Me and Chip

I'm just awful these days about keeping up with my blog! I just get so busy and then I get sidetracked and the next thing I know, a bunch of time has gone by. I really have to be better about it.

A lot's been going on and I'll try to catch you up on it. My mom and I have been working a lot together and it's been pretty fun. Most days I've behaved really well though I have been a bit bouncy now and then. Sometimes, especially when the weather is cool, it's hard not to bounce. But my mom has been pretty happy with me.

We work a lot in the Flat Arena. I've gotten so I like the sort of stuff we do there. It's fun. I have to pay attention and do all the things my mom asks me when she asks. It's like a game and I love games. Sometimes we trot but we don't just trot around the edge of the arena. Lots of times, we trot in figure 8's or in circles. Sometimes we trot around square corners or do serpentines. I never know what she's going to ask for next so it's kind of exciting.

Cantering is exciting too of course. I never know when she's going to ask me to do that too and it's always fun when she does. I'm really good about going right into a canter from a trot and sometimes I do it from a walk although usually she's asking me for a trot when I do that.

Lots of times there are other horses and riders working in the arena. That can be distracting but I try to be good. I've gotten a lot better about staying focused on my mom instead of watching what everyone else is doing. Yesterday we rode with Warren and his mom, and Indy and her mom. That was fun. It was a really windy day but we were all being Good Horses and not bouncing and our moms were happy with us. My mom asked me to trot while the other two were still warming up and I broke into a nice smooth trot that I could tell made her very happy. Then they started trotting too and all three of us were trotting around the arena, crossing in front of each other in figure 8's and doing circles and stuff but not running into each other. It was fun.

After a while, Indy and her mom stopped and just stood in the middle of the arena while Warren and I continued working. My mom asked me for a couple of things and I did them really well and then she stopped me near Indy and she and Indy's mom started talking while us horses just stood there resting. Warren was still working and after a while his mom asked him to canter some but Indy and I just continued to stand nicely. Our moms were happy with that too because we weren't trying to go run with Warren.

I like both those horses but Warren can be kind of dumb sometimes because he doesn't pay any attention when I'm trying to visit with him. I hate that! I get so mad at him because I'll want to get excited about the hay truck, or about my mom coming, or that sort of thing, and he's just standing there being dumb. Lots of times I rush at the bars between our stalls with my ears back because it makes me so mad! But other times he's nice.

Nicest of all though is Chip and I finally got to turn out together a bunch of times! I was so happy. Me and Chip have been friends for a long time but we've never had a chance to just be with each other loose. Last week though, his mom was away and my mom took care of him. One day she turned him out in the Round Pen and then she came and got me! I was excited and so was Chip. We stood and sniffed noses for a long time, then we sniffed each other all over and squealed a little bit. Then both of us suddenly bounced and bucked and ran across the Round Pen! It was so fun! We didn't keep running though - we just wanted to be close to each other so we just walked around together, sniffing noses a lot and nudging each other.

My mom let us stay out a long time and we were both really happy about it. After that, she turned us out together almost every day. One day we ran and played and kicked up our heels a lot but most days we just enjoyed each others' company. One time my mom left her lunge whip in the middle of the Round Pen and we had so much fun with that! Me and Chip both love to play with things and pick them up with our mouths so we both stood there grabbing that whip and trying to pick it up. Then one of us would grab the whippy part while the other had the sticky part and that was fun too. Chip knows how to play with things like that. Lots of other horses just don't. Like Sparky. He's lots of fun to turn out with and I love him lots but he just wants to bite my butt and try to bunch me and that's not nearly as much fun as playing with a whip.

My mom took lots of pictures of us together so I'm going to post one of my favorites. I sure hope I can go out with Chip some more. We both like it a lot.