolling Arena and then she asked me to stop and she got off. I thought she was going to bring me back home but she just petted me and then began walking me the same direction we'd been going. I felt a little better with her next to me instead of on my back, but I still felt jumpy and uneasy. She just talked to me quietly and made me keep going and I trusted her and did.

I didn't start feeling better until we got to Cozzie's stall. He came right into his stall and poked his head out his window and my mom saw me staring at him and asked, "Would you like to go see Cozzie, Belly?" I wanted to in the worst way and as soon as I realized she was leading me over to him, I hurried right along and thrust my nose in his window. He was so nice. He knew I was upset and he nuzzled me lots and rubbed my face, and he licked me and made me feel lots better. I love Cozzie. He's such a nice horse and he always seems to understand me. My mom let me visit him for quite a long time and we just rubbed our faces against each other and were happy together.

I was a lot more relaxed by the time she pulled me away and asked me to keep walking. Spark was still whinnying - I could hear him even way up on the hill where we were - and I still called back to him now and then, but I wasn't so tense and upset. I knew we were going back to the barn and I'd be seeing him soon, and I knew that I was with my mom and she understood how I felt and wouldn't let anything Bad happen to me.

All this time, even though I was upset and nervous, I was walking nicely on a loose rein. I didn't forget my Manners even in my distraction so that was good. I know my mom was happy with that because I could feel it in the way she moved and spoke to me.

When we got back to the barn, she led me under the overhang and let me sniff noses with Solo. Then she let me sniff noses with Spark but she told me, "I still have to ride you, Belly." I'd been hoping she'd put me in my stall but I didn't mind when she led me back to the mounting block. I am a Riding Horse now and it is my Job to carry her around. So she got back on and rode me out into the Flat Arena.

I was a little stubborn at first - Spark started in whinnying again - but she just firmly pushed me on and I settled down and just went. Pretty soon, she asked me for a trot and I went into it pretty well. She trotted me around for a while and then changed direction and asked for a trot again. This time I was a little more resistant but she got very firm with me and I soon popped into a good one. She praised me and rode a good circle, then she pulled me back to a walk and asked for the trot again at about the same place she had the first time. Well, I'd learned my lesson by then and went into it pretty smoothly so she was happy. We did several circles at a trot and then as we came around the corner and straightened out, she gave me a tap with her outside heel and clicked at me!

I knew what that meant. It meant she wanted me to canter! I happily popped right into a nice canter and I could tell by her seat that she liked it. She had me canter all down the long side of the arena and then pushed me right into the turn. I cantered through the turn and into the straightaway the other way but then I dropped back to a trot. It's kind of hard to keep a canter up yet - I'm not used to it with a rider. She was really happy with me though because I'd picked it right up the first time so she let me slow down to a walk and praised me and petted me lots. I knew I'd done well so we were both happy. She decided that was a good place to leave off so she hopped off me and brought me back to my stall then.

It turned out to be a good day. I'm still not sure why Spark was so upset but I think it might be because his mom hasn't been out for a couple of days and he misses her. I don't blame him for that. I miss my mom something awful when she misses a day. But maybe he'll see her tomorrow and maybe my mom and I will do some more cantering.

Visit from the Saddle Fitter

Does saddle fit really make that much of a difference? People ask that a lot. Horses never do. They know.

Try this (if you're one of my people friends). Get down on your hands and knees with a fully loaded backpack on your back. See, when you carry a backpack, it hangs from your shoulders, but when we carry a saddle and a human, it's sitting right on our back.

Now, have a friend manipulate that pack. Have them move it from side to side, and press down on it. Have them put more stuff on one side or lumpy stuff next to your back. Then have them pinch the sides real tight around your shoulders.

Not very comfortable, is it? Think about how it would feel if there was someone sitting on top of it too.

A saddle isn't really that heavy for a horse to carry. We're big and strong and saddles don't weigh much to us. But if it's stiff, or unbalanced, or if it's pinchy or lumpy, it can drive us crazy.

A saddle needs to cover our backs smoothly and it has to be well balanced, both back to front and side to side. It needs to be nicely cushioned and smooth, and it needs to keep weight off our spines and our withers. It has to be wide enough so we can move our shoulders freely but contoured to us enough so it isn't moving and bouncing. Anyone can put a saddle on a horse's back and get an idea of whether it fits or not but only someone trained to fit saddles properly can see all the important points and make sure they're just right.

My mom had my Saddle Fitter out just the other day. As you know, we got a dressage saddle a few months ago and both of us like it a lot. It's really comfortable for my mom and it has been for me too. But recently it began to feel pinchy in my shoulders so my mom stopped using it and called the Saddle Fitter.

I like my Saddle Fitter. When he got to the barn, he was eating an apple and he gave me half of it. It was really yummy. Then he petted me and put my saddle on my back. He carefully felt all around under it and on both sides. Then he told my mom that it needed to be restuffed and that he could do that and make it fit me just right. Of course she said please do.

He did it right there and it was fun to watch. He took my saddle apart and took all the stuffing out. Then he carefully put new stuffing in, working it in with special tools to make sure it was even and full. When he was all done, he sewed the parts back together and put it on my back.

Oh, it felt so good! I arched my neck because it was so nice. He felt all around again and showed my mom how it was up off my shoulders now and how much room I had in my withers and back. The best part though was when she got on me. As soon as she lowered herself into the seat, I felt so good. A well-fitting saddle should just feel like a light shell covering your back and that's what mine feels like now. It's soft and cushiony and my mom's weight is evenly distributed across my whole back. I just reached right out and down and let my back rise up and fill that saddle, and I carried my mom across the arena like she was nothing.

Now when we ride, I don't even think about the saddle on my back. I don't have to because it fits so well, it's like there's nothing there. When my mom gets off, my back is as comfortable and relaxed as it was when she got on.

If you think saddle fit doesn't make a difference, bring out a saddle fitter just one time and I bet you'll change your mind. And your horse will love you for it.

Too distracted to post

Well, I've been bad about posting. I've just been too upset and out of sorts.

At first, it was just because we were so busy. My mom was riding me a lot. Like every day practically. I didn't mind. It was kind of fun and we were doing a lot of fun stuff together. She's been using my old saddle that fits me so that's okay and we've been working really hard. We ride a lot in the Flat Arena and she's been making me do a lot of trotting. It's been hard but I've been trying to behave and it's been pretty good for the most part. She doesn't let me get the better of her and I know better than to try. I haven't bucked or tried to get her off me since that day when my saddle hurt.

Then it got really hot. We still rode but not quite as much. Plus Sparky was getting ready to go in a Show so my mom was helping him and his mom practice stuff for it. I was hoping I'd get to go to the Show too so I could at least watch Sparky but it turned out I couldn't because my mom went on Stall Rest again.

I just hate it when she can't come to see me! It's just awful. She was here one day and then the next day she didn't come. I wasn't very happy when Sparky's mom showed up without her but I tried really hard to be good and I figured maybe it would just be one day without her and I could survive that. But then another day came and she still didn't come! And that day was the day of the Show so Sparky's mom was all fussing with him and not paying any attention to me and stuff. She didn't clean me or feed me or do anything with me for a long time and even when she did, she did it all wrong. So I was pretty upset and then the next day she came without my mom as well!

By this time, I was nearly frantic. I hate it when my mom's not here. No one else knows how to do all my stuff right, and no one else pays attention to me the way I like it. Sparky's mom does her best - I know that - but it's just not the same and I can't help getting mad. I kept rushing out to my paddock every time I heard anything that might be my mom, and I called her and called her but she just didn't come. I had my food, and Sparky's mom did clean my stall and turn me out but none of it was like my mom does it and I just needed my mom. I missed her so much.

Sparky tried to make me feel better. He told me she was probably not feeling good and would be along when she felt better but that just made me more anxious. What if she never got better? What if it took a really long time? What if she forgot about me? He didn't think any of that would happen but what does he know? Sometimes at racetracks, horses get sold and they don't even know it. Someone just shows up with a trailer and takes them away. I don't think my mom would do that to me but I worry whenever I don't see her. I just can't help it.

But today, I heard Sparky's mom's car drive up and as soon as it stopped, I heard my mom's voice calling my name! I whinnied as loud as I could and raced out to my paddock to see and there she was getting out of the car! I was so happy! I nickered and nickered as she came up to my stall and I could tell she was happy to see me too. She gave me a big hug as soon as she opened the door and petted me and told me how pretty I am and all the things I like. I was so happy to see her I almost didn't care about the hay scraps on the ground.

She gave me a nice grooming - just a short one because Sparky's mom told her to take it easy - and took me out to the Round Pen to play. We played fetch with my rope toy and played the Cone game for a little bit and then she just walked around with me and petted me and gave me cookies. It was pretty nice.

When I got back to my stall, the guys were just moving a new horse in next door to me. That was the stall I used to live in when Coco was in my stall. I was interested. There hasn't been a horse in there since I moved out of it and I kind of miss having a horse on both sides of me. I like having friends and neighbors. This is a boy horse, a big black guy, who used to live up on the hill across from my stall. He's very handsome and seems nice. His name is Solo and I think we're going to be nice friends. We sniffed noses a lot and he was very polite.

I'm a lot more relaxed tonight than I've been in a long time. I get so anxious when my mom's not there. I hope she comes to see me again tomorrow. I don't even care if she exercises me. I just like to see her.

Kind of a dumb day

My mom fell off me today. That's never really happened before. Well, it did one time but that's because I fell down. Today it was because I was being Bad. I guess you could say I bucked her off.

But it wasn't my fault! It was a dumb day all around.

My mom started grooming me and putting my duds on when she got to the barn so I knew we were going to ride. When she started putting my saddle on, I put my ears back and got kind of bitey. That's because I noticed recently that my saddle feels different on my back. It's a little pinchy. I noticed it a couple of rides ago and I know my mom noticed it last time we rode because she always checks the fit when she puts it on. Last time, she spent more time than usual running her hand underneath it and checking it and I heard her tell Sparky's mom that it felt like it might be getting a little tight. Well, it was but it still wasn't too bad.

But today it was just awful! I don't know how I can grow so much in two days but somehow I do it. My mom noticed it right off too. She was concerned when she put it on and then as soon as she mounted, she felt underneath the part over my withers and told Sparky's mom, "This is really tight!" She rode me around a little bit and it was tight and then she asked me to trot and I immediately bucked. I don't like having a saddle that doesn't fit and I'll do my best to let my mom know that it hurts. Sparky was sort of shocked. He told me that he tries to tell his mom more gently than that and won't act up or buck unless she keep riding him over and over with a hurty saddle. Well, I couldn't stand to ride more than once like that!

As soon as I bucked like that, my mom knew that it was bothering me. She made me walk nicely just so I knew that I'm not allowed to misbehave no matter what but then she got off and brought me back to the barn. I was glad. I figured we'd be all done and my dinner hay would come and there'd be no more of this stupid hurting saddle business. Spark had left by this time - his mom took him for a Poop Loop so I didn't even have anyone to be with.

But instead of putting me away, my mom just popped my halter on over my bridle and put my other saddle on me! Well, I was mad! I'd already been ridden and it had been dumb and I'd had enough of it. Plus I was afraid this saddle would hurt too and I was afraid. I've had problems with saddle fit in the past you know, and back then my mom didn't know me well enough to know what I was telling her so I had to put up with it for kind of a long time. So I'm kind of leery about saddles in general.

By the time she got it on me, I was pretty fussy. I even picked up a hind leg and threatened her with it when she asked me to move over so she could tighten the girth! I haven't done that in a long time. She wasn't having any of that though. She immediately yelled at me and slapped me on my butt and made me get over pronto! I did but I was still mad.

She led me out to the Mounting Block and got on and we started riding. The saddle did feel better but I was still in such a bad mood that I hardly noticed. I kept stopping and being fussy and she ended up giving me a crack with her stick thing and that made me even madder. So when she asked me to trot, I kind of pitched a fit.

I stopped, and laid my ears back, and I bounced in place, and I tried to buck, and then I reared. She got really mad then. When I buck, she just makes the Bad Girl noise and keeps on asking but rearing is Really, Really Bad. As soon as I did that (and it was just a little rear), she yelled out, "HEY! NONE OF THAT!" and cracked me a good one. Then she turned me around in small circles and pushed me forward again right into a trot.

Well, I was mad too so my trot was pretty bouncy and unbalanced. I was trotting really fast, with my head up and my back all hollow and I was more jigging than trotting. My mom could barely post to it but there was no way she could sit to it and it was pretty awful but I didn't care. Even so, she made me keep it up around that stupid arena and every time I tried to stop, she'd push me forward and make me keep going.

The whole way, I was trying to get my head down and buck, or bounce sideways, or bolt, but she kept putting her legs on and I couldn't. Finally, I was coming around a circle and I managed to yank hard on the reins and throw a huge buck! I threw up my legs and twisted my body, and as soon as I hit the ground, I did it again! This time, I not only twisted but I twirled too and that was when my mom lost her seat and started going off to the side. She almost stayed on but I jumped sideways again and she just let go and fell to the ground. For a minute, she kept hold of my reins but she'd fallen quite a way away from me and the pressure on my head scared me so I pulled back and she let go. I kicked out with my kicking foot once or twice and then I stood still and just looked at her.

She got up quick and she was mad, though I could tell she was surprised and pleased that I hadn't run off. She picked up my reins and snapped, "What the hell was that?" as she led me toward the Mounting Block. To be honest, I was a little ashamed. I hadn't expected her to fall off. She never falls off, no matter how silly I get. I was just mad and fussy and didn't feel like being Good. But when I saw her on the ground, it made me feel kind of strange. I guess I think of my mom as sort of indestructible.

She lined me up at the block and swung right back on and marched me out to the arena again. Spark and his mom had returned just as she'd gotten up off the ground and Sparky's mom sat on him in the middle of the arena as my mom pushed me right back into a trot. I fussed for just a minute and she immediately whacked me hard with her stick so I broke right into a nice trot. I figured it was maybe time to behave.

She rode me in a circle a few times and then a figure 8 and I was really good. I trotted nicely this time and I could feel she was much happier with the way I was moving. I tried to slow down once as we swung around a corner and she just put her legs on and kicked me hard with her outside foot and I kept on trotting. I knew she meant business. After a few circuits, she asked me to walk and I was glad, figuring she was happy now and we were done but she just walked me for about half a circuit and then asked me to go right back into a stupid trot! I fussed again and started going sideways like I do when I don't want to do something and she just whacked me hard again so I did it. I trotted nice again but she rode me around until I was sweating pretty good. I know she was tired and had the wind knocked out of her but she sure can be pushy!

Finally, she told me to walk again and she let me go up to Spark and stop. She reached down then and pet my neck and told me that I'd been Good so I knew she wasn't mad at me anymore. Then we went on a Poop Loop with Spark and his mom. That was fun, but she did get a little mad at me again because I got sort of foolish going up the hill by Indian's stall. I was still kind of excited about the whole day, plus the hay truck had gone by. Then Spark got kind of ahead of me because of my fussing and I tried to buck and my mom whacked me again and made me go in little circles. So it was kind of dumb.

But then we caught up with Spark and I settled down and we rode down the hill by the manure pile. Spark had already pooped on his first loop so he didn't bother taking his detour. Our moms got off us near Beau's paddock and walked us the rest of the way which I was glad of because I was pretty hot and tired. I'd had a hard workout.

Our hay was waiting when we got to our barn and my mom hosed me off and let me eat while she cleaned and she laughed and talked to me and stuff so I know she wasn't going to stay mad. I wasn't mad anymore either. I know she didn't mean to ride me with a hurty saddle and as soon as she knew for sure it was bothering me, she took it off. I really had nothing to be so fussy about so I feel kind of bad about my behavior.

My mom says the saddle fitter is going to come look at my dressage saddle in a couple of weeks and until then we'll use the old one that fits. I hope he can make it all better because I really do like that saddle and I know my mom does too. The old one is all right but it's not as comfortable as the dressage saddle is when it's fitting right. My mom says that she's going to sell me and buy a horse that her saddle fits instead of having to keep buying saddles that fit her horse, but I know she's just kidding. She'd never sell me because she loves me too much. But I need to stop bucking her off because maybe she will get sick of me if I don't.

I don't have any pictures from today so I'll post one of my nose.

Working hard

I haven't been blogging much lately and that's bad of me. It's mainly because my mom's little box thing isn't working right so I don't have any new pictures to post. I suppose that's pretty silly of me but I just feel funny putting up old pictures.

But I've been having a lot of fun lately and being a really Good Girl so I wanted to blog about it. My mom says I'm really growing up and I guess I am. I feel kind of grown up.

Well, most of the time. A few days ago, I didn't. I don't really know what was going on then. My mom said I was in heat and Sparky said it was my Mare Time and I don't know what any of that means but I was just out of sorts. It was strange. My mom came and got me out of my stall and I suddenly felt really anxious and I nickered to Spark just so I could hear him answer. My mom and Sparky's mom thought that was cute and sweet but they didn't realize how nervous and odd I felt.

My mom saddled me up and took me out to the Flat Arena and we began riding. I was trying to be Good but I just didn't want to do anything but go back to my stall and see my brother. I kept stopping and my mom would push me with her legs and tell me to walk on and eventually I'd go but I wasn't very happy. Finally, when I was way at the other end of the arena, it got to be too much for me and I stopped and whinnied as loud as I could! It wasn't very loud because when I'm scared and lonely, I have kind of a baby type whinny. It's real high pitched and desperate sounding, and my mom thinks it's really cute. So she laughed and petted me to make me feel better, and Sparky answered me which made me feel better too.

I still didn't want to go riding though, and I kept stopping and even tried to turn around and rush home. My mom wouldn't let me do that though. She turned me around and made me go on and even though I wasn't very happy about it, I did it reluctantly. I didn't even buck, or fuss too much and my mom was proud of me for that.

She made me keep working even though I kept whinnying and even though Sparky's mom took him out and put him in the Round Pen and he was running and playing and that made me even more anxious. I thought it was kind of mean of her, and I was a little bit mad, but she did ask me nicely so I did what she wanted me to. I was awfully happy when she said I could stop though and I rushed back to my stall as fast as she'd let me.

Spark was back by then and I had to shove my nose right into his stall and nuzzle him just so I could feel better. He wasn't really sure what my problem was and neither was I but it felt good to be near him again and even when I was back in my own stall, with my things, and my Ball Toy and stuff, I had to keep poking my nose toward him against the bars of the stall. I was kind of In A State. I settled down when I got my food, though.

The next day, my mom didn't come to see me. I thought she might be mad at me because I was so needy before and that made me even more nervous and needy. Sparky's mom came out, and she took Sparky away (he told me later they went for a nice walk around the farm) and I was so upset! I stomped and whinnied and pressed my head against my Ball Toy but they just left me there all alone! It was awful!

When they got back, Sparky's mom felt sorry for me. She even said so. Sometimes Sparky's mom just thinks I'm kind of foolish but she was really concerned about me this time because I was so worked up. She came in my stall and visited me, and petted me, and told me it was all right and that did make me feel a lot better. She even got me a hay snack and cleaned my stall. But I still missed my mom a lot.

My mom did come out the next day though, and she and I took a walk. It was so nice! We walked all around the farm. She let me stop and eat some hay off the ground one time, and we saw lots of horses and stuff. I was really good for her and she walked me on a nice long loose lead almost all the way. Then when we came down the hill by the pasture, I forgot to be good and rushed at some hay on the ground and she got mad and made me back up a lot and yelled at me. I guess I kind of deserved it.

We went around again after that and this time, we went a different way. We went past the Rolling Arena to where the String Horses go out on the Trail and we walked along a little trail through the woods that led to Misty's barn. That was exciting but I was really good about it. Then we went past Cozzie's and down the hill past the manure pile and the pasture and I remembered how to be good so my mom was happy with me.

Today, I felt all better and we rode. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work. My mom got me all ready and then we went out to start working while Sparky's mom was still working on him. There were some Poles out in the Flat Arena and as soon as my mom got on, we started warming up and I wanted to go over the Poles. Well, of course my mom let me because she likes to go over Poles too. It was fun! We walked right over those Poles like they weren't even there! I only tripped over them a couple of times. Then we went to the other end of the arena and my mom worked me on going around corners nicely. We'd started doing these things called Serpentines when Spark and his mom arrived. I got a little Distracted then but my mom pushed me on and told me to pay attention so I did.

Serpentines are kind of fun. What you do is, you go one direction across the arena and when you reach the other side, you make a turn and go the other direction across. You keep doing that over and over again until you get to the end of the arena and then you do them down the other side. It's hard because you have to bend your body just right and then when you do them at a trot, you have to be careful not to get your legs all tangled up.

Spark meanwhile was trotting with his mom and going over Poles and stuff but it was hard to see what he was doing because we were working so hard. We began trotting and it was very exciting and at first I was bouncy and wanted to canter and stuff but my mom made me be good and just trot. That was hard but I did it and I finally kind of settled down and my mom said I was really good about it and trotted nicely.

It was a lot of hard work and I was sweating pretty good by the time we were done. I felt good though because my mom said I'd been good and she let me get close to Spark. He said he and his mom had worked hard too and then our moms rode us out of the arena and toward the road.

Spark got all excited then because he knew we were going to ride a Poop Loop and he suddenly trotted off across the car place and onto the road. Well, that got me excited to and I sort of kind of bucked and tried to bolt and my mom got mad at me and made me go in little circles until I calmed down. I did kind of calm down and then she let me go with Spark and we ended up having a nice ride around the Poop Loop.

Spark does something that I have to tell you about because it's funny and cute. Whenever we do a Loop, when we get to the part by the big manure pile, he gets excited and heads straight for it. He makes his mom ride him along the back side of it or even down the middle part between the two big piles. The first time he did it, it alarmed me because I thought he was gone and stuff but then he appeared on the other side. I didn't know what he was doing but then he told me later that he goes that way because he needs to poop and he figures it makes sense to poop in the manure pile instead of on the road. Well, I'd never think of that but Spark would. He's very tidy.

He did that today too but I knew what he was up to so I wasn't as excited about it. Sure enough, when I got to the other end, here he came walking along perkily as he does. I love my brother. He's lots of fun to do stuff with.

We got a nice dinner tonight and lots of treats. Both our moms were really happy with us and Sparky's mom told him that she's going to ride him in a Show! He's pretty happy about that and I'm excited for him even though I don't really know what it means. But I want to watch and see how it's done. I bet he'll be the best pony in that Show!