# Isabeau, the Psychomare Diva Queen



## knightrider

I enjoyed Golden Horse's journal SO MUCH that it gave me an idea to write one of my horse's journal. I SHAMELESSLY copied Golden Horse's style. I love it! Mine is not as good, but this is a tribute to Golden Horse--hey GH, if you ever need a job, think about being A WRITER!!!!

Hi, my real name is Isabel Memorable Paradise, but my family calls me Isabeau. There’s a story behind that barn name, but I’ll tell that later.


I was born in a fancy schmanzy Paso Fino horse breeding farm. In fact, my pedigree goes back more than six generations, or so my human mom says. She brags that if you google (whatever that is!) my sires back six generations; you will find videos of them winning grand championships, and world championships. That makes me very special . . . and I KNOW it! My human mom calls me a diva. I don’t know what a diva is, but I think it has something to do with diving down under the water, which doesn’t make any sense. Humans are SO WEIRD.


This is MarCopasos, my mom (Fabula)’s dad. He is currently Number 7 sire in the whole country. Some daddy, huh?!

Rescate de Ocho, MarCopaso’s dad

Rescate de Ocho

Memorable de la Luisa, my dad. He won reserve champion stallion in National competition with 102 show points. Some daddy, huh?

This is Memorable winning another championship—MY DAD!

This is Tataro del Encuentro, Memorable’s dad and my granddad
My mom has more pictures of my ancestors, but I told her, THAT’S ENOUGH OF THAT 
The people at the Paso Fino farm bought my mom, La Fabula del Conde, to make babies, but she was still a baby herself. They were waiting for her to grow up and then she could marry the fancy stallion on their farm. But when my mom was still a baby herself, she had me! 

I’m not SURE this is me, but we think it is. Nobody much remembers—it WAS 9 years ago.


Mom is smelling me, so maybe she didn’t always hate me, or maybe she got scared of me when I got up . . . or maybe it isn’t even me. But that’s the mark on my forehead so it probably is me.

Here is my bee-u-ti-fulllll birth mother. Hey, why didn’t I turn out like her! That’s not fair!

The people didn’t know that my mom was pregnant to Memorable de la Luisa. Apparently the people who owned Memorable didn’t know it either. But . . . there I was! I was their first baby and they were very proud of me. BUT . . . my mom was NOT proud of me. In fact, she didn’t like me, and she was scared of me. She kicked me every chance she got. She didn’t lick me or nuzzle me or take care of me. The humans on that farm (I don’t remember their names) tied up her hind leg and held her while I nursed. It was sad and no fun. The humans were busy and tired and sometimes didn’t go out to tie up Fable, which is what they called her. I got SO hungry. And Fable was so mean to me. I was so lonely and sad. I had an unhappy childhood. My human mom thinks that is why I am so small and do not look anything like Fable or Memorable . . . or any of my illustrious (how do you like THAT word!) ancestors. I wonder if my growing up sad and lonely is why my human mom calls me a diva, because it did feel like diving under water in those days.

I’m pretty sure this is me and my mom, though she looks kind of contented with me there, so maybe not. The mark on my forehead isn’t quite that big. But it does look a lot like me. Nobody remembers from back then.


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## Golden Horse

Thanks for sharing your story Isabeau, you sure have some illustrious looking relatives.


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## egrogan

Welcome Isabeau (and mom). I think this make the third Isabel that has a Forum journal (others are my Isabel and then gorgeous Izzie).


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## elle1959

HI Isabeau! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your story. Sounds like you had a rough start


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## knightrider

But it wasn’t long before I could eat on my own. There was nothing to taking me away from my mom—she didn’t want me anyway. She didn’t cry for me and I didn’t cry for her. But my humans on the farm were very thrilled with me. My father was much fancier than their stallion, and they didn’t have to pay for me!
Since I was small, the people on the Paso Fino farm had human fillies train me. I pretty much did whatever I wanted. The human fillies rode me in an enclosed circle and only for about 15 minutes. It was fun taking the fillies around the little circle, so I never gave them any trouble.

I know for a fact that this is me and one of the human fillies who trained me. Not bad for a young rider, is she? She was nice to me.

Then they put me in a box with wheels on it and fed me. That was nice. I liked going in there. But one day, after I went into the box to eat, it started moving! I was terrified and kicked up a storm. So they stopped the box and took me out. Ah! Now I knew how to get what I wanted! I could kick like crazy and I wouldn’t have to do things I didn’t want to do.
When I turned 3, one of the human fillies rode me out of the little circle and into the woods! Yikes! I had never been into those scary woods before. So I wouldn’t go! No siree!!!! I backed up and kicked out and spun in a circle. I spun so hard, I fell down. I didn’t get hurt at all. In fact, it was pretty fun. And the best part was that NO ONE EVER TOOK ME INTO THE WOODS AGAIN!!!! EVER!!!!
In fact, no one rode me after that. Sometimes the man from the farm jumped on me in the field with no saddle or bridle. Everyone bragged that my gait was as smooth as glass. He squeezed my sides with his heels and I would show him what a Paso Fino can do! But he was heavy and after a while, I didn’t want to corto for him anymore. After all, I am quite small, even for a Paso. So when I’d had enough, I would stop and back up and kick out. Then he would get off. The lady on the farm saw what he was doing one day and was furious with him for doing it. They had a fuss about it when he said he wasn’t doing any harm. We both liked it. She didn’t like it at all.
Nobody wanted to buy me because I was too small, and didn’t look like my beautiful mother or famous father. I was 5 years old when the people at the farm decided they had plenty of babies now and needed to sell some. My mother Fable, had a beautiful palomino foal at her side that she look wonderful care of. I was SO jealous! I hated my sister. Why did my mom love her and not me!


This is my stupid sister. Why couldn’t I look like her???? No wonder my mother loved her and not me.

Here is my next stupid sibling. I hate it too. Look how my mother loved it! I don’t even know if it was a boy or a girl. She loved all my brothers and sisters . . . except me. I hate my mom.

Here is my lovely mom with her dopey husband—who was supposed to be my dad. He’s dumb anyway. Who would want him? I LOVE my real dad! Go back and look at my gorgeous real dad! Anyone would be proud to call him dad. He’s much better than that ol’ black nothing.


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## knightrider

My farm people put human fillies on me and took pictures of the fillies riding me in the little circle. Anyone could see that I was gentle and easy to ride. So a lady came to look at me to see if she wanted to buy me. She rode me in the little circle. I gave her my best Paso Fino corto. She grinned from ear to ear. She loved me!
She didn’t love me so much when she put me in the box on wheels to go to her house! I threw such a temper tantrum that I cut my legs and face up badly. I made mess of her box on wheels too. I thought THAT would teach her not to put me in one of those things.
But it didn’t. The new lady—I’ll call her The Skeptical One, thought that if she took me some places, I would discover that it wasn’t so bad, going in the box. I realized that I would have to teach her a thing or two. First of all, she had to learn that I didn’t like that box. Oh, it was fine as long as it didn’t move. Boxes are not supposed to move. Stalls don’t move. Why should boxes? Every time she took me in the box, I let her know that it wasn’t going to happen. I’m the queen around here, and what I say goes. When she tried to ride me in the woods, I did my allotted fifteen minutes, then I was done. She’d better learn that. I made sure she did. I thought it was fun to hurl myself to the ground. I always picked a nice soft sandy spot to fall. The Skeptical One wasn’t happy about it. She wasn’t learning anything I was trying to teach her. Instead, she told me I was going back to the Paso Fino farm. She said she had something called a guarantee, and I was done.
Actually that sounded pretty good. I liked the Paso Fino farm. All I did there was eat grass with the other young horses. I had trained everybody there that I was to get just what I wanted, and not do a thing more.
Not very much time passed when The Skeptcal One slammed out of her house, very angry, and shoved me back into the box on wheels. I heard her muttering furiously about people “not keeping their word” and she wasn’t going to keep this gd horse one more minute. I wonder what a gd horse is. I don’t think it’s ‘good horse.’ I’ll bet you know, don’t you?
I let her know loud and clear that I didn’t want to be in a moving box. I cut my face and legs up plenty, but I didn’t care. I was too mad to care. And I was really mad when I discovered she hadn’t taken me back to my home farm, but to a mean old Curmudgeon.


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## Bondre

I'm loving the story, Isabel! Thanks for sharing it with us. You sound to have been quite a handful as a youngster. Very much the diva ;-)


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## knightrider

*Disclaimer*

This is Knightrider, and I have to interrupt Isabeau's story because I think she has stretched the truth in a couple of places. Her story doesn't quite jibe with the story that her breeder told me. There is no proof that they ever neglected to tie up Fabula and let Isabeau nurse. I think she said that to make the story more dramatic. Isabeau's story is mostly true, but her breeder says the human fillies, er, I mean girls, did finally get Isabeau to ride in the woods some. And my e-mail from that Paso Fino farm does not say anything about her falling with the girls. I don't recall The Skeptical One saying she fell with her, though she might have. I also don't know how long the human fil--I mean girls --rode her. Isabeau doesn't know 15 minutes from 3 hours.

Once Isabeau meets The Curmudgeon, the story goes exactly as she told it. I guess she knew I'd catch her up in any exaggerations. I think Isabeau wants you to think that the people on the Paso Fino farm caused her to do the things she did. I don't know--maybe, maybe not. I think she was born a diva with the potential to have a screw loose. But I have to say, she is probably the most fun horse I have ever ridden, and I have ridden quite a lot of horses and had some great ones over the years. I've had better horses, maybe, but none more fun.


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## knightrider

The Curmudgeon put me in a nice pasture with lovely lush grass, so that wasn’t so bad. But the next morning, the Curmudgeon slapped a heavy western saddle on me and GOT ON!! He said he was going to straighten me out! Oh no. Oh no no no. My job is to straighten humans out. But I could tell he meant business, so I cortoed my smoothest, and got that Paso grin out of him. He liked me! He didn’t ride me very long, and that was OK. He was pretty heavy, but I decided I’d educate him another day. He petted me and fed me, so I knew he’d figure out soon enough that I was some special mare, and he’d better treat me right!
The next day he took me for another short ride, and rather than push him, I decided to make him like me. And he did. I could tell he was really happy with me. But he didn’t understand that I am Queen Bee, so I knew I had to straighten HIM out fairly soon.
A few days later, I did. We came to a log to walk over. It wasn’t much of a log, but I knew it was LESSON TIME for ol’ Curmudgeon. No matter what he did, I wouldn’t step over that log. He slapped and kicked, but I just backed up. More slapping and kicking, and I started rearing. That usually gets them . . . and it did. He took me another way, and I figured I had made my point—that I am the boss.
The next day, a new person rode me. Uh oh, was I going to go to a new place AGAIN? I figured I’d better behave, at least for a little while, until I could train the new person. She didn’t weigh very much, even though she was tall. I gave her a great ride and I got that Paso grin from her too. New Person came and rode me every couple of days. I could tell she really liked me. I kind of liked her too. But she hadn’t learned yet about the Queen Bee business, and that was an important lesson.
Then the Curmudgeon started riding me again. He was heavy, and his saddle was heavy. No no. I don’t do heavy on long rides. I thought he had learned that. Did he need another Queen Bee session? He did. So I backed up and reared a lot, and spun, and slammed him into trees. My lesson was pretty effective, I thought.
The next day, he put a bridle on me with really long reins. He slapped me with the reins every few steps. He kicked me too, really often. He was very firm. Queen Bees don’t do heavy saddles, slaps, and kicks. I only rode about 200 yards before I decided to start my Queen Bee session. I spun, backed up, and reared, but I didn’t fall over. I hoped he would get the message without having to fall over since The Skeptical One got so upset about it.
Instead, New Person got off her horse and led me. Well, leading is OK. The Paso Fino farm people had been leading me since I was a baby. I liked them leading me and paying attention to me. So I let her lead me. After a while she turned me loose. I tried to give Curmudgeon a good ride, but he kept slapping me with those reins. I got really really mad. He says I lost my mind. I just flipped out. New Person led me again for a while. I was really mad. I don’t even remember what happened after that. I guess I did lose my mind. I hated Curmudgeon and I didn’t want to be his horse.


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## Zexious

Looking forward to the rest of the story~


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## knightrider

New Person said she wanted to ride me more. She still liked me. She thought that I would give her that Paso smile every ride. I hadn’t gotten around to giving her the Queen Bee lesson yet. Later, I found out that she had bought me from the Curmudgeon. I didn’t know this because I kept living at Curmudgeon’s house and he kept feeding me. They talked about having a secret. I know what a secret is, all right. *** I *** was a secret baby growing inside my lousy mother. But I didn’t know what their secret was. 
New Person began riding me every few days. Her saddle was light and she didn’t weigh much. I kept putting off giving her that Queen Bee session. It really wasn’t so bad taking her for rides. I was feeling stronger and full of energy. I had never been fit before. It was kinda nice to feel so strong.
But one day New Person and Curmudgeon took me for a looong ride. I was tired and didn’t want to ride any more. I started to back up, rear, and spin. It was time that New Person learned that I was in charge, not her. I was Queen Bee, and she needed to figure that out. She didn’t give up. We were both exhausted. Time to fall over, New Person. There was no soft sand. We were in the woods. I had slammed her into lots of trees. She was upset. I had lost my mind again. I don't remember what happened after that, except that she got off. Ahhh—she got it! I was boss again, as usual. But instead of leading me home, she took a piece of rope from Curmudgeon and attached it to my halter! What? Wait—No . . . She was climbing back on me. My mind was getting clearer. They were leading me, but from another horse.
But no, Curmudgeon’s horse was a young baby. He was afraid of me. I don’t need to follow him, I thought. The young horse began to walk. I didn’t know what to think. The lead rope was pulling on me. No young baby horse is going to tell ME what to do! No. Na-ah. Not. But the young horse kept walking, pulling on my halter. That was leading. I know how to lead. Leading is OK. I’ve always led. Leading has nothing to do with being Queen Bee. OK—so they are leading me. I can do that. I can do that and still be Queen Bee, right?


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## knightrider

From then on, New Person tied a lead rope around my neck and only rode with Curmudgeon. At first, I would decide to teach New Person a lesson every couple of days. But she didn’t wait for me to clock out. She’d just toss Curmudgeon the lead rope and ride on. I decided I could still be Queen Bee in other ways. I gave up trying to teach New Person that we would quit riding when I said so.
I decided New Person needed another name. She wasn’t new any more. Her human foal called her Mom. I guessed that was a pretty good name for her, so I didn’t change it.
One day Mom and I were riding with Curmudgeon. We’d gone on a long ride. I was tired. Mom isn’t all that heavy, but I’m little. Although we were almost home, I forgot about not teaching her a lesson. She’d gotten her way much too often. I realized that I had never gotten out the big guns with her—ba ba ba baaahm—the hurling rear. Because we were almost home, I thought we should go faster, like a corto. She said, no, we will walk home. Oh, no we won’t, I said. I started backing up, spinning, and rearing. Mom thought we had an agreement, no more Queen Bee lessons, so she kicked me hard, yelled at me, and jerked my head around. That’s it, Mom. You’re done. I was furious and hurled myself to the ground. She got out from under me quick. She got right back on and Curmudgeon led me the rest of the ride. Well, I guess I showed her, huh? I was proud of myself.
The next ride, Mom brought a long black shiny stick with a loop on the end. Since I showed her last time, I decided to start this ride off being Queen Bee. No more Miss Nice Girl for me. We were pretty close to home when I told Mom I was done. She came down hard on my backside with that shiny black stick. Oh no, Mom. We don’t do that. I reared straight up. Now, all along, when I reared, it was always these little sideways numbers, so that I could fall easily in the soft sand. But this time, I was really mad. I am in charge and she had better learn that . . . and learn it NOW. We were done with these long rides and lead ropes. DONE. I went up as high as I could go. Holy sh--! I lost my balance. I realized I was going over backwards! Queen Bees don’t go backwards! It seemed like an hour l stood up there on my hind legs. Mom put all her weight forwards so that I could come down. Whew! That was close. Maybe I should experiment a little bit about this rearing business, try some medium ones before I go to the top spot.
Mom must have been thinking the same thing. She never carried that shiny black stick again.
After that, I just didn’t feel like fighting Mom that much. We had fun on the rides. I felt strong and happy. I liked the way she rode me. Like I said, I had other ways to be in charge. But I’ll get to that later.


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## elle1959

You sound like you're full of spirit, Isabeau! I love reading your story


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## knightrider

Only one more time I sort of forgot about getting along with Mom. We’d had a long ride. I was tired. Back at Curmudgeon’s stable, there was nice grass. But Mom didn’t get off right away. I was antsy for her to get off, so started dancing around. She checked me with the reins and suddenly I lost it. You don’t tell ME what to do, MOM. I hurled myself to the ground so quickly, she didn’t know what hit her. It wasn’t soft sand. I didn’t give her time to jump off. I fell hard on her. She could hardly walk when I got off of her. I was sorry. If I have to be ridden, I guess I’d rather have Mom on me than anyone else. I was already teaching her who was boss in other ways. 
She was on crutches for a while and rode her other horses instead of me for a few days. I really did feel sorry. In fact, I never threw myself on the ground again, even in soft sand, even when I was really really mad at her.
I heard her tell Curmudgeon that she never told her family how she got hurt. She said her ankle just suddenly started hurting really bad. Her family already didn’t like her riding me. And I learned about the secret. For the second time in my life, I was the secret. My family didn’t know that Mom owned me!
While all these rides were going on, and I was deciding I could be Queen Bee in other ways, Mom got me a buddy. She was a little 4 month old golden dun filly. The Curmudgeon roped her and dragged her away from her mom, forced her in his trailer, and brought her to me. She cried and screamed for her mom. And her mom, who was only two pastures away, screamed back for her. Poor little thing, her mom loved her. I wish I had a mom who loved me. I felt so sorry for her. I loved on her like her good mama would have. It felt deep down satisfying to be the kind of mom I wish I had had. I liked having her as a buddy and she liked being with me, too. We got to be bosom chums, never apart. Finally I had someone to love who loved me. Of course Mom loved me—she’d have to, because I was so wonderful and special. But humans don’t count for much.


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## knightrider

Now I’ll get to the part about where I taught Mom her lesson, where she had to learn that I was in charge. OK, so I let her have her way about riding in the woods, but that box on wheels—I learned it was called a trailer—that was something I was NOT going to tolerate.

This is what my trailer looked like when Mom bought me.
At first, when the Curmudgeon was still riding me, I thought he was going to be tough. I thought I wouldn’t fuss about the trailer because heck, if I could teach him not to ride me, then I wouldn’t be going in no trailer nohow. So, at first Curmudgeon was taking me in the trailer, and later Mom did. 
In fact, she asked if she could have me for her birthday, and when Dad said yes, she took me for a loooong birthday ride at a far away park. And finally, I wasn’t a secret any more. And that’s how I got my nickname Isabeau. Mom was riding with her human foal, and they were joking about my name. You see, all this time, I never had a real name. Curmudgeon called me Red Pepper, which suited me right well, except it wasn’t a Paso Fino name. Paso Finos are, as they say, “Hyper little ponies with great long names you can’t pronounce.” Mom thought that Red Pepper wasn’t a queenly type name. I needed something, well, sort of royal. But Mom hates people names for horses (sorry Mr. Gibbs, but she does). Mom and her human foal were riding along having lots of fun, calling out names and deciding they wouldn’t do. Then they got to talking about the movie Ladyhawke. Now, that movie Ladyhawke has special significance to my Mom. It’s the movie that took away her chance to have Fresians, and gave her the chance to have *******ta da******* Paso Finos instead!!!! So now she’s glad she switched from Appaloosas (stoopid old spotted things—I hate them) which she still loves, to Paso Finos! Anyway, the humans were joking about the movie, and Mom called out “EEEs-a-beauuuuu” the way it goes in the movie. (I don’t know a thing about that. I’m just telling you what Mom did). And Mom decided right then and there that I would be Isabeau. Not a fun Spanish name like a Paso Fino should have, but a French name. But, on the other hand, it’s an elegant name, a Queen’s name, and Mom doesn’t feel like it’s a person’s name because, well, it’s just so exotic. Do YOU know anyone named Isabeau????
And then around that time, Mom’s human colt started to get interested in Mom’s riding that crazy Isabeau—because I wasn’t a secret any more. So the human colt wanted to know about me. And Mom, knowing that her human teenager colt would be intrigued, called me “The Psycho Mare.” I was incensed. I am NOT a psycho mare! I only lost my mind twice . . . well, maybe 4 times. Oh, OK, maybe about 12 times. But I never really hurt anybody. And I DO NOT spook. So I am NOT a psycho mare. I am very dignified and regal. I carry myself with poise and aplomb. But the name stuck. My Dad didn’t like it at all; he believed that Mom WAS riding a psycho mare. Funny thing though, Dad thinks I am the prettiest of all of our herd. He’s got taste!


Mom’s amazing birthday ride. THAT’S what you call the Paso Smile.


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## CinnaDex

Subbing! I am really loving reading this


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## Tazzie

What a fun journal! Anxious to hear more!


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## knightrider

Thanks! Isabeau is enjoying writing it!


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## knightrider

Everything was going so great for Mom, I realized that my “take charge” plan was slipping away. She and Curmudgeon were talking about taking me to a place called Doe Lake where she would ride me for hours and hours, make me swim in the lake, and live in a little enclosed pen, surrounded by ****gasp*****some wire that jumps out and snaps you! For six whole days!




No no. Nah no no. That wasn’t gonna happen. This whole “let them ride me” thing had gone WAAAAY too far. I put my hoof down. I showed them, but GOOD.
When the Curmudgeon loaded me in the trailer, (which I had now hauled in about 4 times just fine), I pitched a royal fit. And I mean royalty that suited my Queen status. I went nuts, not only kicking the trailer, but kicking the Curmudgeon’s special mare. I actually liked that mare quite a lot, but no sacrifice is too great when honor is at stake. The Curmudgeon got me out of that trailer so fast, it looked like he was bowing and scraping. And no more than I deserve, hah.

Mom went home and got her silver Paso Fino instead, and he went off to Doe Lake to ride for hours and hours and swim in the lake and be surrounded by scary wire that sneaks up and bites you. Actually, much later, he told me it was fun and I was stupid to get out of it, but I know he’s the stupid one . . . he never tries to get his way. Before he came to Mom, he was beaten and starved, and mutilated, but he just sucked it up. You’ll never catch me sucking up to ANYONE.

After that non-Doe Lake trip, I knew I had a plan, and it was a good one. Mom thought that one incident was a fluke, and she kept hauling me anyway. She and Dad put up rubber mats all over the trailer so I wouldn’t hurt it or myself, and she kept hauling me somewhere every week. The next time I went off, she hauled the Curmudgeon’s good mare in her trailer with me, and I really kicked her up badly. The Curmudgeon thought for a while that she would be permanently scarred. No more than they deserved, say I. I had already given in about riding, not only long rides, but long rides in the woods! I was not giving in any more.


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## knightrider

Mom decided that she would just have to haul me by myself, and she did, many many times. The more times she hauled me, the harder I kicked. Her nice shiny new paint job was ruined on that trailer. People began to fuss with her and say that I was dangerous. Once a mean man got a long shiny stick (I know now it’s called a whip) and beat me plenty while I was kicking. Mom stopped him. She didn’t think whipping me was the solution. I knew what the solution was: STOP RIDING ME. I could be a beautiful pasture pet, grazing regally in my field, looking elegant.

But Mom had other ideas. She could see that I sweated and trembled in the trailer. She thought I was scared. Other people said I was just mad. I know what I was feeling, but I’m not telling. That’s MY secret, ha ha. Every day she would walk to the Curmudgeon’s house and halter me. Then she would lead me towards the trailer, which she kept there until I learned to stop kicking in it. When I would start to dance and sweat, she would back off a couple of steps, and feed me supper. Her human foal came over too, and began working with Windy, the little foal that Curmudgeon had gotten for me as a buddy. Actually Mom had secretly bought Windy for her human foal to train. Another secret!

Mom was doing that sneaky stuff again. I figured that out. Every day she eased the food bucket closer to the trailer. Until one day, I walked all the way in and ate. Mom thought she was done! Ha ha. Hardy har har. She didn’t realize who she was up against. I am no ordinary chestnut mare! I am the Queen Bee of all queens, and the trailer is where I made my stand.


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## lostastirrup

Adorable thread...I'm curious to see what happens next


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## knightrider

First she had her human foal close the door inch by inch, while she stood in the trailer reassuring me. Oh, I didn’t tremble or sweat, not me. I did just fine. But let Mom change even one thing, and I would start kicking. She wasn’t going to trick me this time like she did with the riding. I’d eat in the trailer a whole week before the human foal could close the door another inch. And if she rushed it—start all over again,

Baby, you got it. She had to start all over again so many times, I couldn’t tell you how many. I was sure I could wear her down. But she was as stubborn as I was.

She tried shutting me in the trailer for 5 hours at a time so I’d just get used to it. That lasted for two weeks, and I never gave up kicking. She had won on everything else but she was NOT going to win on this!

Another time she thought she was done when the human foal could close the door and latch it and I wouldn’t even bat an ear. Go in, eat calmly, never a kick. Now, mind you, I always always did a thing she called “self loading”. I’d walk right on a trailer. It was just after I got in that the mayhem started. So, after I was eating calmly with the trailer door closed, she just put me in the trailer, closed the door, and stood outside. BIIIIGG mistake. I lost my mind without Mom in the trailer with me. It was back to the beginning. I wouldn’t go near the trailer after that incident. So, she started all over again, leading me near the trailer until I got upset and sweaty, and inching the bucket closer and closer to the trailer.

Mom would have given up and gotten a trainer long ago, but each time, she would think she had won. Ah no, I ALWAYS won in the long run. Mom kept thinking, “Just a little bit more, and we’ll have it done.” She didn’t know how tough a diva can be.
So, two years passed, and I had loaded and eaten in that trailer almost every single day. She had me self loading, standing quietly, never a kick. And then something would happen, and she’d have to start all over again. She never gave up, but I was determined this was the ONE thing I would never do.

One of the times she had to start all over was when she hitched her truck to the trailer. She was going to take two of her obedient (stupid) Pasos somewhere, and the truck was hitched so she could go get them. Well, I’m NOT stupid, and when I saw that truck hitched to the trailer, I went CRAZY kicking. I know a truck when I see one, and I know what trucks do! So, after having to start all over again, Mom put the truck in front of the trailer every day. Boy! Did that make Dad mad, too! He said it was ridiculous, and the thing to do was GET RID OF THAT CRAZY MARE! But Mom didn’t give up (she never does—do you think that’s why people call them Moms?) and after a couple of months, I didn’t care if the truck was in front of the trailer or not. After all, I never went anywhere in the trailer.


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## knightrider

Mom has a friend named Erica Miss America—well, that is what Mom calls her—because this girl is so pretty and so nice, friendly, cheerful, and easy. Erica can train just about any horse. When Mom had to start over for the 5th or 6th time, she called Erica to help her.

Erica said it would be easy. Mom said Erica didn’t know Isabeau. But Erica was amazing. Mom knew just how to provoke me into kicking in the trailer. She loaded me in and slammed the door. Now, nobody slams the door on a queen! So I commenced to kicking right hard. And Erica took me right out and “moved my feet.” That’s not lunging. I don’t even know how to lunge, but Erica made me go around in small circles, and she kept switching directions. She made me go on and on until I really really didn’t want to do that. Nobody “makes” me do anything. But Erica is something special. I guess she’s a queen too, and one queen must acknowledge another queen.

Erica put me back in the trailer, and I kicked right away. I was plenty mad. And she “moved my feet” again. And we’re not talking just a few minutes. Mom had already tried the “moving the feet” business a long time ago. She thought “moving the feet” was lunging, and when she tried to teach me to lunge, I showed her I wasn’t gonna do it. I went crazy, tangled myself in the lungeline, and fell over. I’m pretty good at falling over. But Erica made me go for 20 minutes each time. And Erica, being a queen, made me give in to her the way I wouldn’t do for Mom. After Erica had me going in the trailer and NOT kicking, no matter what, she watched Mom “move my feet” in the correct way until she was convinced that Mom could be as firm as she was.

And all was well. . . for a while anyway. Mom thought she was done! Ha ha. She’d thought that before, ha ha. I set her straight. Maybe Erica could put me in the trailer and I’d not kick, because Erica was a queen herself. Mom wasn’t! Ha ha ha!.
Mom moved my feet for hours and hours. She loaded me over and over and over. She asked Erica what she was doing wrong. She made rub sores on my head from the halter. But at last, finally, Mom was winning. How could that be? Mom wearing me down???? She was!!! She took me for short trailer rides. No kicking. Longer trailer rides. No kicking. Mom was ecstatic. Erica had succeeded!

No. Nah, NO. Once I figured out that I was losing this battle, I upped the ante. Mom wasn’t Erica and I knew it. She trailered me twice to ride with friends, and it was ‘Katie bar the door.’ On the way home from the first ride, I went crazy. Mom had to take me out of the trailer and move my feet 13 times. It took 2 ½ hours! The second time she took me to ride with friends, on the way home, I was slamming around in the trailer. Mom glanced in her rearview mirror. My front leg was sticking out of the trailer! I was getting out of there no matter what it took! I was back to square one. I wouldn’t go near the trailer. I kicked every time I got in it. Mom was so sad. I was triumphant. I had finally won.

My leg was swollen up like a balloon. I wasn’t lame—did I tell you that Queen Bees are tough?—but Mom wouldn’t ride me until my leg stopped looking round as a pipe. She said she had to see tendons in there before she was taking me out riding. She ran cold water on my leg for what seemed like hours and smeared smelly stuff on it every day. I don’t tolerate water, but that’s another story—sigh—another one of those “Mom wearing me down” stories.


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## knightrider

In the meantime, I knew I was slowly losing another last battle—riding solo. The Curmedgeon had gone back to work and could no longer ride with us. Now, Mom had worked with me on riding solo pretty much since she had gotten me for her birthday. But I would have none of it. I had given up giving her trouble about going on long rides in the woods. I was tight with that. So, soon after she got me, she started leaving the Curmudgeon 20 minutes from home and riding me solo home. Well, I supposed I COULD do that easy thing. I mean, really, just riding home, all right, no sweat. Then she upped it to 30 and then 40 minutes. I gave in every time, stupid me. Every once in a while, she would try to ride me out the gate and see if I would go off by myself, but I knew better than to let her get away with that. No dice. Queen Bees don’t do that.

When Curmudgeon had to go places and not ride, she led me out a long way on the trail and rode me home. Sometimes, instead of heading home, she’d try to trick me and head further out, but I’d just rear and spin and threaten to come over on her. I had her number, all right. She’d lead me on a little further and then let me ride on home. She thought I wasn’t getting my way that way, but I was. Ha ha.

Then she had me lead rides with Curmudgeon along going towards home. That was OK. I’d been doing that for a year now. Yeah, it was kinda scary, but I’m Queen Bee. I can do it. So, one day, we came to a trail—I was leading—and the trail came to a T. Neither way went home. Both ways went off. Oh, what the heck. Why not? I led away from home. I said it would be only that one time . . . but oh well, I did it again another time, and another time. And before I knew it, Mom had tricked me again! I was leading rides away from home. Sigh. Oh well. BUT!!!! I was still winning the trailer battle, oh yes! I still had that to hold over her.

And then, DISASTER! Curmudgeon got a job and could no longer ride with us AT ALL. Mom had to ride me solo every time! Ah, but Mom remembered back when I was young, how the human fillies could ride me in the little circle. Mom didn’t have a fenced in little circle, but she had pastures. I didn’t mind riding in the pastures, sure, why not? And also, I didn’t mind riding back to Curmudgeon’s place. I had lived there for almost 2 years. And I didn’t mind riding back home from Curmudgeon’s place. So Mom worked out a sneaky plan. She’d ride me in the pasture for a half hour, then to Curmudgeon’s, then back home, then in the pasture. I was riding! Solo! By myself! For an hour and a half! That sneaky Mom! After I had done that a couple of times, I just said, “Oh bag it. I’ll go, Mom.” And I did. She was smart and let me stop from time to time and eat. I thought riding out solo wasn’t too bad since there would be food coming as well.


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## elle1959

Your mom sounds like she has the patience of a saint! I'm so glad you got her for a mom!


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## saddlebred99

This is really interesting! Can't wait to read more!


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## knightrider

She also never gave up on the trailer. She’d haul me. I lose it and go crazy kicking. Each time she had to start over, I’d progress a little faster than the last time. Yes, she was winning that one too. But she was so good to me. We really did have a lot of fun together. Why not?

She was back to hauling me for short runs with no kicking at all. She took me for a short roll around the farm when I managed to get the trailer door open. You see, she thought that I might be claustrophobic, the way I sweated and shook when she trailered me. (Am I mad or scared? That’s MY secret and I’m not telling YOU either). After I hurt my leg so badly, she wanted to try leaving me untied in the trailer. She had tried that once before in the beginning, and it didn’t help. But lots of time had passed, and she thought I’d be happier being loose in the trailer, not tied. Sometimes I was; sometimes it didn’t matter. But since I was loose in the trailer, I managed to push open the door. She must have not latched it correctly. And I jumped out! The winner again! That’s me!

Since we were still in the yard, and since I don’t mind being caught, it was an easy thing to catch up my lead rope and put me back in the trailer. But oh no! I was DONE. Kick City! Back to square one with me!
Moving the feet? Piece of cake. She could just THINK “move the feet” and I would go, turn, stop, change direction, like clockwork. I was so good at it. The problem was, it didn’t seem to make much difference about kicking in the trailer. I’d kick, she’d move my feet. I’d kick some more she’d move my feet some more. Finally I’d just get tired of the game and not kick. But the next day was the same.


This is how Mom’s trailer looks after 2 ½ years of my kicking in it.


And the inside front—because she let me turn around and face the back.

I’m the one who changed all that and I didn’t even mean to. Ever since she had bought me, I had a small crack in my left front hoof. The farrier took good care of it and it never got worse. But moving the feet every day, 5, 6, 10 times always cortoing for sometimes an hour and a half, was making that crack go deeper and higher. Finally that crack was so deep and so bad that Mom wouldn’t ride me until the farrier could fix it. And she stopped moving my feet.

She had a brown stick that she called a crop, and when I’d kick in the trailer, she’d whack me with it. That was enough for me. Sometimes she’d just shake the crop and say, “Cut it out” in a loud voice. Maybe that man who was whipping me two years ago had it right all along. Or maybe I just like Mom so much and trust her that I don’t resent her discipline the way I used to. I’ve given up on everything else. Am I going to give up on not trailering too?

The farrier fixed my feet and I could go riding again. Mom put me in the trailer and I didn’t kick! She said, since I’d worked so long and hard, that I could kick two times each trailer ride if I felt like I just had to let off steam. You know me, I ALWAYS push the envelope, so I usually kick 3 times. Mom said she can live with 3 kicks, but she hopes with time, I’ll back it down to 2 kicks. I’m still soaking wet and shaking when she takes me out of the trailer. She’s threatening now to trailer me to a horse riding camp called Hard Labor (Boy, I HATE that name!) which is 7 hours away, and keep me there for 4 days. She says if I could go to CA and visit her niece Kelly and Elle from the Horse Forum, I’d never kick again. But Dad would never go for that. It’s bad enough that we have 4 of us horses here. Dad said she couldn’t take me to Hard Labor either. Whew for me. . . . but now you know why me ‘n Windy were a secret for so long.


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## knightrider

Speaking of Windy, I need to update you all about the changes in our lives during that time. The Curmudgeon was tired of Windy and me living in his pasture. He was tired of feeding us. He was afraid one of us would get hurt or sick and Mom might blame him and they’d stop being friends. Mom NEVER would, and she told him so, but he was nervous. Have you figured out that he was kinda nervous? 

But luckily, the man who lived in front of Curmudgeon had decided to stop keeping horses. He leased the pasture between Mom’s house and his house. So now there was a lovely big pasture right next to Mom’s place. She and her human filly wouldn’t have to walk to Curmudgeon’s every day. What luck! In no time, the lease was changed and Windy and I walked over to the pasture next to Mom’s place.

And what excitement there was! I would never be such a hussy as to lift my tail, squeal, or act excited about a boy horse. Boys are stupid anyway. I have too much dignity. I was very calm, cool, and collected, as queens should be. Windy, on the other hand, went crazy, lifting her legs and tail high, squirting smelly stuff to interest Mom’s 3 boys, and trying to get them to notice her. I told her to stop acting like a shameless tart. She was better than that. She’s my best bud, and she listened. She’s a good lil’ filly.

But, hmmm. Mom’s big Paso Fino, named Chorro, wanted to get to know me. He really did. He ignored Windy. He said he didn’t date babies. But I was a REAL WOMAN, the kind he’d looked for all his life. Now, I’d never had a boyfriend, thought I didn’t want one. But it felt so exciting to be wanted by a real man. And Chorro was a hunk!


He grazed near me and never left my side. I grazed near him and we told each other everything. He even braved the barbed wire at the top of the fence to nuzzle me. It was thrilling!

I ignored Windy completely. She was heartbroken. Sometimes she grazed near me and Chorro and the fenceline, sometimes she wandered away sadly. Chorro said he didn’t like her at all, that I was the woman he had always dreamed of. Now, I’m not blind. I knew Windy was prettier than me.

It blew me away to have that handsome hunk so in love with me. I’m afraid I acted very foolish.

Mom had two more horses besides the handsome charming Chorro. She had her silver Paso Fino Sereno, the one who went to Doe Lake and liked it.

Mom called Sereno her “fantasy horse”. Who wouldn’t love riding that silver prancing beauty? He was full of fire and dazzle but clever, surefooted, and level headed. He had no interest in me at all, which is kind of funny because he was a stallion until he was 12, when he was taken away from his Paso Fino farm as a rescue. He had known such harsh and cruel treatment, but he never blamed humans. He was strange that way. He just wanted to make everyone happy. I think sometimes when horses are hurt badly in the beginning, they find it hard to believe in anyone again. I know I do—having a mother who didn’t want me.

Then there is Tico. He is a strange bird, that Tico. Mom calls him her World’s Greatest Pony, but I think he is a total dud.


Mom is so proud of the way he takes care of her human foal. And, of course, being a Paso Fino, it goes without saying that he is exciting to ride, very forward, thrilling, fun, and what a cute canter. But—he’s so stand-offish. I think he thinks he’s better than me . . . and NO ONE is better than ME. He’s the boss of all of us, and won’t stand for any nonsense. He keeps to himself, doesn’t much care if the others ride off without him—though they almost never do, because everyone wants to ride him. He’s always sad, too. Mom tells him all the time how much the family loves him, but he just won’t believe it. He’s certain they are going to get rid of him one day. He walks around with a sour expression all the time. But there’s no better riding companion than ol’ Tico. All the human fillies and colts love riding him.


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## knightrider

Then a terrible thing happened. Sereno got really sick, really fast. The vet came out, but there was no medicine to help him. In two days, he was dead. On Mom’s birthday, no less. Poor Sereno! Poor Mom. It was awful. She cried and cried.

Chorro hated Sereno. Maybe he was jealous, he said he wasn’t, but I called him a racist, because he hates light colored horses. Sereno said Chorro hated Smokey too, another silver Paso that Mom had. And Chorro hates Windy. (Aside: once Chorro got Windy really upset and Windy told Mom she hated her color. She wished she could be brown. It made Mom really sad because Windy is beautiful. Isn’t that just like a teenager, to be beautiful and hate the way she looks?)

Anyway, when Sereno died, Chorro and Tico were really sad. I was surprised because they never let Sereno into their tea parties under the big tree in the pasture. They said he was funny looking and he couldn’t be their friend. But they stood by his grave for two days, grieving for him.

Sereno’s death changed everything. Windy and I had lived in the leased pasture for the whole summer. After a bit, Mom opened the gate and let us four horses be all together. Chorro and I were overjoyed! We hung over each other’s necks and whispered sweet nothings into each other’s ears. Windy was really hurt because I ignored her. Mom said that was a teenager-ish thing for me to do, and later, I felt super stupid and foolish because Mom was RIGHT!

Chorro wasn’t a good boyfriend. He didn’t treat me like a lady. He bit me and kicked at me. When there was hay to be eaten, he didn’t stand back and let me have all the peanut hay, like a gentleman would. He bared his teeth and chased me away. When he knew I really loved him, he ignored me. So I broke up with him.

Then he was mad and wanted to get me back. But I finally started seeing straight. I knew Chorro was just a charming cad and not for a Queen Bee like me. When I told him off, he turned his back on me. He snaps at me when I walk by, and chases me away if I get too close. Unlike Tico, he jumps at me and bullies me. He bullies Windy too, and we girls have to stick together. I got back being bosom pals with Windy, and she forgave me right away. I was ashamed for treating her so thoughtlessly, being so wrapped up in a stupid boy.


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## knightrider

Now I will tell you about saddles. I KNOW how a saddle should fit me. My back is VERY sensitive and I WILL NOT accept a saddle that doesn’t fit perfectly. When Mom puts a saddle on me that I do not like, I kick out violently, spin around, and let her know that that saddle WON’T DO! Get it off. If she disciplines me and rides in the saddle anyway, I give her a terrible ride. (And she doesn’t get many terrible rides from me).

The funny thing is that she studies how different saddles fit me, and some of the saddles that she says should fit me perfectly WILL NOT DO AT ALL!!!! She has one saddle that she insists doesn’t fit me at all. She says it pinches my shoulder, and the “sweat pattern”, whatever that is, is ALL WRONG. But I love that saddle. I mean, I LOVE that saddle! I never wring my tail or kick out when she puts that saddle on my back.


This is the saddle I LOVE. Mom says it doesn’t fit me. What does SHE know? She doesn’t have it on HER back.

When she was still the New One, or at least the Newish One, I didn’t know all her saddles. She’d put one on me and ride me in it, and it would take me a couple of rides to figure out that it bothered me. But now, I know all her saddles. I know just which saddle it is when she sets one on my back. From time to time, she tries to trick me and slip a saddle on that she says fits perfectly. You should see me kick out and spin around when she puts one of those saddles on my back. She says, “Phooey. Saddle fit is all phooey when it comes to Isabeau. She knows what she wants and won’t tolerate anything else.” You betcha I know what I want. I always have. Always will. And everybody else had better give me what I want too.


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## knightrider

And that brings to mind—WORMERS. I don’t do wormers. When I first came to Curmudgeon’s house, I looked kind of thin and out of shape.


One of the first things Mom did was to send off something called a “fecal sample” (hope you know what that is—I don’t—and what does that have to do with ***patooie***wormers?). And soon after Mom brought this tube of awful tasting stuff and tried to stick it in my mouth. I wasn’t gonna have none of that. It took two men, Mom, and a nasty thing they twisted around my nose to get a little of that in me. I got most of it all over Mom’s shirt and the rest of it on Mom’s boots—ha ha. I showed them some powerful rearing and striking out with my front feet too. I was some hot mess.

So Mom thought that it was a simple job to train me to accept this thing she called “wormer.” She hadn’t reckoned with ME. First she filled one of those tube things with applesauce and tried to squirt it in my mouth. So I gave her another dose of rearing and striking out. So she put the tube away in her back pocket (made a mess of her jeans, ha ha), and squirted the applesauce in her hand. Not only would I not touch it, I never touched apples either after that. So she got sneaky and just squirted some orange flavored stuff in her hand. I drank the orange stuff OK, so while I was drinking the orange stuff out of her hand, she slipped the tube next to my face. No nah NO. I stopped drinking the orange stuff after that, wouldn’t ever drink it again. She won’t trick me with that stunt. She got me eating this mixture of brown sugary stuff, mixed with horse pellets. Never showed me the tube until I had been eating the brown sticky pellet stuff for a week. Then she gave me just a glance at the tube while I was eating that nice mixture. All right, I decided I could look at the tube for a split second while I was eating the brown stuff. Every day she showed me the tube for a little longer until I would still eat the mixture when the tube was near my mouth. But then!! She slipped the tube into my mouth with the yummy brown stuff on it! That’s it, Mom. You’re done. I wouldn’t eat the brown stuff after that. In fact, I wouldn’t eat anything from her hand at all. I know how she tricks me, that Mom.

When it came time to worm me again, she gave up on getting me used to the tube. She mixed the stuff from the tube into my food and coated it with that brown stuff. I ate a little of it, but she wasn’t fooling me. I could taste that nasty wormer stuff in the food. So she kept me in the pen all day with nothing but that stuff and water. And you know, I finally got hungry enough to eat it.

I won on the tube lesson. She doesn’t even show me tubes any more, not with applesauce (which I still won’t eat—I have to uphold my standards and honor, you know), orange stuff, or brown stuff. She mixes it in my food and makes me stand around in the pen or the stall until I eat it.

She says there are treat balls that you can squirt the wormer into and slip the wormer in as a treat. I’ll know, Mom. Don’t waste your money. I’ll spit them right onto your boots!

Today I am being FORCED! to go ride on the beach at St. Augustine for hours and hours and then camping at a park called Princess Place for 3 days! So you won't be hearing from me for a while. It's the farthest away place Mom could go that Dad would allow. He kicked (get it? Ha ha) up a big fuss about even going to St. Augustine, but Mom prevailed because it isn't much farther than Doe Lake. GASP! Does that mean she will take me to Doe Lake???? I bet it does! Stay tuned for the next installment.


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## egrogan

Oh Isabeau- I wonder when we get to the part where you shower your Mom with love and affection for putting up with you and giving you a home!? :wink: You certainly do sound like a special snowflake!!


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## Tazzie

egrogan said:


> Oh Isabeau- I wonder when we get to the part where you shower your Mom with love and affection for putting up with you and giving you a home!? :wink: You certainly do sound like a special snowflake!!


I was thinking the same thing! I can only imagine the grey hairs you have given your mother! You are VERY lucky to have her!!


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## knightrider

Now I am back from that dreaded camping trip. It was my first camp-out ever, and I was pretty stressed out. I wouldn't eat or drink much. The water tasted like something Mom calls "rotten eggs." I have no clue what eggs are, much less rotten ones. But I can certainly tell you the water was ROTTEN! Luckily Curmudgeon, who went with us, brought LOTS of water and gave us some, and I drank a little of that. Mom says from now on, she will bring lots of "my" water too (which will probably taste like plastic and I won't drink it either).

When Mom loaded me, I only kicked once, and she said that was OK. I really sweated in the trailer, but Curmudgeon, who was driving behind me, said I rode quietly in the trailer. To tell the truth, I was kind of clocked out and don't remember. After a hot day, the beach was breezy and cold. A lady I've ridden with lots before--I'll call her PaintLady because her mare was a big paint--met us at the beach. All the humans put on coats. I was a star that day at the beach. I was super tired of traveling in that horrible trailer and couldn't wait to get out and stretch my legs. I led the ride quite a lot of the time. We galloped on the beach and I showed Mom how terrific I was with a super smooth gallop.


This is Curmudgeon and his horse Cowboy. I don't like Cowboy because he doesn't think I'm anything special, and you know I am!



Then, back in the trailer (!!!!!), only 2 kicks, and we drove to a beautiful camping place. I had my own paddock made out of wood, but I didn't like it because I couldn't see PaintedHorse and Curmudgeon's horse. I was so tired and hungry that I ate my food that night. I was pretty mad at Mom for doing this to me.

In the morning, I accidentally did something I have never done before. I hadn't meant to, but when I saw Mom, I nickered to her. It just slipped out. I was kind of embarrassed. Humans don't matter much to me . . . nor horses either, except I like Windy a lot. And then, later that morning, another nicker slipped out. Mom was so happy. But I got my head together and used will power and didn't nicker any more. That's a sign of weakness and I'M NOT WEAK!

I rode with PaintHorse and Curmudgeon's horse all over this park. It actually was pretty fun, and Mom was really happy with me. But I stopped eating. I was so thirsty, and even Curmudgeon's water tasted funny. Curmudeon gave me some alfalfa cubes which I mostly ate. Mom said they would help me not get something called ulcers.

The next day, a tall slim lady brought her big black mare to ride with us. It was sunny and warmer that day, and I went into the water in front of the waves on the beach. Something funny happened. After I rode in what Mom called tidepools, then I felt brave enough to ride in what she called surf. As I was standing in the surf, I started to lose my balance. SlimLady yelled to Mom to get me out of the surf as I was weaving and staggering around. SlimLady said I was getting ready to fall over. Hey! I'm good at that! Mom says that when she stands in moving water, it makes her dizzy. She didn't know that horses could get dizzy too. PaintHorse and Blackmare didn't get dizzy, just me. That was humiliating!


Here is PaintHorse and PaintLady. PaintHorse thought I was really GREAT!

This is SlimLady and Blackmare. She liked me fine and I liked her.

When it was time to get in the trailers, PaintHorse didn't want to leave me. PaintLady said for us to load up and drive away and then PaintHorse would get in her trailer. Mom was nervous because once I am in the trailer, I need to move or I start kicking BIGTIME. But she wanted to help PaintLady, so she put me in. I kicked 4 times! Mom yelled at me and slapped me with the leadrope and I stopped. And THEN--Mom was so proud of me! I waited and waited in the trailer for a VERY long time and never kicked once. PaintLady couldn't find a piece of something she needed to get the directions home. It was a looong drive home, but Mom was pleased that I wasn't trembling or sweating when we got home. She thinks we're done! We'll see about that! Maybe so, maybe no.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, this is SlimlLady. Don't feel bad about getting dizzy. Blackmare got a little dizzy too she just wouldn't admit to it. Don't tell that I told on her, she will be mad at me. She thinks she has a reputation to hold up and gets embarrassed easily.


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## knightrider

Now I have to tell you another queenly thing I do that I am proud of. The human fillies and colts love to watch me drink. When I drink, I never make a ripple in the water. I just barely set my mouth in the water and never make a sound when I drink. The only way the humans can tell I am drinking is because you can see it going down my throat. That’s one reason why Mom started calling me a diva. See, I thought it had something to do with water. That’s the way queens drink, isn’t it?

I’m dainty. Several people have called me dainty, and I’m proud of it. I don’t like water or mud. I do have one funny quirk, and I don’t like Mom and the foals laughing about it. I love to roll. And when I roll, I get up like a cow. How humiliating. I get up hind feet first. Not all the time, you know, just some of the time. . . .the times I forget . . . or think no one is watching. I roll the second Mom gets off me. I don’t care if the saddle is still on or not. And when she gets off me, you can bet there will be a fight (or there used to be—I guess I’ve given up on that battle too) when she wants to lead me past my rolling spot with the saddle still on. I used to stop at my rolling spot and look at her pointedly: “Peasant, take my saddle off.” She didn’t. “I said, remove my saddle immediately. I roll here.” But she never would. I decided it just wasn’t worth the effort. She knows I’m Queen. I’ll leave it at that.


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## elle1959

knightrider said:


> Now I have to tell you another queenly thing I do that I am proud of. The human fillies and colts love to watch me drink. When I drink, I never make a ripple in the water. I just barely set my mouth in the water and never make a sound when I drink. The only way the humans can tell I am drinking is because you can see it going down my throat. That’s one reason why Mom started calling me a diva. See, I thought it had something to do with water. That’s the way queens drink, isn’t it?


This is so funny! My horse drinks water the same way, and her name actually *IS* Diva! It must be a diva thing


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## knightrider

There was another way that Mom believed in me. Windy was getting older and was just about ready for Mom’s human foal to start riding her. But first Mom wanted Windy to get used to going out in the woods and on the trails. Mom always leads her young horses off of older steady horses for a couple of months before she lets someone ride them in the woods. I guess if someone had done that with me, I wouldn’t have made up my mind not to go in those scary woods. They wouldn’t have been so scary for me. But Mom got it in her head to have ME be the one to lead Windy on the trails for 6 months. Everybody told her that was a bad idea, that it took so much concentration for her to ride ME, much less be dealing with an untried filly. Mom just wouldn’t listen to them. She said it would be good for ME to take Windy on the trails. What??? Good for ME? Yes, Mom was willing to take the chance with Windy to do something good for me. That made me feel good and proud, and I wanted to do right by Mom since she believed in me. Mom told people that I needed a job, that I had been a spoiled princess long enough--- wait, wait, whaaaa??? I’m NOT a spoiled PRINCESS. I’m the QUEEN, and I’m NOT spoiled! What I demand is no more than I deserve. I was a little miffed at Mom for that snotty comment. 

But once I had Windy beside me on the lead rope, I did feel proud . . . and I did want to do right by Mom and by Windy. For six months, I took Windy out a couple of times a week until Windy was used to seeing everything in the woods. Then, when the human foal started riding her, she didn’t spook at anything.

Except for that un-called for Princess comment, I guess Mom has done pretty well by me. She’s made me do a lot of things I think I shouldn’t have to do, but on the other hand, I don’t feel sad and scared any more. I’m still Queen, of course, but I’m not a fearful little booby any more. . . . and that’s good.
I still sweat and shake in the trailer, but Mom takes me anyway . . . and I get my 3 kicks in . . . sometimes, if I feel like it. Mom says that with time, she thinks I’ll stop that trailer phobia—especially if she could take me to HARD LABOR—that horrible riding horse place in the mountains of Georgia. Maybe I’ll pitch a big trailer fit if she tries to take me there . . . or maybe I just won’t. She’s got big plans to go to that horse swimming place called Doe Lake in May, and I guess I’ll go along with that. It’s pretty fun living with Mom and my family.


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## Bondre

Glad to see you're starting too get some perspective, Isabeau! I'm sure you're spot on when you say your Mom's done pretty well by you. She must have the patience of a saint.... that makes a nice image.... a saint riding a queen 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## knightrider

Today Mom took me in the trailer to ride along a place called the Suwannee River. We rode along the river for 2 1/2 hours! The great part was that it wasn't too long for me any more. I remember when I thought 15 minutes was all the riding I could do. I like being strong and fit.

When Mom put me in the trailer, I saw the truck was in front of it, but I hoped she was taking Chorro and Windy in the trailer, and I was just doing my morning eating in the trailer. I was still wary, though, because of last week, going on that long trailer ride. It would be just like Mom to actually take me somewhere.

And she did! I kicked once to show her I didn't appreciate going again. But it wasn't too bad. The Suwannee River ride was actually pretty fun.

We rode on a path alongside the river. It was really pretty and it felt great to be outside with horse buddies.


Cowboy was OK today. He's not as stuck up as I thought. I tried to be nicer to him.

Mom looks really happy to be riding me. But then again, she's always happy to be riding ME. I'm the BEST!


Here's the whole crew. Can you see the river down below us? The man on the chestnut mare says we shouldn't ride down to the water--it causes something like ero-erision? So we stayed up top.

When it was time to go home, I was SUPER nervous. I spun around Mom like a crazy mare. But I went right in the trailer (I always do) and only kicked ONCE! Mom was so pleased. She thinks we're done! It's true I am feeling better about that horrible trailer, but I still sweat and feel really anxious about it all.


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## knightrider

I had rather thought that I was going to end this journal, but something interesting happened a couple of days ago, so I guess I'll write about it. It's not as interesting as ME, but maybe I'll just write about it. I seem to like writing.

Curmudgeon had to work, and Mom decided it was a good day to take Windy riding solo. She had already ridden solo for short distances and likes to lead the rides and doesn't spook, so she seemed ready. NOT. It was a disaster, Mom said. Windy bucked, reared, bounded forward out of a rear, spun, bucked some more. Mom was gone a half hour and came back shaking. Windy wasn't too happy either, though she won't say why.

Mom rode Windy in our sacrifice pen for another half hour. I'll admit I was terribly jealous. Why was Mom riding Windy and not ME???? Mom likes ME best! I followed Windy around and got in the way constantly. Then I realized how undignified that looked, and I stopped and left them alone.

Then Mom got off Windy and went and got her human filly. They saddled up Tico and went on a trail ride. When they got back, Mom was still unhappy with Windy and rode her some more in our sacrifice pen. But I remembered that I am a queen, so I acted aloof, as queens should do. Who cares about Mom anyway? Let Chorro and Windy fawn all over her.

Then Mom tied Windy to a very sturdy post with the saddle still on her, after she let Windy drink. Windy had never tried to drink with a bit in her mouth and couldn't figure out how to do it. Silly filly. So Mom took the bridle off and let her drink.

The next day, Mom took me and Windy to the far away pasture. The human filly put a hackamore on Windy and rode her to the pasture. I kept asking Windy what happened and why did we have to make these changes, but Windy said she didn't want to talk about it. I told Windy on the way to the pasture that she'd better behave, and she did. She did everything her human filly told her to do. Windy liked the hackamore.

But here's the interesting thing: Chorro! He screamed and paced up and down the sacrifice pen ALL DAY!!!! Sometimes Windy answered him from our far away pasture. I DIDN'T. He's a gorilla. I don't like him. Windy likes to taunt him and get him to chase and almost bite her. She likes to see how close she can get annoying him and then jump away. As I said, I have too much dignity. I ignore Chorro. Until he bites me. Then I dash away. I think Chorro misses tormenting us. He has his boring old Tico for company so he shouldn't care about us being away, but he is frantic. Stupid ol' thing.

The next day, at breakfast, Mom brought us up to eat (we ate supper in our far away pasture), and then she rode me. As usual, I gave her the best ride of her life. Then, as always, she put me in the trailer. I did really well. In fact, she has been super proud of me since the Suwannee River ride because usually after a trailer ride, I kick and make a fuss and act really upset, but this time I didn't. Didn't feel like it.

She says she has finally gotten things going well with me, and then Windy has to fall apart. Isn't it ALWAYS like that with horses? We plan it like that, don't you know.


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## elle1959

I'm glad you didn't end your journal, Isabeaux! How would we know what's going on with you and your Queendom? Sounds like Windy is ready to pick up where you left off. 

I'm so glad you have learned that the trailer takes you to Good Things!


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## knightrider

Today was a happy morning for Windy and me. Not so much me, but I am learning that everything is not so much me, anymore.

Mom wanted to see if Windy was really truly better and ready to behave herself, so her human filly got up early this morning and rode Windy along with me. Mom was going to ride our ever steady pony Tico, but at the last minute, decided she really really wanted to ride ME (of course--she always wants to ride ME), so she tacked me up instead. She figured, if anything went really wrong, she could just get off and lead us.

A funny thing happened while Mom was tacking up Windy. When she put on Windy's hackamore, it seemed to Mom, she said (in her mind), "Now I am a grown up horse since I have a hackamore. Bits are for babies." Mom told her (in their minds) that bits are not for babies--many grown up horses wear bits . . . and anyway, she is STILL a baby, whether she rides in a bit or a hackamore. But Windy was pleased to be in the hack.

We had a really fun ride down to a beautiful pond, and then a perfect ride home. 

Mom says now that she thinks Windy will be OK to ride in the Christmas parade tomorrow. I kind of wish I could go, but Mom doesn't trust me in the trailer not to kick Windy, so that old buffalo Chorro is going instead. Chorro has ridden in piles of parades, so he won't be nervous and that will give Windy confidence. I wouldn't have been nervous either. One day I'll go in lots of parades too!

Oh, wow, I forgot to mention that Windy had her wolf teeth out on Wednesday. Windy said it was super unpleasant, but it's done now. We are still living in the far away pasture so Windy has plenty of space to romp and run . . . and she does. After the parade, Mom is going to try her back in the sacrifice pen. As annoying as they are, we kind of miss the boys . . . and do they ever miss us! Chorro paces the fence and screams for us. We'd like to be together again . . . well, I think Windy wants it more than me.


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## knightrider

Mom put us four horses back together tonight. Windy and Chorro ran to each other sniffing noses avidly--Windy struck out at Chorro with her front hoof. Then Chorro spun around and kicked Windy. I guess they were thrilled to be tormenting each other again. I am above all that. I don't mess with anybody and nobody messes with me.

Windy went to the Christmas parade tonight. She told me all about it, and I was SO proud of her. She said there were cars with lights on top of them making incredibly loud whooping noises. And next there were huge red trucks making even louder noises. She liked seeing all the trucks and flatbed trailers with lights and cute kids on them. The scariest thing at the parade was a little gray critter with really long ears. He smelled funny--not like a horse, but he kind of looked like a horse, except for the ears. She said THAT thing was SCARY. And who was leading that scary critter? The lady that yanked out her teeth on Wednesday, that's who!

Windy said she thought it was cool that she had lights circling each foot and lights on her saddle. She saw how cool Chorro looked with lights on him. Windy was pleased that this is her second parade, and her human filly was super super proud of her. And she did have to rub it in--that I have never gone in a parade at all~~~ because I kick in the trailer.

Oh, yes, Mom tricked me tonight--again--she does that! She had the truck all hitched to the trailer, and put me in it with some nice food. I'm no fool, and when I see the truck hitched like that, I know I'm going somewhere. I was super nervous and agitated. I did kick once, and Mom yelled at me and smacked me, so I stopped, but I couldn't help being anxious. I could see that truck hitched up. But, as I said, Mom tricked me. After I settled down and stood quietly, she took me out and fed me my supper. 

It was Chorro and Windy who went to the parade. So I got tricked and fooled. Tomorrow, I AM going somewhere in the trailer. Mom said she is taking me camping tomorrow. I know I'm allowed 2 kicks when I actually am going somewhere. I think I might give her 3 kicks, just so she'll know I'm in charge. Or maybe not. Camping is kind of fun.


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## knightrider

The camping trip was kind of OK. I had something of a PTSD flashback on the trip. After I had done so well going to the beach and Mattair Springs, I just couldn't get comfortable on this camping trip. I kicked 3 times in the trailer going. Mom wasn't happy, but she said, "OK, if you have to."

When we got to Oleno, where we were camping, I just kind of lost it. There were 3 trucks with super loud engines pulling big rigs trying to get out of tight parking places. I reared and kicked out over and over tied to my trailer. I was frantic to get out of there.

Mom had quite a chore getting the saddle on me as I spun around and kicked out and reared up. Mom has had me a long time and knows me pretty well by now, so I couldn't intimidate her like I can other people. With patience she got that saddle on me, and once she got on me, I just have too much pride to let her down. I gave her a wonderful ride, like I always do. Paintlady came with Painthorse. We two horses like each other a lot, and it was a grand time.

But when it was time to go back to the trailers, I lost it again. I guess it was that PTSD business . . . except that as far as I can remember, there has never been any trauma to stress me out. I just wig out. When we got to the campsite, I couldn't bear the thought of getting back in that trailer. I completely forgot that we were going to camp there. Instead of going towards the barn, I kept spinning around, yanking on the reins, and heading back out the trail. Mom couldn't get me near the barn. I worked my way further and further out the trail. Mom couldn't figure out WHAT I was doing. At home, I am eager to end the rides and get to the barn. I don't know what I was thinking. I just know how I HATE that trailer . . . and I was not going to trailer anywhere.

Painthorse left the barn and came back to get me. Mom put my nose in Painthorse's tail, and I was able to get back to the barn. But when it came time for Mom to get off, I flipped out again. I spun and jumped and went crazy and Mom couldn't get off. Finally, she just leaped off me, and I started to get my head straight. I don't know what I was thinking. We were camping! I wasn't going in the trailer. 

Mom was happy to see me eat and drink in my stall in the barn. There were other nice horses there and they made me feel welcome. Still, I was upset with Mom, and wanted her to leave me alone.

The next morning, Mom couldn't wait to take me for another fun ride, so she tacked me up before Painthorse was ready. I was not in a good mood and did not want my saddle on, even though it is the saddle I like. But, as I have said before, Mom never gives up, and she got that saddle on me. When she rode me around while Painthorse was getting ready, I started on my mess again. She just ignored my mess, and pretty soon, I got my head on straight and started standing quietly.

Painthorse and I rode on and on, all morning. It was a great ride. I got to show off my fabulous gait, and then we did a bunch of cantering too. Mom loves my cute canter. Painthorse has these long legs and this lovely floating swinging trot where she goes really fast. My little legs go a mile a minute to keep up. We met some other friends that Mom knew, and their horses all were friendly and kind.

I was plenty tired when we got back to the barn, but as soon as I saw the barn, I flipped out again, and fought to go back out on the trail. Painthorse saw that what I was doing didn't make any sense and stayed with me real close until we were at the barn. This time Mom didn't waste a second but just leaped off me before I could lose my mind. I realized how tired I was when Mom washed me and I didn't even object at all. You would think I liked being washed with a hose, the way I stood still.

But when Mom took me away from the wash rack, I thought she was going to put me in the trailer, and I flipped out again. I kept spinning around her the way I used to do years ago. Mom didn't know what to think. I wanted to roll in the nice, clean, soft sand, but I was just too agitated. As soon as Mom got me to the barn, I knew I wasn't going in the trailer, and I settled down in my stall. But not enough to eat the hay she gave me. I did finally drink a little water, but not much, for all the sweating I was doing.

After a long time, Mom DID take me to the trailer. I always walk right in, but then it was GO CRAZY TIME!!!! I gave that trailer 5 of the hardest kicks ever! Mom sprinted for the truck and moved it right out. I stopped kicking then, and didn't even kick once when she had to stop the truck to unlock the gate and re-lock it.

I was glad to get home and see Windy. She missed me a lot. Chorro said he missed me a lot too, but I didn't believe him. I could see where he had paced a trench by the fence from looking for me. All he missed was the chance to lunge at me and bite me. I was super happy to drink "my" water. I don't know why I kept having those flashbacks and reverting back to the way I used to be 2 years ago. Mom is discouraged, I know, but I know something else. It won't make her quit or give up, I surely do know that.


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## egrogan

Poor mom. I don't know how you do it! Wish I could offer some useful suggestions but lesser mortals like me would have to throw in the towel with this one.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## knightrider

Ever since the camping trip, Mom has been putting me in the trailer (as she does every day), and I've been feeling pretty good about it. Yesterday I only lifted my right hind and banged on the floor a couple of times to show her I didn't appreciate being in the trailer. I was too nervous to eat, but I didn't shake or sweat and I didn't kick.

Today I did great in the trailer. I only tapped my right hind twice. I wasn't too scared to eat and I didn't poop in the trailer. When Mom came to get me out, I was happy and calm. Mom was delighted with me.

But something else happened that made me decide to write in my journal again. I decided to admit something that I wouldn't even admit to myself. I really do care about Mom. I kept saying I didn't, but now I am going to admit that I do. I know I act happy when Mom rubs certain places near my ears, but I always pretend it's just an act. Today Mom rode Windy for a long ride, and I have to say that I didn't like it. I always say I don't care, so now I am being honest. As Mom was taking off Windy's tack, I came up to her and shoved my face under her arm and held it there. "Hey! Today was MY day to be ridden! Why are you riding HER?" Mom was really happy. I've been affectionate with Mom in the past, but I always pretend that it's just an act, and Mom knows (or thinks anyway) that it's just an act. But now I am saying in this journal right here and now that Mom really matters to me.


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## Tazzie

Awww, I'm glad you've come to realize you have a good mom! You are in a very good home young lady!


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## knightrider

Mom discovered that I completely flip out if the truck looks like it is hitched to the trailer. I kicked 5 times and was a complete sweaty trembling mess the first time she put the truck in front of the trailer this week. She was kind of discouraged because I had gotten so I didn't care if the truck was there or not . . . but those days were before Mom started trailering me places again. Now that I am going riding somewhere from the trailer so much, I started flipping out again. I don't know why I keep losing my mind after trailering. Anyway, this is the fifth day that Mom has put the truck in front of the trailer, and for the first time I felt in control enough to eat some grain from the bucket she keeps in there and not poop. And also not sweat. I don't know why I get so rattled in the trailer. It doesn't bother me a bit to go in it. Mom just sets the leadrope on my neck and I just walk right in. It's after I get in that I suddenly can't think straight.

Today Mom rode me by myself for 2 hours and 10 minutes. About a month ago, I had started back on my spinning and rearing when she took me out by myself. Nothing as bad as what I used to do 3 years ago. I just can't believe that Mom has won on EVERYTHING. I have to still show her that she can't always have everything she wants. Today I did my spinning and rearing thing twice on the ride. She yelled at me, really mad, and I just gave it up. I was super nervous on that long ride all the way out, but much better coming home. I DO LIKE coming home!


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## elle1959

You are lucky to have such a patient and loving mom, Isabeau! I think it's about time you cut her a little slack on that trailer thing. You know you love having fun at the end of those rides!


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## knightrider

Today I got to wear my new elegant silver Christmas bridle. In spite of Mom punching two new holes on each side, it is still too big for me. I have such a dainty, elegant head, don't I? But she will fix it, I know, so it will fit perfectly.



I rode extra extra good for Mom today and she was really proud of me. Although I don't like to lead, I led the whole ride, both going away from home, and going home. When going away from home, I didn't lag or drag and when going home, I didn't fuss or jerk at my new bridle to go faster.



Windy was extra good as well, and Mom was happy with her too . . . and happy with her human filly for riding her after she had been so naughty on Christmas day.


Mom told me to put this stupid picture of Chorro in my journal because she loves him too. I didn't want to. I DON'T love him. Bossy ol' buffalo.



Here's Windy and me--best buds forever!!!!!

After the ride, Mom put me in the trailer without the truck and I, of course, knew I wasn't going anywhere, so I was cool as an ice cube. Mom was happy with our morning.

Now Mom's wild and crazy Sunday school little human foal is visiting and she will ride Tico this afternoon and tomorrow morning. Poor Tico. This little foal loves to go fast but isn't a secure enough rider to do it. Mom doesn't let her. But she tries . . . and Tico likes to go fast, so I have to watch them and look after them.


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## knightrider

Nothing much is happening for me recently so I haven't had anything to say. Mom puts the truck in front of the trailer every morning, and at first, I thought I'd be going somewhere, so I was pretty nervous, but so far, she hasn't taken me anywhere recently. So I just go in and eat some food. Mom is super proud of me because nowdays I lead the rides quite a lot, especially as Curmudgeon has gotten two new Pasos in the last week. He likes to have another horse lead the rides when he gets a new horse. Mom has also been riding me solo quite a bit, and I've made her very happy by riding right out. She says she wouldn't sell me for a million dollars. She'd better not even think about selling me!

Now I am going to tell about the interesting part of my life. Curmudgeon is really not all that bad. He is a fairly old guy and has trouble mounting and dismounting. He can't even remember learning to ride because his father bought and sold horses and he rode whatever his father had until it was sold. He has started probably 200 colts in his life, kept a stallion, bred mares, roped, worked cattle, and has won 4 saddles.

But now that his health is failing and his balance isn't so good, he wants a gentle horse where he won't get hurt. So he looks around until he finds a nice gentle quiet horse and buys it. In about 6 months or a year, he gets bored with the gentle horse. He wants something with some zip and pep. That's the kind of horse he rode all his life. So he sells the boring safe horse and buys something with some life that is really fun to ride--like ME!!!! But his balance isn't so good, and he can't move quickly, so it doesn't take him very long to realize that he can't ride the fizzy horse. I could tell he was scared of me when he owned me. He won't admit to Mom or anyone that he is scared, but we can see his white knuckles on the saddlehorn when his horse is bopping around. I can hear the fear in his voice when he says "Who." (Isn't it funny--he doesn't say "Whoa." He says "Who." Now, what horse stops when it hears "Who"? Not me.) So, Curmudgeon goes through horses like I go through hay.

He got the red Paso on a Sunday and by Thursday, it was gone. That red boy was an exciting ball of fire to ride. It scared him. So 3 days ago, he got a bay one. They were both nice Pasos--he knows his horses. I hope he sticks with the bay one because he's a real beauty and very well behaved. But not spunky--unusual for a Paso, I know--so maybe he'll be gone in 6 months. Mom hates it when he sells a really fun horse. I guess he's had a dozen or so really fun spunky horses since Mom moved next door to him. She doesn't like the gentle duds and is glad when he gets rid of them. But it is hard on her . . . and on me too . . . when he sells one of those gems that are so thrilling to ride.

Mom gets pretty attached to them and wants to own them all. Sometimes she cries when he sells a really good horse. That's how she got me--she couldn't bear to see him sell me. She's going to stop with me, she says. She's going to ride me until she's 90 and I'm 37.


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## knightrider

Mom has been taking me places in the trailer every couple of days. She put the truck in front of the trailer for so many days, that I didn't kick (much) when she started actually hauling me.

She worried me last Wednesday because she gave Tico to Paintlady to start a lesson program with him. Those silly ole humans call Tico "The World's Greatest Pony" and think he's so wonderful. Paintlady thinks he'll be good for children to learn to ride on. I don't know. Tico's kind of a sourpuss and a dud. But what worries me is that Mom would give Tico away! That means . . . could she give me away too????? Nah . . . no one would want me. 

She took me camping again at a park not too far away. I didn't kick in the trailer at all when she drove me away from home. But I sure did kick when she stopped to unlock the gate to the park and then re-lock it. I let her know that she was to GET ME OUT OF THIS #$%^& TRAILER!!!! Paintlady came with Painthorse and those humans made us ride for 4 hours! We were a long ways down the trail when those two humans kept looking at a map and talking about what trail to take . . . and then looking at the map some more . . . and then some more. Then we trotted (well, I DON't EVER trot, but Painthorse did) and cantered quite a lot because it was dusk. We didn't get back to the barn until it was really dark. And I was so hungry and thirsty, I didn't pitch a fit about going back to the barn. Mom had already fed me lunch in the barn, so I was pretty sure there was not going to be a trailer involved--at least not that night. I drank a little and ate some, and Mom was really happy with me.

There wasn't another single horse in the barn this time. Although the sky was blue and it was plenty warm, no other horses came to ride in the park. Painthorse and I thought that was odd.

It was just Mom and me in this big old campground. It was kind of creepy and I didn't like it, so I quit eating and drinking.

Paintlady came back the next day with ****TICO*****. He must have smelled me tucked way back in the barn, because before he could see me, he started calling to me . . . and I called back to him. He was always this bossy ol' crank at home, but at the park, we were REALLY glad to see each other. So we rode a long time together and it was great. That is, until it was time to go back to the barn. I figured I was getting in the trailer this time, and I wasn't going to have it. I sort of pitched a bit of a fit and kept spinning around when we got near that barn. I wanted to go out on the trail some more instead of getting in the trailer. Mom kept riding me near the trailer about 4 times, but never getting off of me and making me get in. Finally I decided I wasn't going to have to get in that trailer and walked right past it. And that's when she got off. She tricked me . . . again, as usual.

I was furious and put up quite a fuss when she tied me to the trailer. I pawed and reared and kicked out lots and lots. But she put me in the trailer anyway. I kicked two big hard kicks . . . but I'm allowed. I just did two. And when Mom got me out of the trailer, I was soaked with sweat. I just can't explain why I get so upset in a trailer.

For the most part, Mom said it was a good camping trip. She is super happy with the way I take her out on the trails.


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## knightrider

I won third place in Pasos for Pleasure for 2015! I was really excited. Of course, Chorro, the big ol' buffalo helped win it too. But Mom asked ME to write the article that is going in the Paso Fino Magazine. Tell me if you like it, OK? Here it is:


Paso Fino Magazine 2016
Hi, my name is Isabeau Memorable Paradise, and I come from some amazing Paso Fino bloodlines. My pedigree goes back 8 generations with every sire winning national and world championships. My grandsires are MarcoPasos and Tataro del Encuentro. My sire, Memorable de la Luisa, won second place at the Nationals. So that makes me some special Paso Fino, and I know it. In fact, I’m the queen of Paso Finos. I’ve got an awesome gait.

So how did I end up in the back yard of some ordinary trail rider? Well, being queen and everything, I thought that everyone should serve me and I should only have to do the things I felt like doing. It seemed like a pretty good life for me, back in those days. When someone asked me to do something I didn’t want to do, I’d just rear up and fall over on them. I was in charge, all right.

So when my Mom got a hold of me, she thought she was going to straighten me out and fix me so people could ride me. Boy, I sure had to set her straight! But it didn’t work that way because Mom was sneaky. She’d get me to do something I could just barely tolerate, and then she’d ask for just the tiniest bit more. Ah, what difference could it make, I said to myself, if I just rode 5 more minutes, or rode by myself home. Before I knew it, she was getting me to do more and more of the things she wanted and I was doing less and less of getting my own way. 

One issue, where she did not win, was the trailer. No matter what she did, I was determined to kick her trailer to pieces. She tried lots of ways to get me to stop kicking in her trailer, but I wouldn’t stop. I’d load perfectly, all by myself, but once she shut the tailgate, it was “Katie bar the door!” I’d kick and kick until that trailer looked like a junk heap. But there’s one thing about Mom –she never gives up. She just kept putting me in the trailer and trying different ways to get me over my fear. It was a crazy fear, I’ll admit it. I just lost my mind in that trailer.

Well, she was making a lot of progress after 3 years of putting me in the trailer every single day. She decided that what I needed was a loooong trailer ride, in fact lots of loooong trailer rides. She wanted to take me to California but Dad said, “No way!” Then she dreamed of taking me to Hard Labor Camp in Georgia, but Dad wouldn’t have that, either. She compromised by taking me with a couple of friends to the beach in St. Augustine, 3 hours away.

I was a star on the beach. I was braver than any of my horsey friends, heading through the beach umbrellas and sand castles. Of course, as queen, I should be brave. I rather liked riding on the sand, especially galloping with my buddies.

Then Mom took me to Princess Place to camp out. Now, Mom goes camping quite a lot, but she always takes her other Paso Fino, Chorro, my pasture mate. She loves him, calls him her heart horse, and makes a big fuss over him. Who cares about him anyway? Big ol’ bossy buffalo. But anyway, this time it was my turn—not that I wanted to go anywhere—but once I got there, it was pretty cool. I didn’t care at all for the camping place. Oh, it was beautiful all right, but all us horses had our own separate paddocks all spread out. I couldn’t see my horse friends at all and it upset me. I wouldn’t eat or drink much, even though I was hungry and hot.

The next day we went back to the beach. The other horses went into the surf, but as queen, I don’t care to get salty and wet, so I wouldn’t go. But that sneaky ol’ Mom, she got me walking in a big wide tide pool. Well, I could do that, all right. That wasn’t too bad. The tide pool stretched out into the waves and before I realized it, I was standing in the surf with the other horses! I looked down and started staggering and stumbling around. One of Mom’s friends yelled to get me out of the waves. My head was spinning and I couldn’t get my balance. Mom didn’t know that horses could get vertigo by looking down at moving water. I was so humiliated because none of the other horses got wavesick, just me. I should be better than that.

We rode on and on down the beach with some more fun gallops. I have the best canter! Mom calls it cute. I don’t think queens are supposed to be cute, but Mom does love to go fast on me.

When it was time to get back in the trailer and camp some more, I said, “What the hay, I’ve done it already a bunch . . . and I’m tired too. I just went in . . . and gave one good kick so Mom would know she wasn’t the boss of ME.

On the second morning, something happened that I didn’t plan. Mom got up early, as she always does, and checked on me first. When I saw her, I let out a little nicker. I don’t ever nicker to humans, not me. I was embarrassed that it just kind of leaked out. I made sure not to let that happen again. But I was glad to see her. It was lonely without other horses near.

Mom says one day I’ll be her “go to” horse, whatever that is. She says I’ll do everything from packing beginners to jumping to dressage. Right now I won’t do any of those things, but the way Mom sneaks lessons on me, I imagine I probably will one day. Here’s one thing I’ve learned from time and experience as a queen. A queen’s job is not so much getting her way and being served. It’s more about helping and serving other people. I know now that’s what a true queen does. I’ve had a lot of fun with Mom and she’s shown me I can do a lot of things I thought I shouldn’t have to do. On the other hoof, I know I’ve taught her a lot of things she never planned to do as well.


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## knightrider

Blind Horse Enthusiast asked me to update this journal, so I thought I'd write a little about what's been happening to me.

As I said in the last entry, Mom had 3 goals for me this year: to pack beginners, to learn to jump, and to learn some basic dressage. I am pleased to say that I can now do all 3 of those things. Mom still won't put beginner children on me, but she had her niece ride me for an hour and a half . . . and her niece didn't even know how to hold the reins! But I was perfect for her. I've been jumping lots of logs on the trail for Mom, and I like it very much. Dressage? Well . . . not so much, but Mom says it's coming along. I used to not back up, not for anything, but now, when Mom asks, I back up really quietly and slowly with my head level, and she says that's just what she wants. I liked doing turn on the haunches right away. I don't like turn on the forehand because I am moving my butt around (or I'm supposed to) and not looking around. I like to be in charge of EVERYTHING, doncha know!

I'm still kicking in the trailer, but I fear that Mom is slowly winning that last battle. She tries to haul me once a week, and sometimes I don't kick at all, and other times I kick only once (I'm allowed two kicks, but that's too much trouble!). I'm not nearly as scared of the trailer as I used to be. I still sweat and tremble, but I'm lots better. I've been going camping with Mom a lot more, and that is pretty fun.

In fact, now I have to tell a really funny story --a trick I played on Mom while we were camping. We had already done two fun rides that day, and it was evening. Mom wanted to go on an evening ride, but nobody else wanted to go with us. I had never ridden by myself on a camping trip, and Mom decided it was time we tried it. Riding solo? Piece of cake! I do it all the time at home, and was fine riding by myself on new trails. It was starting to get dark when we turned for home. Mom thought there was only one trail that led home, so she wasn't worried about getting lost. She FORGOT about how I don't like to go home because I might have to get in the trailer. She FORGOT that I take a trail heading out when we get near home. It got darker and darker, and we weren't getting home. I made sure of that! Ha ha. Every time there was a trail that turned away from home, I took it. Mom was completely lost, turning away so many times, and I had no intention of taking her back to that trailer! Branches were slapping us in the face in the dark, and Mom was really really lost. I didn't care if we stayed out all night, as long as I didn't have to get in that trailer. Finally (phooey) Mom remembered that I won't go back home when we get near the start of the trail, and she MADE me turn the ways I didn't want to. It was pitch dark when we finally made it back to the barn. Everyone was worried about us. Instead of a little hour evening ride, we rode 2 1/2 hours! Then, did I ever feel stupid, because instead of going in the trailer, SHE PUT ME IN A STALL!!! WITH LOTS OF NICE THINGS TO EAT!!!!

I played another trick on Mom about the trailer. Since she puts me in the trailer *every* *single* *day*, and I just go in and eat nice stuff, I don't mind a bit going in the trailer. She would un-do my lead rope and turn me loose and grin when I'd jump right in the trailer. After about 2 months of her doing that, I decided to play a trick on her. When she'd un-snap the leadrope, instead of jumping in the trailer, I'd spin around away from her and gallop around the yard! And eat grass! Ha ha. Fooled her! So she went back to leaving the lead rope over my neck . . . and I went back to jumping right in the trailer. I just like to keep things hopping for her.

My last trick I play on Mom is my best trick. She likes to put the truck in front of the trailer and load things in the trailer so I'll think I might be going somewhere . . . and then she takes me out of the trailer and puts me in the field . . . just to mix me up. At first, I'd get all nervous and think "This is the real deal, something to be scared about." But lots of times, we didn't go anywhere, so I stopped getting nervous when the truck was in front of the trailer and saddles and bridles got loaded in. BUT--sometimes she DID take me places, and it bugged me that she was tricking me. So--I TRICKED HER!!!! When she hitches up that trailer and loads in horse stuff, I get really still and concentrate really strong. And guess what!? I KNOW when she is taking me places or when she is taking stupid buffalo Chorro instead! I always KNOW!! So when it's me who is going in the trailer, I won't let her catch me! Any other time, I shove my nose in my halter. I follow her around. But when it's ME going some place, no sir-ree Bob, she can't get near me! Isn't that a great trick??!! She has to put all the horses in our stalls and give us something nice to eat. And then take all the others out and put them in the field. And then?? And THEN??? Why, I just hop right in the trailer, maybe one kick, maybe no kicks at all. Isn't that a stitch? I put one over on HER, all right.


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## Tazzie

Oh Isabeau! You trickster!!

I'm glad to see a new post though!!


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## Bondre

You're too smart for your own good, Isabeau! Or at least too smart for your mum's good. Love your stories of all your smartass tricks.


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## horseluvr2524

Wow Isabeau! You make my Princess Shan seem like an angel! It must be because Shan is a princess, not a queen, so she's only half the diva you are.

You look lovely in your new bridle!


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## knightrider

It's been a while since I updated my journal, but I wanted to say a few things.

First of all, Mom has tricked me again about that stupid ol' trailer. I figured out that when she rides somebody in the morning real early, then it won't be me going in the trailer some place. I'll just be going in there to eat nice things . . . which is fine by me. When Mom doesn't ride anybody in the mornings, then I think she might be taking ME somewhere in the trailer. And then I won't let her catch me. I race around the pen like crazy. She always fools me, though, by putting food in all the stalls and calling everybody in. I always say, "Not me! I'm not goin' in!" And every time I stand around (or race around if I feel like it), watching the others happily eating the food. I think about that nice food, and how Mom will probably give mine to Windy if I don't eat it. And after a while, I just can't stand it and go in my stall and eat it. Then I know Mom has tricked me again, she's won, so I go on in the trailer and go riding someplace. Sometimes I kick once, sometimes I don't. It's OK. I just can't let her completely win, can I?

But Mom doesn't like me being upset, so she's REALLY tricking me now! She goes off riding on the Big Buffalo Chorro! She goes on out in the pitch dark riding away. And when she comes back and puts Chorro away, I think, "No problem, my turn to go in the trailer and EAT!" But no, that sneaky Mom. She puts me in the trailer AND DRIVES AWAY!!!! Ouhhh, she makes me SO MAD, I kick the trailer once, just to let her know I don't like being tricked.

But, you know, she is winning this trailer thing. I don't sweat much or tremble at all when she takes me places. It's not really that bad. But I don't want her to know I think that, so I have to keep an upper hoof.

Here's Mom's newest deal--and I don't like it! Our old Tico is starting to have leg problems and can't go on long rides like he used to. So guess what? Mom is putting the inexperienced riders on ME. I've been giving them awesome rides too . . . and everyone thinks I'm just the greatest.

But one girl--she's a friend of Mom's filly--she's kind of heavy for me. I like Mom riding me, and I've put up with these fillies who don't know how to ride, but I'm putting my hoof down about that too. This one filly is just too heavy. So yesterday I decided it was time to take charge. I never spook normally, but I jumped all over the place. I wanted that heavy filly to GET OFF. I did lots of things that I knew I shouldn't do. And that filly was NOT HAPPY. And THEN--when a truck went by, I pretended I was scared (I haven't been scared of trucks in YEARS) and I BOLTED. I mean, I just ran flat out. It was so much fun. I bolted past Chorro and made him bolt, and when Windy saw us running, she took off too. The heavy girl didn't fall off, but Mom was surely unhappy about my behavior. She thinks I'm not safe for that filly, and she's right--I'm not. So that filly will be back on Tico next Tuesday. And MOM will be back on ME. Just what I wanted, ha ha. That ol' Tico better not limp on Tuesday, or Mom doesn't know what she'll do.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

Oh Isabeau, was that the best way to tell your mom about the heavy filly? Tell Tico we hope he feels better.

I'm glad you're doing good. We need some new pictures of the pretty queen.


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## knightrider

@BlindHorseEnthusiast4582, you asked for recent pictures. The only pictures Mom took of me was with that ol' buffalo Chorro because we won 3rd place again in Pasos for Pleasure. Mom puts a lot of miles on us to win third place for the whole US. I don't like posing with ugly Chorro, but here we are, posing for the Paso Fino Magazine.









We won't win third place next year because Mom goes off quite a lot to ride that horse that lives in MY old pasture. Will she get another secret horse? I don't know if I like that new horse or not. He's really cute and he's my exact color . . . but I think males are pretty useless.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

You look very pretty Isabeau! You gotta admit that Chorro is a handsome fellow, even if he isn't your favorite. 

Congratulations on your win!


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## knightrider

Mom tricked me BIG TIME today and I fell for it. She was so pleased, and I have to say it wasn't too bad.

But let me back up because so much has happened around here. First of all, Mom did something I never in a million years thought she would do. She GAVE TICO AWAY!!! She loves Tico! How could she do that!?

It's true that after long rides and camping trips, Tico would be lame for a week or two. Mom rubbed Beigol oil on his left front leg and hosed it with cold water and worried quite a lot. And then she started having this little 9 year old come out every week to ride Tico. I did not know she was getting ready to give Tico to that little girl. Mom's human filly was quite upset about it. Mom tried to explain that it was the best for Tico, but the human wasn't quite buying it.

And the reason the human filly didn't like it was because after giving Tico away, Mom went next door and got that cute gelding she has been riding. Oh, my, is he a looker! And such a gentleman. If that awful Chorro weren't such a busybody pest, the new horse and I could become an item. And then my best buddy Windy has to horn in too, when the new horse and I are getting it on. Whenever Windy or Chorro see us together, they chase us apart. Mom named the new horse Acicate. Isn't that an elegant name? He's just my color, too, and just my size. And he's so courteous and sweet. Maybe I don't hate all males after all. Aci is really special. That's what Mom says.

Our herd is ALL stirred up with Tico gone and Acicate here. Lots of squealing and chasing around and everyone unhappy with everyone else.

Now, I'll explain how Mom tricked me so smoothly this morning. You see, Mom had started taking Aci and Windy together in the trailer. When she tried to take Windy and that big bossy stupid Chorro together, Chorro started mashing Windy against the side of the trailer, and Windy stopped wanting to go in. Can you blame her? Would YOU like to get squished by a 900 pound idiot against a wall? So Mom could only take Tico and Windy on rides. And then Tico kept having that bad front leg when he'd get home. So when Aci showed up, it was always Aci and Windy who went off to exciting places to ride. Of course, Mom wanted it to be me and Windy, but you know what I do in the trailer!

Every time Mom was taking Aci and Windy somewhere, she would act like she was taking me instead. She'd load me in the trailer, and I'd be all scardy and nervous and sweaty and not eat. And then she'd take me out and put me away and load Aci and Windy and drive off. After a while, I stopped being so sweaty and scardy because I never went off any more.

Also, I had figured out--have I ever told you how SMART I am?--that when Mom rides a horse early in the morning, I know I won't be driving somewhere in the trailer. I only go when Mom doesn't ride. So this morning, Mom got up early and rode Chorro while it was still dark. Then she gave us all hay . . . and I figured that was it. I didn't worry a bit when Mom put me in the trailer. She does that every single day after she rides. I didn't fret. I didn't kick. I didn't even break a sweat. Then she got in the truck and drove me off!

When we got to the park, I wasn't the least bit sweaty, and that was a first! She tied me to the trailer, and I felt so good and happy and calm, I didn't rear and kick out like I used to do. I stood really calmly for her to get on. And then, as I always do and always have done, I gave her an amazing ride.

On the way back to the trailers, I was feeling super brave and proud of myself and took her closer to the trailers than I ever ever have. Of course, that old old fear kicked in, and I couldn't possibly ride right up to the trailer, but I got really close. Mom was so proud of me. She rode me 3 times around the campground while the other riders were talking. I would not have done that for her even half a year ago. But I did it today!

And then . . . AND THEN . . . Mom led me up to the trailer, unsnapped my leadshank, and turned me loose! Would I really dare to walk right in that trailer?! I DID!!! I didn't even kick once, even when she discovered the truck key was still hidden in the trailer, and she had to go dig it out. She used to get me in the trailer and run for the truck to get it moving so I wouldn't kick. Not this time, No siree! She was so proud of me. And I am proud of me too. She believed in me all this time. And you can bet that I am worth it. (She thinks so too!)


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## LoriF

You go Miss Isabeau, Sounds like you are becoming quite the Poised Princess that you were born to be. Possibly wanting to look all grown up in front of Aci has something to do with it.


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## carshon

what a lovely post!


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

You go girl! We're proud of you for being so awesome!

Maybe having Aci to show off to is what you need. Maybe you'll get to spend some time with him soon.  

Wishing the best for Tico too. Keep us posted on how you guys are doing, and can you show us your new friend Isabeau? He sounds cute.


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## horseluvr2524

That's awesome Isabeau! What an encouraging story on not giving up. Your mom is great for not giving up on you. I'm not sure that I would have had such patience and dedication to keep at that trailer for so long.


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## knightrider

A few interesting things have happened around here, so I'll do an update. Can you believe all the words and vocabulary I have learned since hanging around Mom!?

The biggest thing for me is that I CAME IN SEASON!!!!! Wow, is that exciting or what? I might have been in season before, but I never knew it or showed it. Boy horses just leave me cold. I like my buddy Windy, a filly that I treated like my baby, but I have no patience with males of any sort. Mom is really happy because even though I am in season, I act like the amazing wonderful perfect lil' mare that I always have been. She thinks I might be showing signs of being in season because of Acicate being here. He's SO HANDSOME and nice!!!! He's a real gentleman, not like that stick-in-the-mud ol' grump Tico, and you know how I despise Chorro, the big fat buffalo. Acicate is a dream doll. He doesn't bite or kick me but is real respectful. I think he's in love with me too. Chorro is so jealous of him, he can't stand it. He won't let Acicate near Windy or me, but sometimes Aci and I sneak little love nuzzles. Chorro and Windy went away for a week and it was just Aci and me. That was really fun and pleasant. Aci is a "no pressure" gentleman. Did I mention how GOOD LOOKING he is??!!

You know how I hate the trailer, right? Well, Mom has been putting me in the trailer for almost 4 years now, every single morning. It's just part of my morning routine and I don't think anything of it any more. But today, she tried to trick me (she does that a lot, doesn't she?) I watched her hitch up that trailer and I was just sure that she was going to take me someplace in it. So when she tried to put a halter on me to put me in the trailer, I galloped around the sacrifice pen, not letting her near me. So she put all the horses in their stalls. Usually when she does that, I keep galloping around and won't go in my stall. She just waits around and finally, when I see everybody else eating happily, I can't stand it and go get my food too.

So today, everybody ran in their stalls, and I started thinking, "Hey, wait a minute. Mom already rode me for a long long looooong ride. I won't be going anywhere in that trailer!" So I ran in my stall, ate my treat, and stuck my nose in my halter. When Mom went to lead me to the trailer, I was sure I wasn't going any place, so I wasn't the least bit worried. But when I got to the trailer, I thought, "Wait a minute, maybe she is trying to trick me and I am going?!" I jumped right in like I always do, but I was too nervous to eat. I just pooped and paced around in the trailer. Boy, did I feel stupid when she took me out in 5 minutes and turned me out in the pasture. Then she and her human filly took Windy and Aci in the trailer. I found out later they went to visit Tico and go riding with him.


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## knightrider

A few days ago, Mom took me camping at a place called Shangri La with Slimlady and Blackmare. Remember them from our beach rides? That was my very first camping trip, ever. I've been camping a bunch since then, but until this trip, I never had to stay in a wire corral that snaps at me if I touch it. That was pretty nerve wracking, but I survived it.

As I have said before, I can read Mom's mind sometimes. This time I knew it was me going someplace, even though Mom rode Chorro for 45 minutes before she loaded me in the trailer. I wouldn't let Mom catch me at all, at all, at all! She put the other horses in their stalls with nice things to eat, but I wasn't going to go near those stalls. She kept herding me closer and closer as I galloped around, and finally I gave in. (I didn't used to do that, did I? What's WRONG with me!)

Although I was super nervous, Mom was pleased that I did not kick in the trailer. The ride to Shangri La was really really long. Some cows were in the road, and we had a long hot wait while people corralled them before we could drive on. 

Finally we got to the camping place--was it ever pretty! But the trails!!?? They were so narrow, deep, and high. All we did was ride up and down, and up again, and down again. I really wondered where we were. Certainly didn't seem like Florida. 

The next day we rode a long long ride to a really scary thing that Mom called a "land bridge". There were big trucks and cars going UNDERNEATH us!! I really didn't like it, but with my friends there, I rode around on it. Slimlady took our pictures. Here are a few.


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## knightrider

One evening after supper Mom and Slimlady took me and Blackmare on a ride up and down those crazy big hills. It was close to dark when we came back and what do you know? The gates were locked! We were locked out. There were big rocks forming a fence on either side of the two gates. Both Blackmare and I are proud of the way we jump, but would I go first? Oh, no, not me. But Blackmare did! And I followed. We were really happy to get back to our camping spots and eat nice things.

Mom thinks I look really strong and healthy since she has been riding me so much. She took pictures of me at Shangri La. Don't I look healthy and pretty? 



Here is how I looked when Mom first bought me. She thinks I look so much better now. Hey, I always was beautiful. Now I'm even more so!


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## carshon

Wish there was a "love" button!


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## knightrider

Haven't written anything for a long time because I guess I have given up challenging Mom. Remember the first time she took me camping? I wouldn't eat or drink one swallow. But I've been camping lots nowadays, and it is pretty fun. Why give up eating and drinking when Mom brings extra nice goodies for us horses?

So, yesterday and today Mom took me camping with Acicate. And yes, I now ride in the trailer with another horse--just as Mom dreamed I would one day. On Monday Mom rode Acicate for a long long time. I stood in a kind of box, I think it's called a stall, and ate extra nice peanut hay. I didn't mind that a bit. There were other horses to look at and smell, and it was a pleasant day.

Today it was my turn to go out riding. Mom rode with someone I call Paintlady because she used to ride a paint mare with me. But today she had a ******ta da*******Paso Fino that she is training, a young colt, very handsome, I might add, and exactly my color, of course, the best color.

Well . . . Paintlady and Mom decided they were going to go for a really long ride to a place they had never been. Of course, Mom chose ME to ride because I am so comfortable and fun to ride. The trails were really rough and difficult. Lots of trees were lying across the trail. They came down the night we had that horrible scary wind and I thought we all were going to blow away. The red Paso and I had to go around many many trees and ride through heavy brush, sticker bushes, branches, and mud. But we were great.

Paintlady had a paper with lines and dots on it, and she said we were going to a river. I hoped she wasn't going to make us swim in it! So, we were almost to this river Paintlady was talking about, when we came to another downed tree. We were going around it when suddenly, my horseshoe got caught in wire that was on the ground. Now, you know most horses in Florida don't wear horseshoes. But I do, because of a bad crack that I got in my hoof from doing that "moving the feet" thing that I wrote about a few years ago. How I wish I hadn't had on those shoes! Suddenly I couldn't move my foot, and I fell down! (I know, I know, I used to be proud of how I could fall down, but I'm not proud of it now). And when I fell down, my hind foot went under the wire. When I tried to move around to free my front shoe and my hind foot, I ended up getting my whole hind leg caught under the wire. Boy, was I trapped!

Mom did something that I thought at the time was very mean, but I know now she did it out of love. She jumped off and sat on my neck and held my head flat to the ground. It was miserable! Paintlady jumped off her horse and tried to get the wire out of my horseshoe, but no matter what she did, it wouldn't come. I had my other front leg and hind leg free and I thought if I could just wave them around enough, I could get out. But Mom really tried to make me stop throwing them around. She kept stroking my face and keeping the flies out of my eyes and telling me how much she loved me and that she and Paintlady were going to get me free, but I had to be still. She kept whispering, "Be still, be still, be still," and "Please God, help us." Paintlady got out a little roundish shiny thing and tried to call for help, but it didn't work.

So she got on her red Paso and they went away pretty fast. Mom and I were alone in that deep dark woods and we were both really really scared. I was groaning and covered in sweat. I thought maybe I would just roll back my eyes and die. I really did. Mom told me over and over how much she loved me and that I must be still and we would figure out some way to get me free. I don't think I've ever been so unhappy, trapped in that wire on the ground, all alone with Mom in those woods.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Paintlady came back with some metal thing in her hands. She begged me not to kick her as she started cutting those wires, snip, snip. With each cut, I could feel myself coming free, and I desperately wanted to shake off that wire, fling my feet around and GET OUT. But Mom pressed my head hard (really unpleasant!) and kept whispering, "Be still, be still" So I was and I did. I could tell they were trying to help me.

At last I was free and Mom let go of my head and got off my neck. I jumped up and Mom stood halfway up. Then she fell under my feet. I could stand up fine, but she couldn't stand up. Hey! I was the one who had to be still, not her! Anyway, she got to her knees and got herself up. And you know what? I wasn't even lame. I cortoed back to camp just fine. I am one tough cookie, Mom says. I think Mom and I are closer than ever now. You can't listen to someone say, "I love you so much" hundreds of times and not feel close, right?


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## egrogan

@knightrider!!!

Not even sure what to say. How scary. I'm SO glad there is a happy ending to this one for you and lovely Isabeau.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582

Yikes! So glad it turned out okay


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## Tazzie

I only liked it for the happy ending! My goodness! I was reading as fast as I possibly could!! So glad you are all ok!!


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## 4horses

I thought that today's adventure deserved its own thread! I was going to title it Florian saves the day, but knightrider beat me to it.

Knightrider and i were incredibly lucky we all got out of that in one piece. The fence wire was camouflaged under leaves, branches and sticks. I rode Florian right over it without seeing it. He has no shoes on though. 

When I turned around, Isabeau was down and struggling. I jumped off Florian, leaving him loose and yelled "get on her neck!" and ran back as fast as i could. By that time Bri was on her neck holding her down. Try as i might, I could not get the wire off her shoe. I thought i might be able to pull her back leg up and get it free, but i could not budge it. 

After debating on what to do... The trails were too blocked for help to come that way. I don't think even an ATV would fit. Way too many trees down. I tried calling for help, but my phone ran once and immediately died. We had just passed a tree farm. I decided that i needed to ride for help. If only we had wire cutters! 

I carefully led Florian past Isabeau and over the wires, hopped up, and away we went. Florian is very hot hyper horse. There is no end to his energy. He was nearly starved to death before I got him, beaten at somepoint for not making a good show horse, and has been very difficult to train. I've had him maybe 4 months now... Brought his weight back up, and restarted him. 

We trotted and cantered all the way back to the tree farm. Jumping logs, ducking under branches, weaving in and out of trees. He did it like a pro. No hesitation and no spooking. Once we made it to the tree farm, i had to find a way through their fence. Found a low spot and led him through it. I didn't need another horse stuck in the fence! There was an old trail by the trees so we followed that. Not a nice trail either. As luck would have it, it led straight to a gate. An open gate! And beyond the gate was a workshop with a person standing there! And he just happened to have wire cutters! And he didn't even ask a single question!

What are the chances of that? 

And away we went. By the time I returned Isabeau had managed to free her shoe, but her back leg was still caught. She held perfectly still while i cut around her legs. I carefully bent each wire back so they would not catch her. And she was free! To say i am thankful she did not kick me would be an understatement! 

As a side note, i never imagined this could happen. I think i will be adding some more items to my trail gear. #1) dormosedan gel #2) wirecutters #3) a good knife - while that may not have been needed today, if they ever get a leg caught in a lead rope, or reins, it would have been nice #4) a working cellphone. #5) it would be smart to bring extra supplies such as extra drinking water and snacks. I was very hungry by the time we made it back. I had not intended to be out that long!

But i will take this as a learning experience and i am incredibly thankful all ended well. My cellphone is an older model and is going to be replaced immediately, as the battery is no longer holding a charge. 

This is one of the many reasons it is safer to ride with a buddy. 

And we did return those wirecutters. I must say those were the sharpest wirecutters i have ever used. Maybe they were bolt cutters or cable cutters? I forgot to ask but now i wish i had. They cut like it was butter. Definitely not your typical wirecutters that are so difficult to use. 

We made it back to the barn just in time. The sky opened up and it poured buckets.


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## LoriF

Wow, you guys!! I'm so happy that everyone is alright. Isabeau, you were such a brave one to trust your mom to help you. Mares are always so smart.

@knightrider I hope you are ok, that sounds pretty scary. Another thing to keep in the saddlebags, wire cutters.

@4horses Good thing you were riding a paso, Blackmare would have never fit under a fence. You're a hero. 

Of course that guy would just hand you wire cutters. Who wouldn't when someone rides up on a horse out of the blue in a panic demanding wire cutters. I AM impressed that he gave you his best ones.


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## knightrider

It's so true that @4horses and Florian were the heroes. Florian is still very much a work in progress and 4horses was just amazing to get him through that rough trail so quickly. @LoriF, Florian is the horse that took off when we were riding at McCulley and you and Lenny had to track him because he couldn't be caught.

When Isabeau got stuck in the downed wire fence, 4horses leaped off Florian and ran to us, just leaving him standing there for about 15 minutes. He just stood, waiting for her. 4horses spent a lot of time teaching him to let himself be caught easily, and it surely did pay off. When I saw him just standing there, I thought, "What if he runs off like he did last time?" But he never did--just waited around for 4horses to jump back on him and hurry for help.

What a horse! What a trainer! I am so grateful for them for their help.

By the way, Isabeau is just fine today, not a scratch on her, no swelling at all.


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## carshon

@knightrider and @4horses what an awesome and inspiring tale! I have seen a horse get a shoe caught in wire and go down and struggle to stand. That mare pulled something in her hip or legs and is not ridable on any type of incline to this day. What a testament to the both of you and your wonderful horses. I had tears in my eyes when I read the posts. So happy everyone is OK and happy that you both have something to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving.


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## knightrider

While I am writing in my journal, I thought of another thing I would never never do that was awful silly. Waaay back years ago, I wouldn't let Mom (or anyone) put a tube in my mouth with something they called "wormer." No, I didn't want worms in my mouth!

Mom put applesauce in that worm tube, but I wouldn't have any part of it. In fact, I was so stubborn that I wouldn't eat apples for 3 years. All the other horses loved apples, but I stopped eating them just to show mom she couldn't be the boss of ME! After about 3 years, watching the others crunching on tasty apples, I decided I could just taste one . . . and it was pretty good . . . so I went back to eating apples. Mom wasn't putting those worm things in my mouth anymore anyway, so I had no point to prove any more.

Since I was eating apples, Mom decided to put applesauce in a worm tube to see if I would eat it. I watched Chorro loving it. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, I thought. Yum, it was awful good. Why was I so stubborn before? Every few days Mom gave me a tube with applesauce in it. I can't wait to get one now. I just reach for it and gobble it down. Mom said that most horses come around in about 3 days. Leave it to me to take 3 years. Mom loves me anyway. She tells me all the time.


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## knightrider

I just keep racking up the good points! There was a time when Mom--or other people--asked me to do things and I would say, "No way, not doin' that!" I look back on those times and am ashamed of myself. Back then I would have been ashamed of what I happily do now.

Mom has been really sick for what seems like a really long time. She doesn't ride any of us, but just drags herself out to the barn and feeds us. Finally today, she started feeling well enough to ride and guess who she chose to ride, even though she was weak and shaky?? ME!!!!! I was so proud to be the one to take her out for a short trail ride. I could tell she wasn't strong at all, so I took really good care of her.

And just what she hoped has happened. I now take the little girls next door, who just learned to ride. I take really good care of them too, and they love to ride me. Here is a picture of a trail ride. I'm the second one from the front, and look how willing and calm I am taking that child! I'm so proud of myself nowdays. I used to be proud of being stubborn and difficult, but now it's the other way around.


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## knightrider

There's not too much happening around here. Mom has been riding me solo quite a lot and I am feeling a lot more courageous.

But last month, I wasn't courageous at all. We were riding all by ourselves when someone shot a really loud gun behind some trees so we couldn't see who it was . . . or what it was. I jumped sideways really big, and jumped again sideways . . . and again. The 4th jump was when Mom came off. She had never fallen from me before. She used to jump off in the bad old days when I would rear and come over on her, but she never fell. She couldn't get up, she hurt so bad, but you know that Mom--she never let go of the reins, in spite of lying there for I don't know how long. Finally she managed to get up and led me for a long way. Then she finally got on. I was so nervous, wondering when someone else might shoot a loud gun, that I bounced and hopped and bopped all the way home, and Mom wasn't happy with that at all.

But the other rides have been really good. I take a little girl who lives next door riding quite a lot and don't give her any trouble. Except one time. We were riding home and were pretty close to home when suddenly these huge trucks dragging enormous trailers came right up to our trail! They were planting baby pine trees. I didn't like it at all and started my hopping and bopping which doesn't bother mom (much), but Mom made the little girl get off and lead me. I was kinda ashamed of myself then. The little girl got back on when I stopped being silly and rode me home. Mom was really proud of the little girl, but not proud of me at all. I hang my head.

I still have to show a spark of spunk sometimes. I haven't been kicking in the trailer at all recently. Mom thought we were done. How many times has she thought THAT???!!! So today when Mom put me in the trailer to go off somewhere (I always know when she's actually going somewhere), I kicked as she went down the driveway, which I have not done for YEARS. Why did I do that? To keep her on her toes, of course. And I kicked again when she stopped to unlock the gate to the park, which I also haven't done for YEARS. But I gave her an awesome ride with PaintLady and a nice lady who does parades with us. Three chestnut mares, all gaiting along --it was so fun--a foxtrot, a running walk, and MY EXCELLENT corto. Mom loves riding me and she loved me a lot today!


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## Knave

Oh no! I can’t believe she did that after all this time. I’m sorry. I am proud that you kept your reins though. Also I am sorry she kicked the trailer again... It is a good thing she is lovable.


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## LoriF

I don't know whether to like the last post or not. It's not very nice to dump your mom Isabeau but I can understand that those loud bangs would be scary. I'm glad that she didn't get too hurt, who would feed you then? And stop kicking the trailer!!


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## EquineBovine

We need updated photos as your old ones are all gone!! :'(


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## knightrider

Something really really scary and awful has happened! I think it will be OK, but it has made me wonder about Mom.

The Curmudgeon (who is not really--I know that now) can't ride with us any more, and Mom wanted some friends to ride with. She learned about a Paso Fino trainer from Puerto Rico who wanted to ride some Pasos, so she invited him to ride.

Of course, she put him on me to start with, and of course, he fell wildly in love with me. He wants me and MOM DECIDED TO LET HIM HAVE ME!!!!! No, Mom, NO!!!! He rides me OK. He isn't harsh or rough at all, but he is scary because he doesn't let me get away with ANYTHING. He is strong with me. I don't like it.

For a whole day, Mom made up her mind that she was going to let him have me. Mom is having to feed us hay much longer than normal, and the pasture is brown. We are not getting rain. I don't know why Mom is so worried about stuff, but it has to do with buying things, I know that. She can't buy things? I don't know for sure.

Anyway, after one day of thinking really really hard about it, and telling herself that she could let Scary Man have me, she decided she simply couldn't be happy with me being somewhere else. YES!!!!!

After she decided to keep me, she still lets Scary Man ride me. He never does anything to hurt me and he sits on me quietly and calmly, much better than the beginners I haul around. But Mom, her human filly, and all the littler fillies who ride me pretty much let me do what I want, as long as I just go along. I know now not to do things that would scare or upset them, so we are all happy, right?

Last time Scary Man rode me, a dog came after us, I think Mom called it a spit bowl. Why would you call a kind of dog a spit bowl?  I have no idea, but the dog was nipping at us horses and being aggressive. Mom told me to kick the dog, but I was kind of afraid of it. Suddenly Scary Man turned me around and told me to chase the dog. I was so surprised the way he told me to do that, that I did! I chased after that spit bowl dog and it ran! Mom was shocked. She never would have asked me to turn away from the other horses and chase a scary dog. But I was more afraid of Scary Man than I was of the dog, so I did it. I imagine I would do a lot more things for Scary Man than I do for Mom and the fillies who ride me. And he was really proud of me and loves me more than ever, too. Well, EVERYBODY loves me, so no one is surprised about THAT. But I am so nervous that Scary Man is going to do something mean that I sweat like crazy. Of course, I sweat about everything, I'm a high powered lady. But Mom and the fillies can ride me and I don't sweat (much) any more. It's just that he doesn't ride me like Mom does, and it makes me nervous.

Anyway, it's OK (I guess) because Mom is keeping me. She says the humans at her house are going to have to eat more beans (what are beans?) but she is keeping me.


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## knightrider

@EquineBovine asked for pictures so here are some . . . from a while back. Tell Paint Lady to send us the new pictures she took!!!!


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## egrogan

Wow Isabeau, sounds like Mom has a lot on her mind. Maybe Scary Man wouldn't be so bad to think about going to live with in the future, but glad that you'll all stay together for now at least!


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## EquineBovine

Ooo you're a beautiful colour


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## SueC

I've just discovered this journal. Love the way it's written. :rofl: Thank you for offering a different perspective. Beautiful photos too. Definitely subscribing.


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## LoriF

Good Job Isabeau for chasing the spit bowl away. Black Horse hates spit bowls and all dogs for that matter. She will try to kill them.

I bet Scary Man really isn't all that scary once you get to know him.


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## knightrider

We had an interesting ride this morning. On the way out on the trail, Mom was enjoying me so much. She has a new saddle that she got from somebody she calls @AnitaAnne, and she was just loving that saddle. I think I am loving it too. I've ridden in it three times now, and so far, it feels really good on my back. Mom told the fillies riding with her how glad she was that she didn't give me away! She was so happy riding on me. 

And now Mom is so proud of me! And I am proud of myself, too. We were going on just an ordinary morning trail ride when a big laborator dog came at us. That laborator barks at us every time, but never leaves his place, so I wasn't worried, and neither were the fillies on their horses.

But, oh my gosh, this time, that dog came out and jumped at Chorro, nipping at his hind legs. Chorro bolted, and the filly on him couldn't hold him. So Windy bolted too. Luckily, mom's filly is pretty experienced and pulled Windy's head around, getting her stopped, while Chorro kept on running.

But here's the good part! Once Chorro and Windy scooted away, the laborator went for MY hind legs. But I just kept walking. JUST KEPT WALKING while my two friends were galloping home. Mom thinks I am just the best horse ever, and of course, I AM! Then, when the fillies had their horses stopped, and the laborator went away, Mom let me corto to catch up with my friends. I was excited and gave her the sweetest smoothest corto EVER! You should have seen Mom's grin then! She'll never think about giving me away again.


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## Knave

Oh wow! What a terrible terrible dog and spectacular horse. I am so proud of both of you. Also of your girl and Windy.


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## SueC

The Skeptical One, The Curmudgeon... :rofl:

Really enjoying this tale. And curmudgeon is such a good word!


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> ...Luckily Curmudgeon, who went with us, brought LOTS of water and gave us some, and I drank a little of that. Mom says from now on, she will bring lots of "my" water too (which will probably taste like plastic and I won't drink it either).


:rofl: Familiar scenario, different perspective! (and so true what your amazing pen-wielding horse said in the brackets - you might have to get her a large glass carafe for travelling ;-) )


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> ...I kicked 5 times and was a complete sweaty trembling mess the first time she put the truck in front of the trailer this week...


I know of one horse who was like that travelling, and hurt herself terribly eventually, and then they discovered that if they swung the float divider sideways when floating her, she was fine. It allowed her to spread her rear legs further to stay more balanced. So this was an old Taylor horse float, the type that allows you to move the divider over to the other side at the back. So what they did is make a new "bum bar" at the back to fit the more open position of the divider. Hope this makes sense. Not sure if it's any help, but that particular mare was much helped by that extra space for her hindquarters.


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## knightrider

@SueC, thanks for the idea, but I was way ahead of you. My white appaloosa (the one in Knights in Shining Armor), started scrambling in the trailer(float) in about 1978, and there was an article in Western Horseman magazine about scrambling. They said to take out the divider in the trailer, and your horse wouldn't scramble (try to climb up the sides of the trailer). So, I took out the divider, she stopped scrambling, and I never used a divider since. The first thing I do when I get a new trailer, is take out the divider. The trailer I have now is a 4 horse stock trailer with TONS of room and I haul Isabeau untied with no divider at all. She's a unique lil' mare.


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## SueC

It's amazing Isabeau didn't mention it. Do you reckon she was taking that for granted? ;-)

Is Isabeau typing or writing more traditionally? Very talented horse!


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## knightrider

@SueC. Thank you! I type with a stick in my mouth and press the keys. Mom answered that one about the trailer.


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## knightrider

Well, Mom really finally dragged me to Doe Lake this time! It wasn't nearly as bad as I dreaded it would be. The really bad part was Mom wanting me to go in the lake. I don't like getting dirty or wet (except I love to roll the minute the ride is over--but that's sand, so I don't get dirty). The rides were fun. Mom took Acicate with me, and I always feel more confident in the trailer when he is with me. I didn't sweat or shake at all.

I did kick him once in the shoulder as soon as we got in the trailer. He looked so surprised and said, "Hey, Red Girl, it's me! Why'd ya kick me!" Luckily, I didn't kick very hard, nothing like I used to do. And I didn't kick at all going home, not once.

Sometimes I rode out with other horses and left Aci back and sometimes Paint Lady rode Aci with me. We went on lots of long rides, but I feel fine and fit so the rides were interesting and fun. I like having Mom right there with us all day, paying lots of attention to us.

The lake? Meh, not so much. Mom thought I'd learn to go in it and swim around. Aci did, but after two times going in the lake, I decided I didn't care for it. I had to show Mom I'm still boss over some things. No matter how long we had ridden, how hot it was, and how thirsty I was, I refused to drink that lake water. Alligators poop in that lake! Nah, I'm not gonna drink it.


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## Knave

That looks like it was amazing!! I am so terribly jealous.


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## knightrider

This morning Mom and I went for (what she says) a solo two hour ride along a road and then through the woods. Just last year, that would have been amazing, but now I do it happily. I'm so glad! What also was exciting was that Mom unlocked our great big farm gate--it has a wheel on the end, so I know it is really big for a gate--without having to get off me. I stood (mostly, sort of) still while she unlocked the gate, and then I walked backwards while she pulled the gate all the way open. Just three years ago, I wouldn't even go OUT that gate, much less unlock it and pull it open. Back then I didn't realize how fun it would be to do stuff with Mom. But it is.

Speaking of doing stuff, yesterday Mom told me she put out a request in some kind of internet thing about horses looking for a rider for me. She wrote that I was especially good for children and beginners, and you know what? I AM!!! I love looking after kids and people who are kinda afraid of me. Ha ha, mainly because they let me do whatever I want. They don't tell or try (get the word, TRY??) to MAKE me do stuff. They just sit up there and I take care of them. I love taking care of creatures, especially young creatures. I was so good to Windy when she was a little baby and so scared away from her mom. I think it is because my own mom was so horrible to me and did not take care of me. I always want to do better than that.

In fact, I want to have a baby . . . except that I would have to get with a stallion, and I can't stand stallions--so huffy and demanding and so arrogant. No, can't stand 'em. Chorro, the big buffalo, thinks he's part stallion. He starts making those stupid nu'gah, hu'gah sounds and puts out his thing and acts like he's all that. I just blow him off and walk away. He's so stupid.

When I spent that week alone at Doe Lake with Acicate, he told me that the mares where he was born had babies without being around stallions. Now, THAT'S what I want. A baby with no ignorant fool to jump on me. But Mom says I can't have a baby because my back legs are wrong. How can that be? I take grown men riding for hours and never go lame! I give people the sweetest, smoothest gait they've ever ridden. My back legs are perfect!!! What does Mom know anyway. She doesn't know everything. My back legs never hurt and they are just fine, so there. I want that baby, Mom.


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## Fimargue

knightrider said:


> nu'gah, hu'gah sounds.


:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Well, Isabeau, those part stallions are also able to climb on pretty mares like you and do their thing. So, you better stay strict with him! Because that won't even result to a baby then, all that huffing and puffing for nothing at all.


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## knightrider

*Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Beautiful Angel*

We just got home from a 3 day camping trip at a place Mom calls Shangri La. It was so much fun. I liked it better than last time I was there because Mom took Acicate too. We had so many successes.

Success #1: Mom can now take me in the trailer and trust me not to kick the other horse. I never offered to kick even once. Mom hauled Aci home without the knee-to-fetlock shipping wraps because she has started trusting me. In the past, I kicked Aci twice and drew blood, right through the heavy padded shipping wraps. Aci is, as I have said before, such a gentleman, and never chided me for kicking him, even though I am sure it hurt. I just used to get so scared, I couldn't help myself. But not recently, and not this time.

Success #2: I felt happy enough in the snapping popping shocking white wire fence that I could eat and even drink lots of water. I still got a little ganted up, but nothing like I used to do when we went camping.

Success #3: I went through lots and LOTS and L!O!T!S! of water! It was super duper scary. I really really did not want to go. I saw Blackmare and Aci splash on through and I really wanted to and thought I could. And then I did! And after that, I realized it wasn't all that bad. I loved splashing in the water, getting everyone else wet, and making the humans squeal. Splashing water is so much more fun than walking in it.

Success #4: There were tons and tons of tricky steps, roots, and rocks on the trail where I had to climb up and down rock steps and navigate (how do you like THAT word! Not only can I use it, but I can spell it too) tight downhill steps on rocks and steep narrow trails through the dirt. I did them all without hesitation. I remember in the beginning when people were first starting to ride me, I wouldn't even step over a log in the trail. I just reared and reared. Whoooh, was I stupid back then!

Success #5: Mom kept softly singing a song to me "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful angel". I could tell she loved me so much. I could feel her love enfolding me. And I was loving her right back. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Last thing was not a success. Mom, once again, sorry to say, proved she was right. My saddle, that I love so much, hurt my back. She kept saying that saddle doesn't fit, and I insisted it was the only saddle I wanted to ride in. By the end of the camping trip, my back was sore. To be fair to me, we did ride 10 1/2 hours in 3 days and that is a lot of riding. I still like that saddle, but I guess I can't ride in it for such a long period of time. I know that Mom loves me and wants the best for me. I have certainly learned to trust her.






Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful angel
Love your imperfections every angle
Tomorrow comes and goes before you know
So I just had to let you know.


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## AtokaGhosthorse

Subbing! Loving it!


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## JoBlueQuarter

Oh wow, love that your mom sang Beautiful to you, Isabeau!  I love that song so much <3 I usually listen to this version, with Camilla Cabello:


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## knightrider

Here is a picture of me and Mom on one of our rides. Slimlady II (Mom calls her @PhantomHorse) is on Aci behind us.


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## knightrider

@JoBlueQuarter, that's my favorite version too! Thank you for putting that up!


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## SueC

Hello! :wave: So nice to see the adventures continuing! 

Is Isabeau getting into reading the dictionary? This could get really interesting!


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## PoptartShop

Looks like so much fun, so glad you two got to meet up and ride!!


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## knightrider

Since I've been doing so well, Mom decided to take me for a ride to explore new trails by myself. She hasn't taken me to do that for a very long time--I think it was two cold seasons ago the last time she took me to explore. I didn't want to go any place I didn't know and stopped a lot and refused to go in those bad old days. I remember she had to get off of me several times back then because I just wouldn't go. In those days, if she got after me when I wouldn't go, I'd just rear up, and if she got after me for rearing up, I'd go over with her. I was a disrespectful queen back then, I am embarrassed to say.

So, yesterday was kind of a fluke because she planned on just skipping the long ride on the road, so she sent me into the logged pines to cut off the road ride. She is not really allowed to ride in there, but she sneaks in there from time to time, only when she is by herself and when it looks like rain so my tracks will be washed away if somebody comes along later.

But after we got to the end of the logged pines, we saw three trails that looked really fun, and we just started riding them. There were an awful lot of scary things on those trails, like funny tall towers with little seats on them (mom calls them "deer blinds", but I can't imagine that could make a deer blind. And blind deers are not going to live very long. Maybe could that be why we see dead deers on the trail sometimes? It doesn't make any sense to me, but hoomans don't make any sense a lot of the time). A bunch of those tower things had fallen down and looked super creepy to me.

There was one tower seat thing that totally creeped me out and I wasn't going to go past it. Not only was there a tower but a huge flapping tent cloth thing next to it . . . and it was this dark magenta pink color. If ever a thing was big enough and aggressive enough to kill and eat a horse, that was it! Luckily, it was on the trail headed towards home, and Mom didn't want to go that way yet, so we just rode the other way.

We had to ride through all kinds of underbrush, stickerbushes, logs, gopher tortoise holes, and dead trees. I never hesitated through any of it. And lots of places where we were headed towards home, and I was all happy and excited thinking I was going back to eat hay with my friends, and then Mom turned me away from home . . . and I didn't fuss even one second.

On the way home, I passed a field with such tall grass that we didn't see 40 big ugly buzzards eating something dead--probably one of those blind deer--and those huge buzzards all flew up at once towards me. I just kept walking, well, dancing really. I just love to dance, and I dance all the way home, so smooth and pleasant and fun and lively that Mom just loves it. I am really SOME trail horse now days!!!!

This picture was from another ride, but you get the idea.


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## knightrider

I just got back from another camping trip with Mom. First we went to a place called Watermelon Pond. I was hoping to get some watermelons, but there were none there.

We were riding with Paintlady, but she didn't bring Paintmare; she rode Acicate, my boyfriend! We did corto for a long time and both got really sweaty. We went through some water, but I managed to avoid most of it.

Then Mom took us to the place where we often ride and camp out. I didn't kick! Not once! Not on any of the 3 trailer rides! Yay me! 

My stall was different from my usual one . . . and then something awful! Mom went off on Acicate and DID NOT RIDE ME. I was heartbroken. I cried and cried. At home, I don't mind when everybody goes off. I never cry or fuss, but at that camping place, I feel more alone and scared. Finally Aci came back and we got drinks, showers, and a nice chance to roll in the sand. Yay!

Now I'm back home, and Mom rode me again this morning on our regular ride by ourselves. Mom was wondering why I have gone back to behaving so beautifully when a month ago, I was spooking and even spin bolting, which I NEVER do normally. 

I decided to tell Mom my secret, which I also NEVER do normally. As we were riding along in the quiet dawn, just the two of us, I told her why I had had those two crazy bad rides. The night before the first bad ride, I had a terrible dream. I dreamed that some huge monster vehicle went off the road and came after me, trying to kill me. It was a really vivid dream, and when we went on the road that morning, I kept thinking there really was a monster thing that was going to get me. And a few days later, I had that dream again, and I felt even more scared. I thought even when I was in the woods, that that monster thing was after me. But now the dream is just a memory, and it doesn't bother me like it did, so I am back to riding perfectly and not spooking at anything.

So, me, the secret baby, and then the secret horse, is starting to tell Mom my secrets. I love her. She tells me all the time how much she loves me.


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## Knave

That sounds lovely! I am happy for you.


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## LoriF

Wow Isabeau, sounds like you have really grown up into the queen that you were destined to be.


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## SueC

HRH Queen Isabeau!


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## knightrider

Mom got hurt and couldn't ride us for awhile. And then, finally she could ride, and GUESS WHO SHE PICKED TO RIDE SOLO FIRST!!!??? ME!!!!!

The horse that wouldn't ride out alone, ever, for YEARS! I'm the best that's what! And no, she didn't pick me because it was my turn. Don't you even think that! She thought about riding Chorro and she thought about riding Acicate, but she picked me.

She actually rode Aci in the barnyard, and he was bad. I kept telling him not to act up with Mom. I knew she was fragile and he should be careful. He listened to me and stopped bucking and popping up. He wasn't really bucking, just jumping up a little bit and then kicking his feet out, but Mom wasn't feeling good enough for that.

So, then it was my turn (oh, no, she DIDN'T ride me because it was my turn, I TOLD you that!). She was supposed to ride with the Curmudgeon, but they couldn't go, so she took me out by herself. She knew I'd do great for her, and I did!

I could tell she was fragile and hurting. I carried her so gently and carefully. We had a super fun ride. She let me stop and eat grass a couple of times. She had to push my neck down when she'd stop because I thought maybe going down for grass would hurt her.

She was so proud of me. I'm proud that I was the one to take care of her.


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## Knave

I am proud of Isabeau.

What happened? Are you okay?


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## knightrider

Mom was dragging logs to burn in a big fire. She was dragging one backwards because it was really heavy and tripped on a log on the ground she didn't see. She told me she cracked 3 ribs and broke 2 other ones. But she's doing good. It's going to heal fine. That is, as long as she rides ME. I'm taking real good care of her.


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## egrogan

Oh my goodness, please give her lots of snuggles and be extra smooth on your rides with her!!


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## Knave

That is terrible!! I am sorry. Yes Isabeau, you’d better be really nice.


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## SueC

Sometimes I think Mom would need to be restrained and handcuffed and attached to a ball and chain to keep her off a horse. And it would only work if the ball was heavy enough to interfere with riding...


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## LoriF

Oh no Isabeau, Broken ribs hurt really bad. I am so proud of you for taking care of your mom so she can still ride. Tell her to take it easy and heal.


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## knightrider

Today was another new breakthrough for me. I took an inexperienced rider in our town rodeo parade. Mom was going to ride me herself in the parade when our teen next door neighbor asked if she could ride me. Mom wasn't sure this young rider was experienced enough to ride in a parade, but she decided to give it a try. And she decided to ride Windy instead of me in the parade.

My mom was a bit miffed when the teen called to say that she was already at the rodeo, and would Mom bring me and Windy to her. Mom expects the people who ride us to help get us ready.

The teen showed up AFTER Mom had Windy and me saddled and bridled, but the parade turned out to be really great. I was perfectly behaved for the young rider. Mom was so proud of me. There were a LOT of horses there, as well as fire engines, floats, and majorettes. The teen thought that riding in a parade was a piece of cake because I made it look so easy.

When the parade was over, the young neighbor wanted to rejoin her friends. Mom hadn't even tied us to the trailer yet. I was proud of Mom because she said no, the young person had to help put everything away, including us horses. It's a little tricky getting me in the trailer. After I get in, sometimes I panic, so Mom likes to have another pair of hands there. I started to get frantic, like I sometimes do, but with the two hoomans, I calmed down.

It was a super fun day, and Mom was so proud of me and her young friend.


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## Knave

Congratulations!! That is awesome. I am sorry the girl acted so young, but I think it’s cool you did it!


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## knightrider

Recently, a baby horse moved close to us. He was taken from his mother, and he cries for her from time to time. Mom says he is a Gypsy Bammer or something like that. Maybe he slams into things? Anyway, whenever he calls, I can't help but freeze and stare over at his place. I wish so much that I could mother him like I did Windy when she was taken from her mother. I don't call back to him because I have too much dignity to go screaming out to other horses. I rarely vocalize (how do you like THAT word!). I keep telling Mom how much I want to have a baby. I'd be SUCH a great mom if she'd just stick that stuff in me (no snotty huffy stallions are EVER getting on top of me!) so I could grow a baby. She won't, I'm afraid.

Today I took Mom on the best solo trail ride ever. Mom was so proud of me. We rode for hours and hours, just us two. I am the best horse! It was dark and super foggy when we started out. I used to be so terrible riding out solo. I wouldn't put one hoof past our gate, just rear and rear. And now she can ride me everywhere all by ourselves, as long as we like.


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## egrogan

Aww, Isabeau, that is very sweet of you to want to help the little guy. My friend's horse Coalie lived with his mother until he was 7 years old and had never been away from her. Some not-so-knowledgeable people who used to own him tried to strap him to a rolling cart contraption next to his mom and make him work side-by-side with her because they are both beautiful black horses. But the people didn't know how to teach him right, and even though his mom was there, he was scared and confused. When he couldn't pull the cart, the people decided it didn't matter if he was pretty, because he started to get disobedient. So they took him away from his mother for the first time in his life and gave him to someone new, who fed him the wrong stuff and made his feet hurt. That made him even less likely to cooperate with people because they always made him hurt. Everyone thought he was mean and bad, but my friend got to try him out, and they just "clicked" like you do with your teenage riders. She made his feet feel better and taught him it was fun to go exploring. The only problem for Coalie now is that he thinks every new horse he meets just might be his mother. He whickers and whinnies to them hoping he has found her again. It's hard for him to meet new horses and not get overly excited, but he is learning and trying so hard. He has two new mares down at the end of his driveway who want to help him just like you want to help your neighbor - I guess some horses just have that "take care of everyone" instinct! :loveshower:


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## knightrider

This morning a young hooman showed up to ride who hasn't been here for a very long time. Mom kept telling this young hooman filly that I am quite safe, and for a while she was riding me, but then she quit coming, and I got another hooman filly who was also quite timid. I do really well with these frightened young folks because they don't tell me what to do. As you well know, I don't take well to hoomans telling me what they think I should do.

This child was super nervous, and I took really good care of her the whole ride. I didn't even try to take bites of grass, which I could easily do. This girl filly likes to ride with her hands out. Perhaps I make her feel free? Mom was really really super proud of me this morning. And she praised her young mare hoomans for being so kind to the inexperienced child.

Here is a picture of this girl doing her last ride some time a long time ago. It was kind of cold and all the hoomans had jackets on but not this child. She is different. She is on Tico (we all miss our ol' grump Tico) and has her hand out. She loves to ride, as I said, with her hands out.


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## SueC

inkunicorn: inkunicorn: inkunicorn: inkunicorn: inkunicorn:


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## knightrider

This morning I got up on the wrong side of the pen. Mom wanted to ride me solo on a long ride, and I wanted to hang out eating hay with my friends. I decided I just wouldn't let her tack me up, and that would solve that problem.

When she tried to put the bridle on me, I went nuts. "You are NOT going to touch my ears!" From time to time, I get freaked out when people touch my ears. I was shocked when Mom hit me and called me a bad word. She usually just unbuckles the bridle when I get hysterical about my ears.

She tried really hard to unbuckle the bridle, but it's been years since I was silly about my ears, and it wouldn't budge. I got to thinking about how sad Mom has been. She's had a lot of problems with her hooman colt and filly and I could tell this wasn't a good morning for her.

So I stood rock still and let her slip the bridle over my ears and then I gave her the best ride of her life. We rode on and on by ourselves, and I was brave about lots and LOTS of scary things. Men where raking pine straw into machines, big trucks driving through MY trails, whompy whoopy Spanish music (who ever heard of loud music in my woods anyway?), not to mention those crazy cows and their curious babies. I know Mom feels more ready to tackle a difficult day after the wonderful ride I gave her.

PS: Mom proof read my journal and says I spell hooman wrong. Oops.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, this is Blackhorse. 

My mom leaves her laptop on and logged into HF sometimes. When she does, I like to read your journal. 

I just wanted to tell you that you didn't spell it wrong. That is what all of us beasts call them.

I was reading the part about the black horse Coalie. I hope Novia is never taken away from me. All of the other horses at the farm used to tell me that she would be taken away from me after she was born and I was worried. She is my first and last baby, I don't know if you knew that. Anyway, after 3 1/2 years, I thought all was clear but maybe that could still happen. I'm going to find a way to ask my mom if that will happen, I hope not.

Also, I just wanted to say sorry for Novia when she kicked you. She's young and got scared, I told her that was wrong of her to do that and she she knows better now. I hope she didn't hurt you too badly and that your hooman filly is ok too.

I don't know how you write whole journals, I can barely hit the right keys with these big hooves. It took me forever just to type this. I ended up having to hold a stick in my mouth and poke at the keys.


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> PS: Mom proof read my journal and says I spell hooman wrong. Oops.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:




LoriF said:


> Isabeau, this is Blackhorse.
> 
> My mom leaves her laptop on and logged into HF sometimes. When she does, I like to read your journal.
> 
> I just wanted to tell you that you didn't spell it wrong. That is what all of us beasts call them.


Dear Blackhorse! :blueunicorn: This is Sunsmart, from Australia. I can't use a laptop because I don't have an opposable thumb, but I told my monkey to type this for me. Please note: My _monkey_! But I do think _hooman_ is rather cool too. Kind regards and happy riding from Sunsmart. :blueunicorn:


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## egrogan

Blackhorse, Fizz here- just wanted to make sure my mom didn't scare you by telling Coalie's story. Even though I think boys are sort of "blah," I do secretly like riding with him and he seems to think I'm decent company. But my older sister Isabel thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and neighs and snorts and squeals and runs like a mad woman whenever he's around, so he knows he's loved, even if his mom is far away.


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## knightrider

Hey! (Hay? Yay!) I got me some on-line friends! This is great! I am so happy you horses are writing to me!

Blackhorse, I always use a stick in my mouth to type. We don't have monkeys here, Sunsmart. I don't know what opposable means. In fact, I don't know what monkeys are. Something that can type, I guess. Sunsmart, you are really SMART because you know these things. Somebody named you correctly.

All you horsey friends, grab some sticks and lets get writing!


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau, this is Sunsmart. :blueunicorn: When I was a little foal like this:










...that's the day I was born... It was the start of December and hot here in Australia, and I lay down in the shade whenever I rested. So, my monkey called me Sunsmart, after an Australian skin cancer prevention campaign:










...also because my Dad was called The Sunbird Hanover. Anyway, I like the shade, and my monkey thinks I'm smart.

It's nice to have a horse penpal to write to, especially a girl one! inkunicorn: I used to have a girl, but she died in 2014, and I'm getting...I won't call it old, I'll call it venerable... so I think to have a girl in the paddock would be a bit, I don't know, _exhausting_ these days for me - my girl was very high-maintenance, she was an Arabian... but I can cope with writing to a girl just fine, still. 

There are three girls in the paddock with us, but they are small and have incredibly long ears. One of them makes eyes at me a lot. What do you think I should do?

It's this one:



This was when I was coming back from a ride with my monkey. It's the one heading for me very quickly. She does this a lot. Do you think she likes me?

Best wishes

Sunsmart :blueunicorn:


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## LoriF

Blackhorse here,

SunSmart, You are really smart. I don't know what opposable or monkeys are either. If they are small, I probably don't like them though. I do like small birds though because they scratch my back for me. The only thing is that they poop on me. For a back scratch, I will take it. I guess I will just have to stay with sticks to type with. What is Australia?

Fizz, Is that your real name or is that what your mom calls you? Either way, I like it. It makes it sound like you keep everyone on their toes. My mom calls me Laela or Lae Lae. I usually only come to Lae Lae because when she says that name she usually has yummy stuff to give me. My real name is Blackhorse and until now, only other horses knew that.

My mom says that my baby is staying and never going anywhere. She did say that we have to stop acting like we are attached at the hip, whatever that means. She says that she is going to have to show us that we can go places without each other and it will be ok. Honestly, I really don't mind going out by myself. When my filly is with us, I feel like I have to always look out for her. Sometime it's nice to just explore without having to worry about her. My filly says that Star is ok company but she really prefers me. She says that Star gives her mean looks when I'm not looking.

Isabeau, I can't wait until we can go exploring together again. It's always fun.

Does anyone have any other beasts where they live? There are some where I live besides horses. There is a beast named Bitethenbark and I don't like him at all. If he ever comes into our pasture, I shall squish him. There is another little creature that I call Slim Shady Tail Chase. He's cute and rubs on my legs. I like him.


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## knightrider

Sunsmart, I think that girl with long ears does like you. And you should be happy about that. Until I came here where I live now, I didn't have any friends. Because my real mom didn't want me, I didn't know how to be a friend to other horses. But then I got Windy, a baby to love, and she is my best friend ever. And later, Aci came along, a perfect gentleman for a boyfriend. Now I am really happy to have friends, and I think it's good to have friends.

Blackhorse, if I had a bitethenbark at my house, I'd squish him too. I don't like those creatures that bark. I knock at my barker with my front leg when she gets close. But she doesn't bite; she runs away. How do you like that ;? My human mom showed me that. I love her. We have chasetails here too, but they stay far away from us horses.

Say, do you love your human moms, you guys?


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## egrogan

"Laela" has such a fairytale ring to it.

I have these things called "papers" which have my REAL name on it, so no other horse can be confused with me. On these papers, I have a regal sounding name: _Windfield Effervescence_. Windfield is the farm where I was born and lived most of my life, so I will always know someone is from my herd and home if I meet another horse whose name starts with Windfield. 

My first people on that farm called me "Effie." But when my now-mom got me, I heard her telling people she thought that was silly; every time she said "This is my Effing Horse" she started laughing hysterically but I couldn't figure out why that was so funny to her :think: I thought Effie was fine, but it didn't really bother me if it changed a little. I heard her telling people that my dapples - which are quite beautiful if I do say so myself - reminded her of bubbles, which fit right with the second half of my name, effervescence. 









And I guess these hoomans decided that bubbles, fizz, and effervescence all go together, and now they call me Fizz. Or Fizzy. Or Fizzle. Or Fizzly Wizzly. Or Pasta Fagioli (my mom comes from Italian people who say fazzooooool). Now my dad mostly just calls me Pasta. These hoomans get so confused, good thing we are patient with them! You're right though, I do like to keep mom on her toes. She has her own journal here where she asks the other hoomans to help her figure out what to do when I try a new way of making her better at riding- sometimes it takes her a while to catch on!


Oh, PS- We have DINOSAURS here. Little mini, feathery dinosaurs that zoom and fly around and eat all the bugs and mice and leftover hay and grain. :chicken2: Mom really likes them too, and sometimes she feeds THEM the leftover apples instead of ME. Can you imagine?!








The yappybarker here is scared of everyone and he never comes anywhere near us. But he is LOUD all the time and we all wish he'd just be quiet every now and then!


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## Knave

Hi everyone! My name is Cashman, but mostly I am called Cash. I like Sunsmart's girlfriend. She reminds me of my friend called Zeus. He is crazy! We play and play, and he is so much stronger than he looks. That's okay, because they say I am a beast. I am. I am the biggest horse, and I have not seen a horse bigger than me on the ranch.


When I lived on the mountain there were lots of horses bigger than me, but I was very little then. I am much older now. I am a whole three-years! I'm pretty sure that is old enough to be considered a grown up. The other horses tell me that I am quite serious for a young horse, but obviously I am not a young horse. 



There are a lot of animals here. The dogs don't bother me much, but the white one tried to jump on my saddle yesterday! That was not okay. I see him ride the other horses, but as far as I can figure it they have no pride. Dogs will not ride on my saddle. There are lots of these little animals, like dogs, but more pretentious. They usually avoid me now. At first I was intimidated by them, but I stepped on one, and now they stay where they belong. Of course they don't say that is why they stay away, but I know they are only pretending. 



There are also birds. The little fluffy kind like Laela has, but also these big loud ones who steal my grain. Sometimes I chase them, and they flap giant wings, but that doesn't bother me. I am a beast remember? There is a cow. Well, there are lots of cows, but there is a particular cow who lives right next to me. My hooman calls her Mama, but the rest of them call her Pepper. She is fat and lazy, but she is friends with all of us. She is more important than regular cows of course. She is the keeper of the farm gossip. Now that I have friends I will tell you the gossip she tells me. 



Today I was at work, but tomorrow I will have time to catch up with her.


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## knightrider

I am really enjoying your stories, you wonderful horses. I feel like I have a whole bunch of new friends. I wish we could graze together!

This morning I took my super scared timid rider again. When she heard Mom was going camping for a week, she wanted to go along. I had to laugh because she doesn't like to ride more than an hour. We go out for 5 hours when we go camping! She wouldn't like it at all! I don't like it either.:-(

But I do like taking this young human. She makes funny high sounds like a kitten and throws her hands around. I don't try to snatch at grass when she rides me because I know she wouldn't like it.

Curmudgeon tells her all the time what a good rider she is, and she is not a good rider at all. She thinks she is a good rider, but she gets scared if I even go down a hill with her. When she is not throwing her hands out, she holds on to the saddle with the reins. But I still like taking her because I am in charge. She said today that she loves going and is going on Monday also. I hope she does. I know that I am good for her.


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## SueC

Dear Blackhorse, it's Sunsmart here. Australia is a very big lily pad with over 25 million monkeys on it; also lots of sheep and cattle, and wildlife that goes boing-boing, and some horses too. I used to be afraid of the boing-boings because I thought they might be pack-hunting carnivores, but they aren't, and I got used to them in the first year of being ridden. They always go boing-boinging away when they see me, which is OK. Some times of year they come into the pasture at night and eat grass with us. Oh and an opposable thumb allows humans to hold reins and pencils and tools and do up the girth and hold carrots and apples steady when we bite into them. I have a library card and am interested in expanding my general knowledge, but I'm not allowed to read when it's raining because my monkey says it would ruin the books.

Dear Isabeau, I think you're right about needing friends, and the long-ears are kind of cute. That's very sad about how your mother treated you. How nice that you have good company now. I was really interested to read about the Bitethenbark Blackhorse and you mentioned. At our place there's a Barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark. She comes riding with us and you should hear her. It's barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark the moment the monkey gets on, right up into my face, and my monkey cusses at her to stop and sometimes takes a dog whacking stick to wave at her while cussing. This bit is really entertaining for me, and my monkey has always applauded me if I stomp at the Barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark, which I will do if she gets too shrill. She is a strange and noisy creature, but good company on our rides, and always wants to race me. In the short races she wins, but if we go longer, she starts to lag behind a little.

This is me with my monkey and the Barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark who is running circles around me in that picture because I am standing still. My monkey says she is a sheepdog and that's why she runs circles and tries to boss me around (unsuccessfully).




Dear Fizz, I don't know what an Effing Horse is either, but my monkey was telling the useless monkey a story the other day with Effers in it and they laughed hysterically too. This is how it went: A boy on a Yorkshire farm was giving a visitor a tour, and saying, "This here be the bull, and them there be the steers, and them there be the cows, and them over yonder be the f*ckers." The visitor was aghast, and the boy said, "Me Dad calls them the _Effers_, but _ah_ know what he _really_ means."

Dear Cashman, that is interesting about your cows. We have eight steers here at the moment. I think they are called steers because I can steer them. Like this:






Do you like to steer your steers too?


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## knightrider

Ohhhhh, I saw the picture of the monkey on your back, Sunsmart! It looks just like a human!!! It looks like a Mom! So that's what monkeys are??? That must be another word for Mom. Are there man monkeys too? We have man ones and woman ones here.

I love the way you horses are writing to me. Let's band together and take over the humans! Wouldn't that be nice. I'd like to see how they like being ridden by us. We'd squish them, ha ha.


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## Knave

Cash again,


That little hooman sounds like a bit much to me. I don't mind loud things, but wavy things can be stressful. I am finally getting to where I can have a wavy rope, but wavy hoomans sound... not nice. It took me a long time to let my own hooman take things out of bags. She really likes this clangy thing that smells sweet when she opens it. I just let her get away with things like that now, but she is special you know? I don't particularly like her little hoomans, but she says that they are important and maybe I will decide to tolerate them eventually.


I do steer the steers Sunsmart! I have been told no hitting, but it seems to be allowed that I bite them. They are underlings and it is my job to control them. Except Pepper, that different cow I told you about. I guess she is not technically a cow, but she looks like a cow. She doesn't act like a cow, so I guess that makes sense. Today she told me the gossip I missed when I was gone. She said Bones has been talking bad about everyone. I told her he is just jealous, but she seemed to think it more than that. I don't really care what he says about me.


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## LoriF

Fizz, I have a paper too. On it, it says that my name is Alexia of Alysium. Sounds pretty regal, doesn't it? 

When my mom got me at four years old, she decided that I should have a new name. She said that she had a barker named Leksi and that she didn't want it so close to that name. A wee hooman foal at the barn where I came to kept calling me Alayla so my mom said that would be a good name. She said that Laela means dark beauty in Arabic. Hmmm, I am a dark beauty for sure, but I am not Arabian. It's alright though, I have kind of grown fond of the name and I like the way that my mom says it.

I just wanted to tell you that your bubbles are beautiful, and sooo many!! I get bubbles every once in a while. Maybe about every six moons I get bubbles and not nearly as many as you. My filly gets beautiful bubbles too, but they come and go like mine.

Isabeau, are you in charge at your pasture? I want to be in charge but Starhorse won't let me. She only let me be in charge one time when she wasn't feeling that good. She said that her foot hurt and she was tired. She seemed to be a little relieved that she didn't have to do it but when she started feeling better, she took back over. She said that I didn't do it right, she's so picky. She said that I was too bossy and I was letting my filly get out of control. She said that I was letting Novia get bossy and she would NEVER let a filly boss her, EVER.

Starhorse has always tried to tell me what to do with my filly, she wanted to steal her the day she was born but couldn't because of a fence. I'm glad that my mom put a fence because I would have had to try to squish her too. I like Starhorse ok but she can be a little uppity sometimes. By the way, Starhorse said to say hi to you. She said that she can't be bothered with being so social but didn't want to be that rude and not say hi.

Hi Cash, nice to meet you.

I used to live in a place that had cows. At first, I was a little unsure of them but my mom taught me how to chase them and boy was that ever fun. From then on, I was never afraid of them. I actually became friends with a couple of the special ones.

The place where I live now doesn't have any cows. I kind of miss their peaceful presence. I do see some every once in a while but I don't know those cows.


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## knightrider

Laela, I am not the one in charge of my herd because Chorro, the ugly stupid buffalo, demands we all toe the line. He bites and lunges at us and kicks us unless he gets first and best of everything. I am too dignified to lunge and bite and kick back. Windy is my best friend, but even she pushes me away from the water sometimes, although she does share her hay with me. Aci is my gentleman friend. He is sweet and kind to me, but he just edges me away if I try to eat hay with him. Sometimes he acts like he wants to be an aggressive boyfriend, and I give a tiny little squee to let him know that I accept gentlemanly behavior ONLY. So that puts me at the bottom of the herd, which I don't really mind all that much because I would never deign to go in there scrapping like the rest of them do.

I get bubbles when it is warm outside. Aci and Chorro get really pretty bubbles. I love it when my bubbles pop out. I feel so good and strong.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, Starhorse is actually a really nice boss. My mom puts our hay out in a long straight line and we all eat together. My filly likes to eat next to me and I let her because she is MY filly. Starhorse eats with us too and she isn't mean or anything. The only time that she gets mad at me is when I ask her if I can be the boss, she ALWAYS says no. I really don't mind that she is in charge of everything, most of the time.

I bet Starhorse would put the one you call buffalo in his place. I don't think he is ugly though, I think he is kind of cute. Maybe because I don't know him that well.


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## egrogan

Fizz here. I got quiet there for a minute because you all started talking about the two things that scare me- the moos and the long-ears. I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea that there are horses who LIKE these creatures. My mom tells me all the time about how brave I am and it's true- we ride through all kinds of things that other horses seem to get worried about, and I don't even look at them. But the moos...with their beady eyes that never seem to blink...and what is up with that skinny string bean tail...and, sorry, but they STINK. We have lots of moos around us, but they are always behind a fence, which I prefer. When we get close to them I let my mom know I am NOT interested in taking a chance that they will slip out from their fence, so I plant my feet like a statue and snort at them to tell them STAY AWAY. Mom knows I'm scared so she isn't mean about it, but she always hops back to the ground and makes me walk past them. I just roll my eyes at her and tell her, "I mean, if _you _want to be the one that walks closest to the fence and risks getting your sides torn apart by those horns, be my guest, but don't expect _me _to save you!" So far though, no moos have chased us. And now here I am reading that there are horses around the world who have a _job _chasing moos. I never imagined such a thing!

Speaking of chasing, let's talk long-ears. What in the WORLD is going on with those antennae ears? Just who and what are they communicating with, and why don't they talk proper horse talk? About a mile from our house, there is a pretty field with a mean barker who always tries to chase us, and on the other side of his house in the pretty field there are two mini-size long-ears. I glare and snort at them when we go by to tell them STAY AWAY from us and usually they stay in the back of their field. But a few weeks ago they came running to the road and I definitely did not want to stick around in case whoever is on the other end of their satellite communications network was around to grab us. My mom did an impressive flying dismount just as I was letting her know we needed to spin around and RUN home IMMEDIATELY. She didn't let me run home, which seemed crazy to me, so I just ran in circles around her until we passed the long-ears. Again, if SHE wants to take one for the team, then that's her business I guess, but I don't have to agree!  She talked to me for awhile and told me she knew I was scared, but honestly all I could think about was the killer long-ears and their communications network and while I know she was probably saying nice things to me, I don't really remember because LONG-EARS TRYING TO EAT US. We have to ride by these long-ears at least a couple of times a week, and at this point I just get to the farthest side of the road possible and power past their field- I prefer to pass at a strong trot and leave them in my dust as we head home.

But now I have to think about this and talk with my mom some more because apparently horses _can_ be around moos and long-ears.







And even like them. Mind blown!


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## LoriF

Fizz, this is blackhorse. 

We have one of those little long ears where I am at. I don't like him at all. When he opens his big mouth, Wow!, what a racket that comes out of it. I've never heard such a thing. You might be right, maybe they are antenna's on top of their heads. Maybe he has everyone fooled as they all seem to like him.

He slipped into our pasture not long ago and I chased him down, knocked him over and said "Take that you loud mouthed mini beast". He rolled over a couple of times, jumped up and ran away. My filly said that I wasn't being very nice and that she likes him. She thinks that he is nice and kind of cute, Pfft!.

Last night when my mom came to feed everyone, she caught him in our pasture again and took him out. I didn't roll him this time because Novia likes him. Pfft! When my mom came back out this morning she fixed the fence where she thinks that he is getting in at, mumbling something about not wanting any mule babies, whatever that is.

My mom is coming twice a day right now because the other people went to pick up a colt. My mom said that we should all be really nice to him because he has never been away from his mama and he'll be scared. I hope that he doesn't get too scared because mostly everyone here is nice. Mom said that his name is Dually and that she would take a couple of pictures to share when he gets here. I love babies.

Isabeau, I'm glad that you get to be around babies every once in a while. They are so cute and sweet.


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## Knave

Cash again,


I have to be honest Fizz, I have never actually seen a long ear. I say they remind me of Zeus because of the line down their back, but I haven't seen one. I don't know, although I'm pretty sure I could fight one and win (they are short right?), I can't really say anything about how it would actually feel. Some horses are scared of Zeus when they first see him, and you should see how the cows react to him! They act like he is a different creature entirely. He's just a horse. 



Do you want to hear a story? Mama Pepper told it to me; I'm not sure how she knew. A few miles down the road there is a very small long ear. He is pretty new. In his corral there are six horses, and one is the same age as I am, but he isn't a horse with a job. This horse without a job started chasing the small long ear. Here is the scary part. The VERY small long ear ran up to the horse without a job and bit into his neck. The horse without a job ran away, but the small long ear stayed clamped to his throat. He ran circles with the long ear picked up off the ground, and eventually the terrible long ear fell off his throat. He is lucky he didn't die! So, yes, long ears are known to be scary. Maybe it is just the very small ones though. 



I saw very small horses before. I went to this place my hooman called town, and there were lots of small hoomans riding. Because the hoomans were small, many of the horses were small. Can you believe one of those VERY small horses was riding all saddled in the back of a truck! Then, when I was near him, he jumped out of the truck like the dog! I don't think I would fit in the back of a truck. Maybe only very small horses and long ears ride in the back of a truck.


I have been stuck in the corral for two whole days! Two days I tell you! I saw my hooman yesterday. I banged to tell her the trough was out of water and she ran outside like the crazy person she can be. When her swimmers started moving again she was happy and hugged my neck. She smelled bad. She says she is sick.


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## egrogan

Thank you for confirming my suspicions, Cash. I just knew those long-ears had violence in their eyes. Blackhorse, you must be a horse ninja to be able to roll a vicious long-ear in your pasture. I'm more of a "run" than "attack" kind of horse myself, and to get these long-ears I'd have to jump their stone wall into their pasture. Now, I'm a tidy little jumper, but my mom? Pfft...that sack of potatoes isn't making it over a stone wall on my back. It wouldn't be pretty! That's why she sticks to trails. (Isabeau, moms can't read your journal, right?!)


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## LoriF

Isabeau!!!!!!! Look at the new baby that we have, he is sooo cute. He's really scared and tried to jump the stall wall so the hoomans had to make it taller. By the time my mom left he had settled a little bit. I think that he is going to stay in a stall for a day or two until he settles down. I want to get a better look at him.

Here is a pic of him.


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## Knave

Blackhorse, 



I don't think I'd want that on my ranch. He is too small and has too much "pretty" for me to appreciate. Sure, he might be fun to play with, but I bet he takes all of the attention away from you. Zeus does that to me sometimes, and Bones says I did it to him. Bones says a lot of mean things about me because of my hooman spending too much time with me, and now he is stuck with the little hoomans. At least your new horse cannot have a job yet, but I still think you'd be better off without him.


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## egrogan

Hi friends, this is Fizz back again with some thoughts. So mom took me on the moo road today. I like the moo road fine, we get to go fast before and after the moos. I tried to remember what you all said about how horses and moos live and work together. I forgot right at the beginning, when I saw them I threw my head up high to get a really good long look at them- I never saw so many momma and baby moos all in one place together. 









My mom did get off my back so we could stand look at them together. One thing the moos had going for them was that they had a beautiful apple tree right next to their field, but I guess they couldn't get to it because they have the hot biting fence too, so anyway, there were all these perfect red apples and mom got me one and got herself one and we stood for a minute and looked at the cows. She told me to remember what you all said so I thought about that for a few minutes while we ate our apples.








Then we walked passed the moos and I tried really hard to be brave. 








Mom said she was sad when she saw this picture of me because she could tell that I was really scared about the moos (why would I make that up?!) but she was proud that I went past them without making a big deal. I think next time maybe I will carry mom past them so she doesn't have to walk.

The moos with the extra long horns were nowhere to be seen- I guess best not to dwell on where they went :shrug:

We also passed the long ears on our way home (we did yesterday too). Mom made me stop so we could take a picture of the long ears :icon_rolleyes: They seem to have gotten the STAY AWAY message and were pretty far away from the road in their field, so I guess it was ok to stop for a second. But after that we got to have a good fast run on the nice flat road so that was fun!









Oh, I also passed an oinker in the middle of these two farms. I don't really like them very much, but I just noticed this oinker out of the corner of my eye and she seemed to really have her hands full with the baby oinkers she was taking care of, so I figured I didn't need to think twice about her and we just went on our way.

Phew- it was like some kind of farm animal safari out there today! Mom gave me the good peppermints when I got home so guess she enjoyed the ride too :grin: Hope all of you had good rides with your people this weekend.


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## Knave

Fizz, you made me sad too! You look so unhappy. I am sorry, but I am proud of you. I promise that cows are under us. We are the top and they the bottom, of course except Mamma Pepper because she is different. I was scared of a cow once too. It was white! Did you know some can be white? Everyone starts out scared of white ones. 

I never have seen an oinker. I heard a rumor about them when I went to town. Most horses are scared of them. You must be super brave sometimes!


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## Tazzie

Hey, E e here (my servant calls me Izzie, but my tiny hoomans call me E e; so I prefer E e naturally). I'm making my servant type this up for me, to respond to Fizzy.

You'll learn soon enough those hideous moos are beneath us. Really, they are quite fun to push around and show who is actually the boss. My insufferable horse mate (who I can't actually type what *I* call him as it's not nice; he's annoying) was petrified of them until I showed him what fun it is to push them around. Now he bosses them around too. But he also tries with our tiny hoomans too; not cool dude.

Anyway, all you've gotta do is get nasty at them. They move out of the way REALLY fast when you look at them like this. Trust me, they have little ranking when compared to us.


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## egrogan

E e, oh my goodness, look at you telling those moos what to do! I recognize that face, it's how my crabby older sisters look at me when they want my hay. I don't mess around with them when they have mare face. I don't really ever give anyone mare face, except Coalie when he tries to sneak in for a face sniff icon_rolleyes: geldings :icon_rolleyes. I'm thinking about what you all are saying. Probably won't see the moos until next weekend, my mom has to go do the computer, not horse, work so she's away for awhile.


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## Tazzie

Fizzy, I give that look to my annoying horse mate. They call him Diego. I just call him Idiot :eyeroll: geldings are dumb. And you should give it a try. I promise you they are way more afraid of you than you are of them. They are just curious because they lack any brains and move as a herd. So they LOOK scary, but really... all they need is a good ear pinning and even a stomp in their direction and away they go! And you call your hooman mom? Oops, I call mine servant girl. Sounds like a fantastic time to get extra gross since she'll be gone for a while!


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## knightrider

It's Isabeau here. I got news for you guys. The moms DO read my journal. In fact, my mom was enjoying reading it so much, she burned the cookies she was making for a sick lady that she was making dinner for. But she likes reading your thoughts, and I'll bet the other moms do too.

My mom took my best friend Windy and my hated enemy Chorro away for a week and they came home really really tired. They said they rode up and down steep hills for hours. They had to go up steps in the hills. I'm glad I didn't have to go. I often do go instead of them. Actually, I'm feeling a little miffed because Mom didn't take me.

But her hooman filly took me riding while they were gone and she couldn't say enough nice things about me.

About those moos and long-ears, we have them all over around here, and I am used to them. We have those things that you guys call oinkers too, but I don't know why you call them that because they say "gunh gunh" when they see us horses. They come up to the fence when we ride by, and then they race away. The babies are really cute, but they don't smell very nice. Uh uh, not at all. Windy is afraid of those gunh things, even though she's seen them thousands of times. But I'm not. Well, sometimes a little when I'm all by myself. When I'm with my lover Aci, I'm not afraid a bit because he's so brave.

Too bad E e, you don't like your herd mate. I don't like one of mine, but I loooove Aci and Windy. I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend, so that's nice. E e, I hope you get a boyfriend you really like. Do you want a baby? I do do do do do do do DO DO!!!!!!


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## Knave

Cash here,

E e I like your face at those cows. Have you tried the game of keeping one out of the herd? I’m learning that game, and I like it, but I bet you could be even better than I am at it. What is it with mares being such jerks though? I don’t know what I ever saw in your type. You should try being friendly with your boy. I bet he’s nice, unlike mares.

Isabeau, I am so sorry your hooman took someone else! That is terrible. I cannot tolerate that. My hooman gets mad at me, but I get even madder at her when she does something so dramatically horrible! Has she not learned about loyalty? I am here for you if you need to talk more about this atrocity. It is not good enough that her small one rode you. Definitely not. I don’t like small ones.


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## knightrider

Oh, Cash, I love small ones! Love love love them! All kinds of small ones, even stinky gunh ones. I especially love hooman small ones! You know why? Because they don't tell me what to do! I tell THEM what I want and they just let me do it. And because I love them so much, I don't do mean or hard things to them. I've been in charge of the world for a long long time. In charge of hoomans, that is, not other horses. When horses get demanding or bossy, I just let them be because dignity is the most important thing to me. If anything is the slightest bit undignified, I don't do it. (Except for getting up like a cow, but don't tell anyone I do that. I don't do it when anyone is watching)


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## Knave

Isabeau,


I understand the need for dignity. I'd like to think I am a dignified horse. I will admit to playing rough with Zeus however, but I am very strong so I think that must qualify as dignified. My corral mates range on the spectrum. Our mare seems to believe she is a noble. She is above all things, but I wonder if she is not really the royalty she claims to be. She works alongside me, so she must not be that special.


I have told my mates about you and your pen pals. They all agreed to enjoy little ones too. I guess I must stand on my own on this subject. 



Sincerely,
Cash


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## knightrider

Isabeau here with a question for my horsey friends: Do you like going through water? I hate it, detest it, promised myself that Mom could NEVER make me do that. Oh, that Mom is so persistent. This is what she took 5 years to do:

Now, I want to know how you all feel about that sucky water.


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## carshon

Hi Isabeau - this is Sawyer or as my Mom and GrandMom call me Squirrel (I don't know why yet- because I am way bigger than those fluffy tree jumpers) I used to live in a place called Misery or what my old owner called MissourAH. Then I moved way far away to a place with a new young Mom and older Grandmom. When I got to my new place it had lots of water and black sucky ground - and I hated it!! I would do everything to not go into the shiny ground or the black sucking ground - My young Mom said I was naughty and how could I be a "trail horse" if I didn't go in those things. But it was scary!!! But my GrandMom's friend Tillie Mae (who I love - she is like my big sister) always goes through the shiny ground and the sucking ground and since she did - I decided I would too! Did you know that if you take your foot and stomp it in the shiny ground that your Mom will laugh and giggle and yell stop even though she is having fun? AAANND if you are really hot from being a "trail horse" and you lay down to rest in the shiny ground that it feels gooooood?

so- I used to hate it and now I like it!


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## Knave

Hello again!

I love water! It is my favorite thing, and when I first came to the ranch I would try and rush to the water troughs and climb in. My hooman didn’t like that, said it was dangerous, and ruined all of the fun. I don’t try and climb in with her there anymore, but sometimes I sneak into the water trough at home. Her and I dream of doing what you did!

I guess Bones hates water. I heard, in a gossipy manner, that he is even scared of cows peeing. I’ve seen him work a cow before, so I’m not sure I believe that story, but the other horses swore it was true. I have seen him get a bath before though. He is really bad. I heard, in that same gossip session I realize I shouldn’t be a part of, that he used to throw himself on the ground when she washed him. I think it’s crazy. Water is amazing. I’m glad you went in. Probably Bones would say you were crazy and alligators should have eaten you...

Sincerely,
Cash


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## knightrider

Cash, what's wrong with gossip sessions? I couldn't live without 'em. Are horses not supposed to gossip? That's news to me. Those boring afternoons, what would we do without gossip? Cash, you love water and hate gossip. I hate water and love gossip.


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## Knave

Isabeau,


I try and rise above the gossip sessions. The other horses say that I am too serious, and maybe a stick in the mud. I don't even know what that is supposed to mean. Zeus seems to like me though. I play with him all of the time, so I don't really know why everyone says that about me. My hooman tells me I am just right. Maybe she is a little bit of a stick too, whatever that means. 



Sincerely,
Cash


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## mslady254

Hi Isabeau, my name is Fay, and I'm a new friend to your Mom (a great person, by the way, you are so lucky to be her horse). I am the hooman (love the way you spell that) who got to ride your best friend Windy when she and Charro were taken to Shangri La recently. You really did a good job training Windy, she and I did just fine on the trail even though we had just met! She even gaited for me when I asked her to. Give her some nice wither scratches for me, please. Although I'm sorry that you got left at home, and I would have enjoyed meeting you,,,,Charro , your Mom, Windy, and I had a very ,very nice time. Maybe I'll get to meet you another time.

Ta for now.....


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## SueC

Isabeau...are you craaaaaazy? :runpony:

...what about sharks, crocodiles, piranhas, carnivorous algae, triffids and aquatic space alien tourists???

...I hate water... and my monkey makes me cross things she calls puddles... I don't like puddles... and I have to cross little streams, which I prefer to jump, but if they're wider than what I can jump, my monkey bothers me until I've walked through them and got my hooves and fetlocks wet... mg:

...but I never had to go in deep like that and what about all the carnivores?

Best wishes

Sunsmart :blueunicorn:


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## knightrider

Sawyer and Cash, you convinced me to try more water crossings. I wish I loved it like you do. I feel like Sunsmart has the right idea--just avoid all water. But I gave it a try last time I went off in the trailer. Windy doesn't mind water, and she coaxed me into trying. I did it!


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## 4horses

Nice pictures from the GoPro! Too bad you can't see Harmony!


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## knightrider

Yes, where is Painted Horse anyway??? She was ahead of us.


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## knightrider

*Message from Acicate*

I let my boyfriend Acicate tell his story about going to Princess Place and the beach, since it has been so much fun having other horses on this journal.

Hi, my name is Acicate, which means "spur" in Spanish, also "encourage" which fits me really well. Isabeau is my special buddy. I really love her and she loves me too, so she asked me to tell about my trip to the beach.

It was a really long trailer ride to this huge park. Mom put up that sparking wire that hurts if you touch it. But I got to have Blackhorse next to me, and she was really nice. I liked having her near, and she liked me too.

The worst thing about the whole trip was the water. It tasted HORRIBLE and I wouldn't drink it. Blackhorse didn't mind it a bit and said I was silly for refusing to drink it. Mom brought me my own water from home, but not enough. When that ran out, I got really really thirsty. Mom told me I was a good camper and should drink the water. Blackhorse said it too, but every time I smelled it, I just couldn't drink it. I noticed Mom wasn't drinking it. She brought water from home for herself as well. She should have brought more water for me! After I got so thirsty, I couldn't eat the nice peanut hay Mom brought for me. But luckily, she found some water I could drink and made sure I got lots of that. In the end, she even gave me the water she had brought for herself and went without water so I could drink. Mom loves me a lot.

After Mom set up my sparky pen, me and Blackhorse went off riding with Slimlady and Mom. First thing we had to ride across a bridge that was made of plonky planks, really scary. But when Blackhorse did it first, I followed her. We rode for a long time, until it got dark. In fact, Mom and Slimlady didn't know how to get home. Slimlady pulled out this little box thing with a hooman talking in it. Slimlady called it "the [email protected]#ch in the box." Mom laughed and laughed and they called it that for the rest of the camping trip. "The [email protected]#%ch in the box" told them how to get back to camp! Mom and I never heard of such a thing. I thought I knew the way back to camp, but I was taking them a different way, so they followed that voice instead of me. Oh well. We got back just fine.

In the morning, we were going to the beach, but Slimlady said we could only go at something called "low tide", so we didn't go. Instead I got my hooves trimmed. Mom tries to trim our hooves nowdays. I like it tons better than the stern man who used to come out. Mom is slow and puts my feet down a lot and only does a little at a time. Slimlady knew more than Mom and did some to show her how to do it better. My feet felt pretty good when they got done.

Then we got back in the trailer, but it was Blackhorse's trailer not mine! I had never ridden in a trailer like that. It was w-e-i-r-d. I had to walk up this slanted thing to get in. As Mom says, I am a good camper, so I went right in, but when it came time to go out, I didn't know how. It was too scary to put my feet on that high ****** thing, so I wouldn't get out. Mom pushed and pushed on my chest and pretty much just pushed me out. That was NOT FUN at all.

But the next part was really REALLY fun. We went down to this place with lots and LOTS of sand. And there was water, which I don't mind that much, but this water moved A LOT. It moved right up onto my feet, and then moved back out again. And it was WHITE. And FOAM, like what horses have out of their mouths. I was really thirsty so I wanted to drink it, but it tasted horrible, really salty. When I'd stop to smell it, I got all dizzy and staggery and almost fell down. Mom wanted me to keep moving, but how could I, when the water kept coming up and back on me. I wanted to wait and watch what it was going to do. But Mom wouldn't let me. Because then I started to fall down each time.

Then we had MORE fun. We got to gallop and corto and race. Blackhorse is faster than I am. She is much bigger than me and has long legs and is fast. But I love to gallop, and we DID! I never wanted to stop . . . but I listen to Mom really well, and do what she asks, so when she wanted to slow down, I did. And so did Blackhorse.

On the way back, we got to run as fast as we wanted to. By then, I was kinda tired, and I discovered I couldn't run all that fast. Well, I never thought I was especially fast anyway. I'm a Paso Fino, and we are famous for being smooth, spirited and fun, not fast.

When we got back to the trailer, Mom filled up black pans of water and let me and Blackhorse drink all we wanted. Boy, was I glad to have nice tasting water again! And she filled up a big blue thing with sweet water to bring back to camp. She gave up on hoping I would drink the nasty water.

It was dark when we got back to our camp, and Blackhorse and I were glad to have hay and food and I got more good water to drink.

The next morning, we didn't have to wait for that "low tide" thing. Mom and Slimlady took us out in the woods for a long LOOOONG ride. We rode on and on through woods and sandy tracks. Then we got to a big BIG road with lots of cars and trucks, and we went OVER TOP OF THAT ROAD. I never imagined horses could do that. But we did. Slimlady called it a "land bridge."

Then it was time for that awful long long trailer ride home. Luckily it was my very own trailer, so that wasn't as bad. But I did miss having nice Blackhorse with me. I did about a hundred things I had never done before, and Mom couldn't praise me enough. It sure was a different kind of camping trip for me.


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## SueC

Looooovely!  Gorgeous photos too... I'm doing horse adventures vicariously at the moment; my horse and I are just doing the familiar trails, which are pretty nice, but no adventures for the last half year since DH and I had the flu, we were just focused on getting enough training in to climb that mountain on our engagement anniversary, which we did... so we had on-foot adventures, but not riding adventures. And right now days are too hot and blowy and we are getting heatwaves, but one day soon I hope to sneak a riding adventure and then I'll share it. Meanwhile, I shall enjoy other people's horse adventures here on HF, and you and @LoriF always come up with great trips and stories and photographs - thank you both for sharing!


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## knightrider

Mom has been riding me a whole whole lot recently. She rides the other ones too a whole lot, but I don't care when she rides them.

So today, she got me up to ride AGAIN, when she's already ridden me lots and lots. I thought it shouldn't be my turn, and I told her.

Isabeau (me): Why are you getting me up to ride? You rode me 2 hours yesterday. I need a break.

Mom: I know, but I love riding you.

Me: It would be OK if you didn't love me so much.


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## Knave

Cash here. I absolutely despise when my hooman works anyone else. She says I am throwing a tantrum, but I am simply protecting what is mine. It is only right she touch no one but me.

Today I was so insulted. She took Zeus, the pibsqueak, and Bones, the crazy one, out. I would have been more angry, but I saw that she only trimmed their feet. At least I was ridden.


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## egrogan

This is Fizz. I’m a little jealous. You must not have the clear slippery white stuff on your ground. I am so bored with the grumpy old ladies I live with. All they do is eat and sleep. Until they decide they want to eat what I am eating and make mean ugly faces to chase me away. So I stand at my gate staring at the house waiting for my mom come out to do something-anything-but she keeps saying it’s too slick to go out for a walk on the road. Even when we do, there’s not even the brown grass anywhere because it’s covered in the white stuff. Sigh. I’m borrrrrrrrrred.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, this is Blackhorse.

I know the feeling. Like, when we go camping (and my mom tricks me into it every time). I'm smart so I don't know how she does it. 

The first ride of the first day, I'm thinking "Yay!, we're going on an adventure. The second ride of the first day, I'm like "well, ok I guess. 
First ride of the second day "Can't I sleep in a little with some good hay?" Second ride of the second day "Your kidding me, right?" 
First ride of the third day "Oh, Come On Already!!!!!". 

Doesn't she know that I'm a pasture puff? And then, to top it all off, I can tell that she had the barkers in my stall of the trailer. I can smell them. Pfft. I don't remember signing a contract about all of this camping stuff.


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## knightrider

Ha ha ha ha, Blackhorse. I'm the one that Mom likes to take camping. Just like you said, the first day is kind of fun and exciting. By the third day, I'm so ready to be done. Especially when I have to go in that deep water. I wish I liked deep water like you do. No lakes for me. No no no no.


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## Tazzie

Hi, Izzie here!

I really could care less if my mother ever rode me again. She's been riding the little dweeb a lot lately, and I'm totally ok with her doing that. But what I DON'T like is she leaves me behind to ride! Just how dare her. I don't want to work, so I run from her. But then she leaves with him and I'm alone. The audacity of it all is really just too much. She blames me for being a mare. I just think she's rude to think I should just be left behind if I'm not getting ridden.

And then did you hear she's BREEDING me?! Like, what the heck mother! So you're not going to ride me anymore, but you expect me to carry a foal? Jerk.


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## knightrider

Oh, Izzie, I want a foal SO BAD!!!!! I want Mom to breed me. Mom told me you are getting your baby without a stupid stallion jumping on you. Blackhorse did that too. THAT'S WHAT I WANT!!!! I want a baby without a humiliating male on top of me.

Since my name is Izzie too, do you think we could trade? Our moms wouldn't notice, would they? Do you think they'd care if suddenly your mom had a small red mare in her pasture and my mom suddenly had a bigger white mare? Well, we do love our moms, so I guess we'd miss them if we traded. I wish I could sneak somehow and get a baby.

It's funny that you don't like being left when your mom rides off on the little dweeb. I don't mind a bit being left. I have hay and the pen all to myself. I think I like my solitude, and I'm usually stuck with 3 other horses.


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## knightrider

Today Mom took me in the trailer to ride with Blackie the Mule and Paris, the red foxtrotter. But the trailer was VERY VERY DIFFERENT. It was NOT MY TRAILER. Well, it kind of was, but it wasn't. It smelled really wrong, and was a different color.

She made it a different color a few sunrises ago, and had me smell it and go in it, so I knew it was supposed to be my trailer, even though it had turned very different. But when I saw her put my saddle in it, I knew she was going to have me actually RIDE in it . . . and you KNOW how I feel about going in trailers. It wasn't so bad when it was my very own trailer, but this one looked just like my trailer but wrong smell and wrong color.

She gave me Outlast, which is supposed to be good for my hurting tummy so I won't get a bellyache in the trailer, but no Outlast is going to keep me from knowing that everything was VERY WRONG.

I galloped around the pen, and let her know I didn't want to ride in that trailer, no sirreee. She wasn't going to trick me this time. I saw her put her purse and an apple in the truck that was hitched to the trailer. I knew it was the real thing and that it was me supposed to go in there.

She tricked me (she always does that) by putting food in our stalls like it was time to eat. But I wouldn't go in. The others all went in, but not me. I was already sweating and knew it was going to be trailer time . . . and not in my own real trailer but this odd thing that was my trailer . . . but not my trailer anymore.

After I watched the others happily eating for awhile, I couldn't stand it and went in my stall too. She always gets me that way. Then, of course, she put me in that weird different/same trailer and off we went. I had that Outlast in my tummy, so I didn't hurt. And I hardly ever kick any more. It really WAS my trailer, just all funny and wrong, so I sweated a lot, but I didn't kick.

And when we got to the park where we like to meet horsey friends and ride together, my buddies soon arrived and we had a fun fantastic ride. I like Black Mule and Red Paris. Black Mule loves me so much. He knows how beautiful and special I am.

When it was time to go home, I was starting to get used to the new/old trailer and it wasn't so bad. It's my trailer all right. I don't know why Mom made it so different and weird. She is so happy with the weird new changes. She even took pictures of it.

The first photo is how my trailer used to look from me kicking it


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## LoriF

Wow Isabeau, your trailer looks like brand new again, very nice. Don't worry, the smell of paint goes away. It will smell like the same ol' trailer in no time.


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## carshon

Isabeau your Mom just wants you to have a trailer to ride in as beautiful as you are! Now you match!


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## SueC

Hey Isabeau, your mom just posted this photo on another journal:










She says she and her friend are 70? I've seen photos on your journal. Are you and your friends keeping her fit, or what??? The more photos like that I see, the less I worry about getting older. :happydance:


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## knightrider

Hey, @SueC, how is Sunsmart?

Mom rides us too much! You know what? She's been riding two of us every day. That is crazy. She needs to stay home and clean her house. She and I do have a lot of fun. I've been taking her by myself for hours and hours. I take her everywhere now, and don't try to turn for home or rear up. Windy, Chorro, and Aci scream and race around and carry on if she leaves them alone as the only horse in the paddock. I don't. I never do that. I'm glad when she leaves me back. So she leaves me a lot. And then rides me FOREVER by myself. Oh well. It's a whole lot better being loved and cared for by somebody than being left in the pasture without friends or anything interesting to do.

Mom just fed us and fooled around with us this morning. She said that somebody famous is staying where you live and got tested for some sickness. She said that Australia is doing it right. I'm glad somebody is handling this sickness mess right.

Did you know that horses are being killed around here for meat? Mom has to buy more hay and make us stay in the pen behind her house at night even though we have nice grass in our pasture. We've always gotten to eat grass night and day. But not this year. I don't like that at all. Then she read about a horse that was killed in its stall in a barn! She is more worried about us being killed than her being killed by that sickness. Good thing we have Dixie, our good dog who barks when people come up our driveway.


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## SueC

Isabeau, I can't tell Sunsmart that thing about horsemeat, or he will have nightmares!  He's well and says hello. He is getting reasonable amounts of exercise between heatwaves and building up his fitness again slowly, just like me bwahahaha. Summer will thankfully be over soon and then no more heatwaves, and lovely riding weather that makes you want to go on a trail! :charge:

The last two days we were busy with cattle we had to sell so no riding, and I was going to go this afternoon but got a migraine. I sincerely hope horses don't get migraines because how would you take paracetamol and then lie down in the dark with the curtains shut? Fingers crossed we can go first thing in the morning and we'll think of you and your mom, because we always ride on our own too.

I think it's great how you're all keeping your mom fit and vice versa. I need some of her riding energy! She's an inspiration to me and I'm taking her advice to ride first thing in the morning as much as possible, because otherwise it's not as likely to happen with all the chores around. I hear she is now manicuring you all! Are you getting any nail polish on your hooves, perhaps for your birthday?


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## knightrider

@SueC, Mom puts some chemical on my hooves where I had a bad crack. I had that crack since I was 4 years old, and Mom kept thinking if the farriers trimmed my feet just right, it would go away. Instead, it got much worse from all the "moving my feet" that Erica Miss America said for her to do.

Finally she got this really good looking guy who is Native American to work on everybody's back and legs and stuff. He lives down the road and his human filly and my mom's human filly played together all the time. Well, he came to do weird stuff to our legs and backs, and then he looked at my feet. By this time, Mom had paid lots of money for different farriers to come and do stuff. It kind of worked and kind of didn't. My hoof crack was looking pretty good, but it just never would go away. But this guy who lives near us said he had another idea to try. So Mom said, "Go for it!" and he cut my cracked hoof way deep and put this chemical stuff on it. Then he told Mom to do it 3 times a week, and that was over a year ago. The crack is all gone, but the hoof still has a small open place underneath. Mom keeps it really cleaned out with the hoof knife and keeps putting the stuff on. Mom never gives up on anything, that ol' Mom.

Yesterday, I had an adventure on one of our trail rides. Mom decided she was sick of dealing with those pesky nipping dogs and went on one of the side trails that she loves. She's really not allowed to go there, so she only goes when she's alone and rain is predicted. We didn't get the rain, by the way.

People from the timber company had cut all the trees. Mom says they make paper from those trees. (How could that be?) She and her neighbors think it is toilet paper!! Ha ha! Everybody wants toilet paper right now. Ha ha ha! Horses think that is stupid.

Our old trail was overgrown so bad, I could hardly go on it. There were trees down and vines everywhere. I got my hind foot caught in a grape vine and couldn't get out. I jumped and struggled so, Mom leaped off and the vine had gotten up to my stifle. But I remembered that terrible time when I was caught under the wire and stood quietly while she untangled me.

Then we rode along where they had cut down the trees. That trail was full of hummocks from old tree roots, and I went up and down, up and down, over thousands and thousands of hummocks in soft sand. I had to watch where I was putting my feet every second. Mom was so happy with me because I never stumbled even once. I don't, you know. I don't stumble. Queens don't stumble. Mom was sure I must have been very very tired, but I never hesitated. Have I ever told you I am an amazing horse? I am.

We rode for 2 hours back in those trails. A lot of her old trails were completely overgrown and we had to bushwhack through the woods. We haven't been able to ride there for a long time because it was deer hunting season, and then turkey hunting season. I guess the poachers grew up and stopped going there to hunt. I just forged on and on, and Mom was so proud of me.

On the way home, she tried a different way, and I got a cat briar stuck around my chest. Cat briars can be really thick and super sharp and can really cut up a horse's chest. There was no way Mom would let me push past it, even though I said I could, would, and wanted to. Mom said I just had to back up or we both would look like Bride of Frankenstein (I have no idea what she meant, except I am guessing, all cut up with long cuts?) I don't like to back up, not for anybody. Mom taught me a long time ago to back up, but I really REALLY don't like to. That means backing down, and queens don't back down. Mom kept telling me it was the only way, and we'd just HAVE to back up away from that vicious cat briar, so finally I did. And I had to back and back and back. I hated it, but I did it. You can bet that Mom was super proud of me.

Finally we were done with the hummocks, the branches, roots, and briars, and we came out on the smooth grassy dirt road. As I took her over the little bump onto the road, I fell to one knee! Of course I jumped up right away, and of course, I wasn't hurt a bit. But Mom figured I must have been really really tired, after all those adventures. I won't admit it, even if I was. I'm not telling.

We rode about 7 miles and had a lot of fun.


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## egrogan

Isabeau, that sounds like quite an adventure. Thank you for telling us about it, and that you had fun with your mom. I don't think your mom has written a lot lately to her Horse Forum friends and I was starting to get worried! Should have known she was just out having lots of pony- I mean, queen- time.


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## Knave

Cash here,

Wow! Your mom really never gives up. My own hooman is also pretty determined, but I think your mom must be the most of all the hoomans.

That is a scary story. I see why you were so tired. I got that icky feeling when you told about the vine. I don’t like things like that. My hooman tries to make me practice with ropes, but anytime my leg touches the drip line or anything like that I can’t stand it. 

I am not royalty yet, and I get in trouble because I fall down a lot. I understand your falling on the road. I have been getting better, but I was starting to have little falls again. I got new shoes yesterday though, so I think that helps.


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau, Sunsmart here. My monkey was worried about your monkey because she lives in Florida and she heard bad statistics from Florida at the moment. I have no idea what that means, hoomans are crazy. Anyway, I wasn't feeling so good all of a sudden and the vet came and poked me, and now I get carrots with three pink things embedded in them every day. I'm not complaining about that. It's been happening for a week and my monkey says that's a permanent arrangement, though it might go back to two pink things in a while (but the same amount of carrot). I used to have one pink thing in my feed but my monkey says I'm dropping feed occasionally now and she's worried I might drop the pink thing.

So I feel a little better but I'm not running around yet. However: I am now the official garden horse, like Romeo used to be. I always used to want to go in the garden all the time but my monkey said I was too fat to be there more that a little bit. I dropped some weight because I wasn't feeling good and now she says I can be the garden horse. She started feeding me in the garden at bucket o'clock a week ago and after a couple of days I decided I liked it better in the garden than with the other horses. Last night I spent the whole night in the garden, for the first time! It was a nearly full moon and I could see everything. My monkey came out at her bedtime and asked if I wanted to go out and I said no thank you. She came out again in the middle of the night, just when I had my feet nearly in the frog pond and was eating the tall kikuyu that was all through the centre over that pond. My monkey was delighted and said she's been trying to pull that stuff out for ages and it's not supposed to be there, it's only supposed to be in the pasture. Well, I'm happy to help. She asked if I wanted to go out and I said it wasn't necessary, I was having an excellent time. This morning though at 7am I wanted to go out and started snorting to get her attention. She was out within minutes and let me out the gate to go have a big drink from the big drum (the buckets in the garden are thimbles!), and to join the gang. That is one well-trained monkey. Tonight I'm in the garden again with water buckets all around and the grazing is very agreeable here. I said I would stay the whole night again. This is such a nice development, I've nearly forgotten I feel a bit unenergetic at the moment.

This is the life!

Best wishes to you and your friends and monkey

Sunsmart

:apple:


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## knightrider

Uh oh, uh oh, bad news. I was VERY BAD this morning for Mom. She forgives and understands, but I know I didn't do well at all.

I was riding with our next door neighbor Cowboy and his hooman. We were having a great time. Both hoomans congratulated me on how well I was riding. I was walking fast, leading the ride, full of energy. Everything great.

And then. AND THEN. A tractor came along. When things come along on a road, I don't worry about them. But tractors go where horses go. I got really nervous and upset. Cowboy didn't, so I stopped leading the ride and got behind Cowboy. Whew. That was all right. Horse eating tractor will get Cowboy, not me. We rode on, all was well.

And then another tractor came, and then ANOTHER tractor. And they all started coming at ME. Three tractors spread out coming towards me, all going to destroy me. I went nuts. I spun. I bolted. I lost my mind. Mom got off. We were close to home, and Mom wanted to just lead me home, but I wouldn't lead. My brain was so frozen, all I could do was spin around her in terror. Tractors!!! I am terrified of them!!!!

By this time, Cowboy was upset too. First of all, we were heading home, and suddenly his hooman said, "No, we can't go that way. Three tractors are that way." Cowboy doesn't care about tractors, but he REALLY cares about going home. So he started leaping around crazily because suddenly we were NOT going home after all. Cowboy's hooman can't get on and off easily, so he didn't dare dismount. And Mom couldn't go anywhere because all I would do is spin.

Mom got really ugly and mean with me, slapped me with the reins, yelled at me, and jerked my nose. "Settle down and cut it out!"

Whoa. That got my attention! Enough so that I would at least walk while she led me away from the tractors. Cowboy saw if we kept going that way, we'd get to another trail that would lead us home, so he stopped freaking out. When we got to the top of a hill and couldn't see the tractors anymore, Mom got back on me.

I was wound up tighter than a tick (and I hate ticks), but I took Mom home OK. When we dropped off Cowboy at his place, I rode on home by myself with Mom. By then the tractors were pretty far away, and I felt bad for being so upset. But Mom knows I can't bear tractors. And THREE of them. Coming at me! She cooled me off well and told me she forgave me and understood. We're still friends. But what a morning.
@SueC, thanks for asking about the sick thing going on here. Nobody goes anywhere and that means Mom rides and rides and rides! Worse than ever, I'm afraid. We have all kinds of places to ride and can't go to other places. I think Mom is pretty safe.


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## Knave

Tractors don’t bother me one bit. Bones doesn’t like horse trailers when they are off the road. I heard rumors that he will actually buck when they come up! Trailer sounds don’t bother me. 

Maybe I understand though because I hate antelope. Antelope are evil creatures. I told my hooman that they kidnapped me when I was a wee foal, but she doesn’t believe me. Really though, antelope are very very bad. You should be more scared of them than of silly tractors. 

Oh, did you know Bones has a bad leg today? He does. I heard the hoomans talking that Partner might have to be brought back to work for the big girl. I thought Zeus could just go all the days, but then my hooman rides him and that mean man rides me, so maybe it was a bad idea.


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> @SueC, thanks for asking about the sick thing going on here. *Nobody goes anywhere and that means Mom rides and rides and rides! Worse than ever, I'm afraid.*


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


:charge: :charge: :charge: :charge:





> I think Mom is pretty safe.


Excellent. :hug:


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## knightrider

Today's ride was fun fun fun!!! I had such a good time, and there were hardly any flies.

Remember the neighbor I call The Curmudgeon? He isn't really, but that's what I named him years ago. He has a horse named Cowboy. He sold Cowboy about 4 years ago, and the lady spoiled him so all Cowboy wanted to do was go back to the barn. The Curmudgeon bought him back when the lady didn't like riding him any more. Now, when we get to a trail that leads towards home, Cowboy does what I used to do (but not rear). Cowboy spins and backs up and jumps around. I looked at him. "Really??" I just kept on going. I would never do that now days.

Mom is so proud of me. Yesterday was my birthday! I am now 14 years old. Mom isn't happy about that. She wishes I was still 6, she loves riding me so much. She has had me for 9 years. She got me when I was 4 just turning 5.

Hey! I haven't heard from you horse buddies in a while. I would love to read your news. Pick up a stick and send a message!

Here is a picture of Cowboy from the first time we were together. That's Paintlady and Painthorse with us. Mom says Paintlady is really @4horses and Painthorse is really Harmony. Isn't Cowboy a cute cute cute Paso Fino??? Don't tell Aci I wrote that. I tell Aci he's the cutest too.


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> Hey! I haven't heard from you horse buddies in a while. I would love to read your news. Pick up a stick and send a message!


Dear Isabeau, this is Sunsmart's monkey speaking. Sunsmart is very hairy at the moment and he mostly just says, "Please scratch me here!" and, "Where's my food bucket?" He's been in a sort of hibernation because his Cushings got worse in summer, and we've not ridden since, although he's been slowly responding to his increased medication, and getting naughty enough again lately for me to threaten to ride him again! :lol:

How is your hooman? I hear things are crazy in your part of the world and it worries me, although I'm sure that she spends a lot of time with you and that this decreases her risk of catching the lurgy (because of how fast you are, so that you can outrun the lurgy with her on your back). :charge:

Sending love to all the four-legs and all the two-legs in your paddock

Sunsmart's Monkey


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## knightrider

@SueC, this is for Sunsmart: Are you enjoying winter? Do you miss riding? I think I'd love not being ridden, but not for the reason you are not riding. I hope you get 100% better and do great. Thanks for writing to me!

Yesterday was a really big day for Mom (and me, sort of, but I'd just as soon not, really)

Mom's filly has this friend who comes out to ride all the time. She keeps falling off, and one time she fell off of Chorro and hurt her knee really badly. Mom felt terrible about it. Finally she got well enough to ride again, and because she is heavy, she is riding Aci. She'd prefer to ride Chorro, but her doctor says Chorro is too tall for her to try to mount. But Aci is tricky, and he keeps doing stuff that makes her fall off. She came off 3 times since her surgery.

So, yeah, you guessed it . . . Mom started her riding on me! And she's heavy. But a horse has gotta do what a horse has gotta do. So, I take her, and I'm good.

But here's the good part. This young hooman mare has a stud hooman. And this male hooman is terrified of horses. This hooman mare has been trying to help the male hooman like horses. She trained him just like Mom trained me--in baby steps.

Finally this man was ready to try riding. Yes, you guessed it again. Guess who he rode? Yep. A horse has gotta do what a horse has gotta do. So this hooman got on lil' ol' me like he had done it lots of times. He sat up there balanced and held the reins lightly and properly. So it wasn't too bad.

Mom told me he would only ride me for 10 minutes. I think that is not a very long time, so I did my best to be good. In fact, Mom says I was fantastic. (of course, I always am) After 10 minutes, Mom suggested we go in (YAY!) But he said no, he was having fun. (BOO! But also YAY!) Mom took him and the rest of us horses over to a neighbor's place who has nice trees to ride in and no cars. We rode there for a good while. He still said he was having fun (Yay!) so we rode on (Boo. I thought we were going to be done)

We went across the road to some other woods and rode there for a while. All this time, I was being the perfect beginner horse and he was having lots of fun. Mom said he didn't look like he was a bit afraid, but I could tell he was. And phew!!!!! You should have smelled him when he got off. Tons of fear smell!!!!!

We thought he would be sore when he finally got off, but he said he wasn't a bit sore. And I wasn't either! So I'll be taking him more from now on. I guess it's OK. He's pretty big and I'm pretty small, but I am tough, really tough. And he sits up there easy and balanced, and that helps a lot. And best of all, he lets me decide what to do. He just sits up there.

Things like that make Mom super happy--helping people do things they thought they couldn't do. And you know, she helps horses do things they thought they couldn't do also. Pretty cool.


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> But here's the good part. This young hooman mare has a stud hooman. And this male hooman is terrified of horses.


:cheers: :hide:

Isabeau, can you be _sure_ he's not a gelding? :falloff:

Sunsmart will write later!


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

It's Sunsmart here. I needed to work out how to type all over again. How are you enjoying the Northern summer? It seems a lot of monkeys are lining up to ride you, including one about whom my monkey asked a disrespectful question. Although of course I am a gelding, and there is nothing wrong with me. Being a stallion was overrated, since I never got a girl, or any company to talk to and do things with, when I was a stallion for 11 years. Don't you think it's ironic that I got a girl a year after I was no longer a stallion? She was nice though. We were best buddies for three and a half years but then she got sick and that was the end of her life, at 32.

But I still have a herd. There's three boy horses, me included, and five long-eared short-legged things that make funny noises and hang out with us all the time. Three of those are girls, and one of them keeps making eyes at me. My monkey says that I appear to be trying to look like Mary Lou. This is terrible slander. Look at Mary Lou:



I don't have ears like that. But my monkey says she has to shear Mary Lou and she would like to shear me. I am very ticklish and that doesn't sound like fun.

It's winter but getting milder, and my new rug is too hot, so I sweated into it the other night. My monkey then tried to put my old thinner rug on me last night, and I told her not to bother. Put my ears back and stomped. She says she will bother when it rains again or gets really cold.

I don't really miss riding because I love stuffing my face, but my monkey says I will have to go in a diet paddock in spring, and she's threatening to ride me again because she says I'm getting cheeky. The impertinence.

Anyway, greetings to you, and hopefully you will enjoy your upcoming autumn.

Best nickers

Sunsmart


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## knightrider

Someone sent these pictures to Mom of me taking this stud hooman for his very first ride. Don't I look longsuffering? It really wasn't so bad. We are doing it again tomorrow. I just don't like that saddle all that much. Everybody says it fits me, but they don't have it on THEIR back! But, I'll do it.


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## Knave

Cash here,

Wow Isabeau! You seem to do the things Bones does here. It’s interesting that you both were rather difficult and emotional types, and yet you are the ones who take care of everyone else. I wonder if it is because you both are so emotional...

I myself am not emotional. I am a beast. Speaking of my beastly status, my hooman has entered us into a competition. She is almost a beast, but she is too emotional to be an actual beast. She is nervous. I can tell. She probably smells as your man boy smelt. Ewe. It’s insulting that she not remember that I am going with her and she need not act a fool.

Bones and Zeus are entered into a competition too. They are doing a different type of thing. I’ve practiced with them. They have to run. It is dumb in this heat to run. I told my hooman so, and she still made me run with them. Dumb I tell you. Us horses are all going to watch Bones and Zeus compete. We have bets about Bones’s mental stability, and we are planning on it being an entertaining day. Maybe my hooman will actually write about it for you. She has been awful lately, thinking her head is cut off or something obnoxious like that.

Best regards to you,
Cashman


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## knightrider

Cash, I can't wait to read about this competition. Is it over? What did you have to do? What did Bones and Zeus have to do?

The nervous stud hooman rode me this morning. We went for a real trail ride. He's still pretty nervous. The other hoomans don't see it, but whew! What a smell he has when he gets off! He wanted to ride longer, but Mom and his hooman both said he'd done enough for one day. I said, "Amen!" to that.

Mom said that she has taken many many scared riders over the years, but none of them have progressed as fast as this hooman stud. Most of the scared riders she takes under her wing stay scared for months and even years. They never really take to it much. They do it and get through it, but this guy doesn't want to go in. He rides pretty OK too, for being so nervous.


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## Knave

Isabeau,

This is Cash again. The first competition will be on Thursday. It is Zeus and Bones’s, and it is running races. There are barrels and poles and flags and white lines. 

I’m confused by my competition. My hooman says it’s a women’s branding team. She’s says we are branding, but then she says it’s a competition. Isn’t that normal work? I guess not though. She says there are four people per team. Two rope and two on the ground, and then they swap. It’s timed and there are lots of rules to not break, but you only have to brand 4 calves, so I guess that sounds easy. I don’t know why she is acting so much like your man boy. 

I’m glad he’s good anyways. If you have to smell him he should be good. Bones took a boy like that out the other day, but he was a small one, not big like yours. He smelled bad and he curled up scared in the saddle. He asked Bones to lope, but Bones thought he couldn’t do that normal. Bones loped like a rocking horse. I’m surprised they moved at all. 

Talk to you soon,
Cashman


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## egrogan

ISABEAU!

I heard a wild story. My mom told me that your mom took some hair from your tail, and put it on a stick, and sent it to us in a truck to a building down in the town where my mom got it and brought it home. And then she took it out of its box and brought it out to the place in the field where we get ready to go for our rides. So she put on my saddle and bridle, and she stuck the stick with your tail on the side of my saddle. I needed to keep smelling it, because I didn't think it was a very good idea to have part of another horse hanging from my saddle! 










I couldn't tell if you were ok or not because it was just a little bit of tail, but she told me you were. So I needed to write to you today to make sure you are ok without your tail.

Now when we go out to ride, sometimes I HATE when the flies bite me on the neck or the shoulder or back by my tail. I try to get them with my own teeth or tail, or mom tries to brush them away, but sometimes neither of us can reach. BUT- now I have an extra horse tail to help me! And the flies go away when mom swishes the stick and your tail hits them. Thank goodness, because I really hate those flies. 










I think mom hates them too, because sometimes mom even swishes _herself _with your tail. And I know she doesn't usually like getting swished with horse tails, because sometimes if MY Izzy swishes mom in the face with her tail, mom yells "ouch" and tells Izzy to keep her tail to herself  So your tail must be pretty special!









Please confirm you are ok without this tail. How are you swishing your own flies??


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## Knave

Isabeau,

That was kind of you to send your tail. I wouldn’t do anything like that, but I have a small tail. I keep telling my hooman that they cut it off in prison, but she seems to be beginning to believe that it is actually short. I’ll show her eventually.

I wear a shoo fly on my saddle, but I don’t know who it belonged to before. Maybe the horses in prison? The hooman is rolling her eyes, but it could be true. Why do they roll their eyes? It’s supposed to be scared, but she rolls them differently.

Speaking of eyes, you might not believe this. Those two hoomans made us ride blind yesterday! 

Well, I’d better go. Good luck on the short tail.


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## knightrider

Fizz and Cash,

I didn't know I donated (how do you like THAT word?) my tail. I didn't know Mom cut it! I have so much of a thick and long tail that Mom trims it so I don't step on it when backing up. My tail is so thick that nobody can see where Mom cut it . . . and I didn't know she did.

When I asked her, Mom said she took two pieces of tail from me and made two fly swishes. She also made two from Chorro's tail. I can see a place where she cut Chorro's tail, but only if I look very carefully. Mom doesn't need to trim Chorro's tail because it isn't long enough to step on.

But talking about tails! Acicate's tail drags the ground too, and Mom trims that . . . but she doesn't make fly swishes from it even though it is way thicker than my tail or Chorro's tail. She says it is too light and fluffy and doesn't swish good. Aci's tail is kind of kinky and curly, and she says it puffs rather than swishes when you swing the stick. I wonder how she knows that when she has never made a swish from his tail. I should ask her one day.

Let's see if I can find a good picture of Aci's very long curly kinky non-swishy tail.


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

Sunsmart here! :blueunicorn: I've been most intrigued to read that the tail of one horse can swish the head and neck of another horse who is hundreds of miles away. Total voodoo...

I thought I'd let you know that I went for a ride with my monkey last Friday in nice sunny weather and had a great time. There were new things to see, like two dams with big spoil hills on the side from being dug out further, and I climbed up one of them and had a great view of the countryside from up there! It was good to see my favourite adventure places again. After that there was rainy, stormy weather for days and my monkey put a purple rug on me for the duration. We're waiting for another nice sunny day to go on another adventure. One we did have like that, a couple of days ago, we didn't ride because the monkey was frantically pegging large sail-like things and monkey clothes to the washing line and otherwise engaged. But there's sunny days coming up over the next week and I would like to go again! :charge:

Other than that, I'm chasing through the forest trail with the others again, when we all decide to go running. I wasn't doing it for months but this week I've been doing it every time the others decided to go running. Feels good to stretch my legs.

The stud hooman seems like a good sort from the photos. Hope you are enjoying your adventures.

Neighs

Sunsmart


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## egrogan

Isabeau, I have a big tail too, but I don't know why mom didn't use my tail. She said something about it being too "curly" and "frizzy" (at first I though she said "Fizzy" and I was like, well, duh, if it's my tail it IS a Fizzy tail...Sometimes the humans are not that smart...) But look, mine is touching the ground right now!









Even as big as it is, I still can't reach the bad flies on my neck and face, so I do appreciate the help. Sometimes mom cuts mine too, but mostly when the cold time and the white stuff come, because I get the hard frozen things stuck in in and I don't like how that feels.

My mom hasn't been riding much because of something called "work" and she just stays on the light up box all day and looks worried. Except when she comes to feed us and then she looks happier, but sometimes I can tell she is kind of worried deep down even though she says she's not. She needs to have a new work soon I think!

But she did say that when she was on the light up box she heard a song that would be perfect for you and Aci and your mom. I asked her to find a way for you to see and hear it, so here it is- just turn the sound on your light up box so you can hear it!


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## knightrider

@egrogan, wow! What a great song! Mom and I love it! It was so grand of you to share it with us!

This morning, Mom rode me by myself for 2 and a quarter hours (she told me that) and we had the best ride. She left off the fly mask because she thought there wouldn't be so many flies . . . and there weren't . . . but the flies that were there bit my face bloody. I know Mom felt bad.

Then she trimmed my feet. I'm really good for that, and she's proud of me. 

But then she wasn't proud at all. The tooth lady came to put metal things in our mouths and do things to our teeth. I was terrible for her. She had to give me a shot, and I was still terrible. I was like the old days, spinning and rearing. Then she gave me another shot. I kept pushing on her and spinning, like I know how to do.

Mom's hooman filly came out and saw it, and asked Mom, "What is Isabeau thinking now, Mom?" And Mom couldn't say. That's because my mind was a fuzzy dark blur, I was so mad. How dare they put that metal thing in my mouth! They tell me I've been good other times when the tooth lady comes, but I don't remember. I just wasn't gonna have it.

The lady is coming back in two weeks because I jumped around so much that my mouth got bruised and cut up. I have to do it again???!!!!

Hey, I haven't heard from Moonshine in a long time. Doesn't she go under the name @horseservant ? She should tell @ACinATX. We want to hear from Moonshine. Does Moonshine put up with that metal mouth nonsense? She's a queen like me.
@egrogan, do you, Fizz? How do you stand it? Yes, my food pellets drop from my mouth BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO!


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## egrogan

Isabeau, the tooth lady that came last year gave me a poke right when she got there and I got tired...and more tired...and more tired and she put me in my stall box against the wall and I sort of knew she was there but I was sort of dreamy too. I could hear some noises and I know she was in my mouth with the metal thing but I don't really know what she did. 

But this year, because the people have some kind of sickness around, that tooth lady didn't want to come do that. So, mom found a tooth man who we met a couple of years ago. He is so nice! When he walks into the barn, all the horses, even mean Izzy, talk to him softly and love when he comes up to each of us and pets us on our neck and shoulder. He says quiet things to us that mom doesn't even know about because he is so quiet and his message is just for us. So when he tells us just to rest in the corner and lean against it with our butt, we just do. He does put the metal thing on, and I don't really like it, but he does it quickly but gently at the same time, and then he reaches in and uses a scraper thing to make us feel better. Like this year, one side of my mouth went a different way than the other side of my mouth  I had food drop out of my mouth but not because I wanted it to, because my mouth kind of hurt! Mom wouldn't even put the bit in my mouth and she got me a fancy new blue bridle that doesn't have a bit so she didn't bother my teeth when we rode. But after the gentle tooth man came, my mouth did feel better and I thanked him by nuzzling him when he was finished. 

You know what though, even though my mouth is better we still get to ride in our fun blue bridle with no bit! And it makes it even easier for me to eat grass when we go ride with slow poke old Coalie.

So- it's not so bad to have the people help you in your mouth, as long as they are gentle. And I bet your mom wouldn't let someone who isn't gentle help you. Maybe when the tooth lady comes back you can try to let her help- just think of her like a member of your court, she is there to do things for you so you don't even have to worry about it!


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau and Fizz. 

Did my hooman show you the bugs I saw today? They were terrible. I almost quit the job, but I suppose someone had to do it. I couldn’t even see sometimes! 

I haven’t had my teeth done. That sounds terrible! Here they only use the tooth person when they have to I guess. Bones had his teeth done once, and he said he liked the poke. He had bad teeth then.

I just got home from work, and I was the wrong color. I got rinsed off with hose, which was nice because I looked like an old grey horse. Oh, speaking of, and remembering the song, here is a song my hooman really likes:






Talk to you soon.


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## knightrider

Nice song, @Knave! Old Bay Friend would be our Tico, of course, after taking good care of so many young hoomans and now amusing the grandchildren too. Thanks for putting it up.

Of course, Chorro is our old bay, but I don't like him. He's Mom's old friend, I'm sure. She loves him.

Cash, Mom took the light box out to the pasture to show me those flies! We have nothing like that. I have no idea why, but this hot season time, we haven't had a lot of flies. Reading about you other horses, I am wondering if all the flies went to where you live. Maybe it's just too hot here for the flies. It certainly is very hot . . . all the time.


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

How are things in your paddock? Over here, spring is in the air even though the calendar still says winter, the grass is beginning to grow quickly, and my monkey is making noises about putting me in regular light work to reduce the risk of spring flush to my alleged affliction (with the funny name Cushings).

Last time I worked, I was carrying a different monkey, while my own monkey was walking along beside me and entertaining me by jumping over bushes once we got to the wild section with the narrow paths I like so much. The new monkey was much lighter than my monkey, and I liked that. Are your new monkeys always lighter than your primary monkey as well? Do monkeys who aren't so confident with riding weigh less? Is all that experience making our regular monkeys heavy? I've been thinking about this while chewing on the grass, which is getting longer.

My monkey didn't ride me today; she says she's tired from catching up on chores for the last two days, but tells me she'd like to take me on an excursion tomorrow. She says something about taking a leaf out of your monkey's book. What a strange thing to say - I've seen a few books but none of them had leaves in them, or anything else remotely edible. Although the donkeys like to eat paper and cardboard if they see it lying around, strange creatures. And what they like even more than eating paper and cardboard is ripping it into strips for fun. They say they like the ripping sounds and it's fun to make ribbons out of this stuff.

Everyone is talking about bugs. We don't have any here yet but give it a couple of weeks and there will be bush flies everywhere trying to crawl into our eyes and up our noses, and my monkey will put face masks on us. The bug I like the least, my monkey calls a bot fly. It buzzes like a saw and bangs into our legs and we run fast when we see it. I think there was one today - the first one for the year. It's a bit early to be getting them already.

Anyway, it's my dinner time and I must stop typing and start walking up and down meaningfully near the house so the monkey will see me and hurry up. Nice neighing to you, and happy trails to you.

:charge:

Sunsmart


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## Knave

Cashman here,

Sunsmart brings up my least favorite fly as well, although I do have a dislike of mosquitos as well.

There is a legend here of a mare my hooman loved. She was wild and mean and according to the story my hooman loved her most. They won lots of things in races and did lots of work together, effectively growing up on the ranch as partners.

Anyways, this beautiful and wild red mare was bitten by a bot fly who burrowed into her back a little under her spine on her rib cage. A vet came and did a surgery, but in laziness he did not sew up the muscle the bot had made his home in, but only the skin above.

The mare worked well for eight years after that, and then one day my hooman was lost and frightened on a steep steep mountain. The mare could jump over herself like a cat, and she was asked to several times as they looked for their way. The mare protected my hooman, but her back split where the long ago bot fly had been removed. 

It was the end of the beautiful mare in a way. She couldn’t be ridden again, and eventually she was given a chance to be a broodmare at a big and important cutting place. Her back did not hold up there, although the vet had promised it would. 

The end of the strongest mare anyone knew came at the hands of a tiny bug.


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## knightrider

Wow, @Knave, what a story, Cash. That's so tragic.

Today Mom figured up how much we Paso Finos have ridden all year and she was surprised that she rode me the most! I wasn't surprised at all. She always loves riding me and makes up reasons why she should take me when it is someone else's turn. She rode me last year for 268.5 hours. That's 886.05 miles! That's a lot of wear on my legs!

I never knew that bots laid eggs in the skin. The only bots I've ever heard of lay their eggs on our legs and bellies. Then we lick and scrape our teeth on our legs and the eggs hatch in our stomachs. Mom scrapes the eggs off our legs as soon as she sees them on there so we won't lick them off. I can imagine how destructive it would be if one burrowed into the skin! 

Here's something funny: Chorro doesn't get bot eggs on his legs or tummy. He's so sensitive that the minute bot flies come around him, he jumps and dances and swats them away. Windy and I get the most. Do you think it is because mares are so patient? I'm not patient, but I get lots of bot eggs on me. I don't even realize they are laying eggs on me until Mom starts scraping them off.

Hey, Mom, if I had a baby, I'd be real patient. If I could have a baby, you would see how good I would be. I want a baby. Mom says I'm not getting one. Bad Mom.

Sunsmart, you need to just keep getting stronger and healthier. I like hearing from you guys. Neighs back at 'cha.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, When I came to the hot place from what my mom calls Kentucky, I had bot eggs on my legs. I haven't had them since. I didn't even know that we had them here in the hot place. I'm going to have to look out for them now. What does Kentucky mean anyway?

I wish your mom would let you have a baby, they are so cute. I didn't think that I would like my baby because I don't like small things. But, when she came, I fell in love with her. I still have her with me and my mom said that she will never go away. My mom has started to take her places and ride on her back a little bit. Novia says that she thinks it's fun.

_Blackhorse_


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## waresbear

Isabeau, Otis here. Polish apples kid.


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## Knave

I’m sure you would have a nice baby Isabeau. You should beg her more. It sounds like you deserve a baby.

I heard a rumor that Lucy may get a baby, but I don’t know if she will or not. The stud they would like to breed her to is old, and so the owner is hesitant of breeding him. He is supposed to be retired from that, but she said she would likely make an exception for Lucy as she’s so fancy and he would cross perfectly for what they desire in a colt.

I find all of this silly myself. On the mountain all of the mares got to have babies. I wasn’t there long enough to sire any myself, and then they did this surgery which made me mostly lose interest and see the mares for what they are. No offense of course, but most mares are bossy as can be!


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## knightrider

@waresbear, Hey Otis! Nice to hear from you! What do you think of your hooman? Does she ride you too much? Do you like to go out? I'd just as soon not go out with Mom, but I am proud that she loves me and wants me so much.

@LoriF, Blackhorse, Mom says this is her problem


> my mom said that she will never go away.


. Of course, my baby would never go away either. And then what would they do? Spend a lot of money of course. Fine with me! Not with Mom. Boooooooo.


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## LoriF

Isabeau, 
The other day mom got really mad at Novia. It all started when mom came out to give us our food. Of course me and Novia were right there next to mom because we were going to get ours first. Star always stays back. Star thinks that she is so proper and polite. She thinks that she is so smart, but guess what? We always get ours first. 

Anyway, Star spooked at something and took off running. I don't even know what it was. It's always a false alarm with her but whatever. We automatically took off too because that's what we do. I almost ran over mom but was able to avoid her but Novia ran right into her and down she went. Thank goodness that our food didn't spill all over the place because I hate eating dirt. Novia said that she was sorry and that it was an accident. I told her that she has to be more careful, I thought I taught her better. Besides, what if our food had went all over in the dirt!!

Mom made us wait forever to get our food. I don't know what the big deal is. The other lady that feeds us lets us be right there. Moms can be a pain sometimes.

Does your mom make you wait for food? Mom says that all horses should learn to wait until we are told it's ok. I don't agree. Star agrees, but she would. She makes me wait for my turn too.

There is a new guy at the farm. I think that he is really handsome and he is so nice to us. He likes to be around us but he's on the other side of the fence. He makes sure that he always as close as possible. I think that he likes me.

He says that he is a threw bread. I haven't seen him throw any bread yet though. His name is Bay Boy.

_Blackhorse_


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## Knave

Blackhorse,

Don’t be too hard on Novia. I did that once too to my human. She knew I was upset when she started with me that day; there were these coyotes in our pivot and I wasn’t particularly happy about them. Anyways, she IGNORED me telling her about my unhappiness and just went about things as if there weren’t the coyotes right there!

So, I was upset and she saddled me anyways and then she was going to get on, still ignoring me... well, I guess she was saying “they are just dogs. You know what a dog is. Don’t be silly,” like I was the one REFUSING to acknowledge the coyotes, and suddenly a loud bang happened. It was a terrible bang! She taught me about guns before, but always I knew it was coming.

I ran! They could have been shooting me! I flung her so hard across the ground and then I ran over the top of her. I felt bad, but really she should have known. The dumb dog that actually belongs in the yard stayed with her and even acted like I was the one wrong. Maybe I was wrong, but I thought I was being shot!

Cashman


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## waresbear

Well Isabeau, it's like this. If she rides me all the time, I am cool with that, my muscles stay strong and it feels good. But if she takes a break and only rides me sporadically I don't like that. If the truth be told, she could not ride me at all and I could just lounge in the pasture and eat grass and have treats. The thing is though, if she doesn't ride me I don't get any treats or scratches or pets, I like kind of like those so I will pay the price.


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

Sunsmart here. My monkey says you've been camping, but she can't find any report because something she calls the forum has allegedly gone higgledy-piggledy and needs to be re-learnt. I know you're clever and you can type - can you hyperlink as well?

How's life been treating you and your friends? How's your monkey? I mean your main monkey, not the secondary monkeys you carry sometimes. (My secondary monkeys are always lighter than my main monkey...)

We're going into summer here and I'm knee-deep in grass. My monkey says it's nice that I've not gone fat - I had ground to make up from being ill last summer, and I feel marvellous again. I'm galloping around a lot, with and without my monkey. 🏇

My monkey and I hope you're all well!

Very best wishes

Sunsmart


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## knightrider

Ah. Ah ha ha. I figured out that your monkey is your hooman. Mom said that but I didn't believe her. My boyfriend Aci went camping. And before that my bff and my nemesis went camping. And I didn't go either time! Mom hasn't been taking me recently. She thinks I'm all cured from my trailer kicking problems so I don't need the practice anymore. (I don't) The camping stories are on the Trail Riding thread, if you want to read about those guys' adventures.

I wish we had grass, Sunsmart. Our grass is just about gone. Mom has us out on grass today, but she said it will be only for a few more days. We have dodged a bunch of hurricanes. We are all doing great. The monkeys ride us too much--like all the time! Yesterday I took a secondary monkey and today I took Mom out for 2 hours. But the rides are fun.

Hey! I did something exciting today on my ride. I came across a really REALLY big green tractor with a huge probiscus going up and down, and I stood my ground! And then I walked on. I was pretty nervous, but it wasn't coming at me. I've gotten so much braver. Mom was really proud of me.

Sunsmart, I am so so so so so glad you are feeling better and galloping around and gaining weight. I would really miss you if you went over the rainbow bridge.


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## AbbySmith

Hi guys. My name is Tim. And I am what you guys called a long-ears, but my hooman calls me a donkey. I dunno what the difference is. I have been spending a lot of time reading your journal Isabeau, and I am finally done! Yay! You and mom have come a long way! Your mom must be amazing! She has done so much with you! I am only one year old, and my mom only got me this summer, June 23 to be exact. My mom can't ride me cause I am a mini (?) she said I am only 34 inches, so that wouldn't work. My mo really wants to get a horse, but her dad keeps saying no, but she isn't giving up. She actually sold me! Can you believe that?! She said that since I already bred the girls, that she wouldn't need me for another 18 months, so she sold me!!! I am very sad! I love mom! I come up to her every day and I groom her! I see the girls do it all the time. They stand right next to each other and bite each other. So when I see mom, sometimes I start biting her. She gets mad, and slaps my nose when I bite her. I dunno why?! I mean, I am trying to be nice and helpful! And she goes and slaps me! My mom is very annoying sometimes. But I love her a lot, and I don't make annoying noise! I _bray_! It is actually very hard to do! The girls don't know how to do it. They only do it occasionaly. But I do t almost every day! Mom loves it! When I bray, she says good boy, and scratches me all over, and pats my shoulder. She really likes it!
I rally like reading your journal Isabeau, I also like reading about the other horses!


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## Knave

@AbbySmith I’ve never actually met a long ear. I did see a couple once when we were in town to rope, but I didn’t mind. Zeus thought they were going to murder us all though! It is rare to find things that scare him, so we all laughed.


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## knightrider

When Windy went to her first Christmas parade, she was fairly young. It was dark outside, and everyone had flashing lights on their horses and the big trailers pulled by trucks. There was loud music and weird funny up and down noises from huge long red trucks. And blue and red lights on white cars. There were loud drums and prancing hooman fillies with sparkly sticks. Windy wasn't worried about any of that. She went into a complete panic when a tiny baby long ear came up beside her.


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## AbbySmith

Lol. I've never seen one of you horses before. I would probably be very scared though. I am scared of everything. I hate squirrels.


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## SueC

Merry Christmas, Isabeau & family!


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## knightrider

Had an interesting morning this morning. Mom accidentally left the hose running all night in our water tub, and it caused a small river running through our sacrifice pen. (Aren't you impressed with all the hooman terms I now know?)

When it was time to go in our stalls and eat, the others sloshed through the icy water and went into eat. Not me. No way was I gonna walk through ice cold water as high as my canon bone! I'd give up eating before I'd even consider it. I watched the others eating and said, "Oh, who cares anyway. I'm not hungry."

Mom knew I'd never cross that big bunch of freezing water, so she brought me my food into the sacrifice pen. Like I said, I wasn't real hungry anyway, but I ate it. Until Mom brought out my saddle. Then I hit panic mode. I raced all around the pen and wouldn't let Mom near me. It was just a combination of things: my friends all eating happily in their stalls and me alone in the pen, that huge bunch of really cold water that wasn't supposed to be there, and just a cold morning that made me feel like running around. As I'm sure you know, I like things to go my way. Control of everything is my forte. Anything out of control really bugs me. A river flowing through my pen is clearly out of control!

It didn't take Mom long to convince me that she had everything under control and it was no big deal, so I let her catch me and put my saddle and bridle on. So she was ready to ride, but she wondered how she would get the other horses back in the sacrifice pen while she and I headed down the trail. Normally she puts some hay in their tubs, but they don't like cold water either, and she figured they wouldn't cross that icy river for some piddly bits of hay.

She put lots of hay in their stalls and led me out the back way like we were going to ride with Curmudgeon. But we went the opposite way. She cut through different people's pastures until we got to the trails. Pretty clever of her!

And after all that excitement, as usual, I gave her the best ride of her life. We rode on and on and ON. And when we got home, that river was just about gone, everybody was happy to go back to the sacrifice pen, and we got more hay!


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## AbbySmith

Isabeau! Be nice to your mom! We all leave taps on lol! I'm glad no one got hurt, and it all melted!


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## knightrider

Uh oh. Something quite unusual happened today. I gave Mom a bad ride! I was baaadddd. I'll tell you why. But, hey, I wasn't all bad. I did something really good too.

Mom has had some bad sad stuff happening with her and this morning, her riding friend the Curmudgeon couldn't ride with her. She wanted a quiet contemplative (how do you like THAT word! Mom told it to me when things were going wrong, and I remembered it!) ride, so she picked me to take her by herself through the woods, so she could forget about her troubles and just chill for a bit.

I didn't give her that quiet soothing ride and here's why. I was kind of mad at Mom. She has lost all her riding friends and has to find new ones. And each time she tries out a new one, guess who has to take them? Me, that's who. Every single new person climbs on me. And she didn't find any kids, no siree, all adults and all kind of heavy. And she puts a saddle I don't really like on me for them to try me.

In spite of all that, I've given every person a great ride. But I'm heartily sick of it, so today, when she put on my saddle that I like, and SHE got on, I showed her I was fed up with all those new riders getting on me. Why can't ugly buffalo Chorro take new people sometimes? Why is it always ME?!

Also, it was cold this morning, and windy, and cloudy, and damp. That made me want to go fast . . . and I did. Would I walk along quietly and contemplatively? Not on your life. I jigged and danced and bounced along like I was Windy! And when big trucks came zooming down the road, I'd spin and think about bolting. Mom was not happy with me.

Then she decided to see if the Anatolian shepherds were going to come out on the road. That was the original plan with Curmudgeon, and she decided to stick to that plan. It was a little trickier because we had to go on the road up to the driveway rather than going through her friend's driveway. She is only allowed to do that if Curmudgeon was with us, and he wasn't. But she thought she'd be safe on me . . . and she was.

Those Anatolian shepherds came roaring out of their driveway the minute they saw us and surrounded me right quick. I was cortoing my fastest to get away. The big one trapped me next to the barbed wire fence the way he likes to do, but I didn't do one thing wrong. I just kept cortoing . . . unlike Aci and Windy, who were baaaaddd. If you remember Aci got himself snared in the barbed wire and Windy bucked Mom off. But I just kept steadily cortoing along with the dog snapping at my heels. Then a big truck came down the road and I stayed steady, cortoing along. That Anatolian shepherd was running alongside me in the road, trying to keep me against the fence. Mom and I hoped HOPED the truck would hit the stupid dog, but it slowed down and almost stopped because that arrogant dog would not move out of the road. And I kept steady too, cortoing fast next to the fence.

After a while, the dog gave up when we got to the trees. Mom rode me a long time in the trees, hoping that I would stop fizzing and jigging, but I just couldn't stop. I've taken all those beginner heavy riders so calmly and quietly and I liked the cold brisk wind and wanted to GO. My corto and jigging is very smooth. Mom shouldn't have minded. She wanted peace and quiet. She wasn't real happy with me.

BUT! She was happy with this! She trimmed my feet yesterday and found no trace of my old white line disease. She's been trying to get that wld under control for 10 (!!!!!) years!!! She's tried so many things including expensive soaks and different chemicals, keeping it opened up and putting metal shoes on me. Finally, FINALLY there was no trace of it yesterday. Boy, was she happy about that! 

Oh, I'll bet you want to know what finally worked? She trimmed me every 3 weeks for a year and a half and kept that wld place opened up. She sprayed a mixture of white vinegar and copper sulfate in the hole every other day. If the hole was big enough, she'd pack in a dab of cotton soaked in the vinegar/copper sulfate solution. After a recent trim, the cotton wouldn't stay, but in a week, it often would stay in the hole. She used an ice pick to pack in the cotton. Just like everything else, she never gave up . . . and finally success!

She never gives up on her hooman colt and filly either. I hope she has success with them like she has with me. She hopes that too.


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## AbbySmith

Isabeau, you really should be nicer to your mom. She has been sooo patient with you, and puts up with all your crap. She is the mom you never had! I am very glad to hear that she cured your feet! You should thank her for that. Besides I'm sure she'll stop making all the new riders ride you, once they get better at riding. You should take it as a compliment that mom trusts _you_ to take the beginners! She knows that you will be nice to them, and give them a good ride! Eventually once your mom finds someone who will come ride, they will ride you for a bit, and then move onto Chorro, or Windy. But it's your job to make them want to ride!!! You should be nice to your mom so she can show you off to everyone and they want to come ride for your mom!!

@knightrider, I hope you feel better soon! I'm sorry your ride didn't go as you hoped! I find it so relaxing to even just sit in the pasture with the donkeys. But riding is definitely better lol!!


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## Knave

Cash’s hooman here,

I was hoping the trucker would run over the dog too. That would not fly around here I don’t think. At least most people wouldn’t allow a dog to do that I wouldn’t think, and if they had one they couldn’t control I’d imagine they would lock it up. If one of ours did it more than once we would put him down, but we can’t have dogs who would bite at horses. No one around here will tolerate it.

Once there was a dog who would chase horses. The General could be awful aggressive with a dog, so I rode him and let him attack that dumb thing. It solved the habit of the dog chasing horses, and he was a good dog after that.

I wonder what that danged dog would do if you turned around and went after him! Granted, cowhorses, maybe do to training or maybe breeding, will tend to understand if their rider asks them to go after something. I’m almost certain Cash would kill a dog if I would allow it, Bones and Zeus too, and Bones is the only who could claim a breeding reason.

Would you attack the dog if asked?


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## AbbySmith

Aggressive dogs are the worst. Our neighbor has three big german sheperds that bark and chase at cars. A couple days ago, our other neighbor ran one over. They've calmed down a lot since then lol!

Can you talk to the owner about the dogs? I know when we moved to our farm, my dad went around to everyone near us and gave them permission to shoot any one of our dogs if they were on their property, and expected the same back. He actually did shoot one dog.


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## knightrider

@Knave, I actually did chase a spit bowl dog once, but I didn't want to. A big man was riding me, and he insisted I do it, and I did. And that spit bowl did run away, too. Mom doesn't chase dogs because she's tried it hundreds of times, and for her, the dog always comes running back after it runs away. Mom has more success running from the dog. It stops barking and biting the horse and trots home, nose and tail in the air, saying, "Look what I did! I chased that big creature out of my road!" 

Most of the time, Mom just ignores dogs that come out and bark at us horses. She ignored the Anatolian shepherd dogs for years and all they did was bark. She didn't know it was going to be a big mistake, but people from Horse Forum told her she never should have used her Dog Dazer on the Anatolians. They are really big aggressive dogs, and if you get aggressive with them, they escalate (how do you like THAT word! I am clever). And they have. I didn't get bitten when Mom rode me past them this time. It wasn't too bad.

@AbbySmith, I want YOU to come ride me! I took another fearful beginner today. I was good as gold for this rider. I am tired of heavy adults on me. I wish Mom would get some more young hooman fillies and colts to ride me. Enough with these heavy grown-ups!

I did one bad thing with the timid beginner rider. Mom on Aci and Chorro and his rider were jumping big logs while Windy and I watched. It looked like so much fun that I started jumping them too! The novice rider was scared. But I jumped so smoothly and perfectly that the rider was excited to have done the jumps.

To answer your question, AbbySmith, my mom did talk to the owner. I think it was three times. First Curmudgeon went to their house and told them we were having problems with their dogs. The owners were really rude to Curmudgeon and said they would never keep their dogs up, and we must ride somewhere else. Then our little hooman fillies almost got badly hurt when the dogs were biting the horses. Chorro bolted and his less-than-skilled rider couldn't stop him. He was skidding all over the road trying to gallop on the hard shiny surface. Windy started leaping and spinning and her legs almost came out from under her. So Curmudgeon and Mom talked to the owners again. The person riding Chorro called Animal Control that day, and someone went to the house and told the owners they had to keep their dogs up.

Then Mom started filming the dogs coming after the horses and sent the films to Animal Control. Windy got bit, and bucked really big. Mom fell off, and Windy fell in the road . She got all skinned up and Mom got kind of banged up too (not as bad as Windy). Mom and Curmudgeon talked to the owners again. They hide in the shrubbery when the dogs come out and watch us having trouble. Curmudgeon asked if we could have their phone number and we could call them when we wanted to ride past their house, but they said some bad words and said they'd never give us their phone number. They said they know us horses and they know where our pasture is, and they threatened to make trouble for us. But they haven't. Yet.

Mom said that Animal Control has visited the people at least 4 times, but nothing ever happens. Mom is unhappy because some of our really fun trails are past those dogs and we can't go there.









This is how big those dogs are.


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## AbbySmith

Oh Isabeau...I wish I could come ride you too! You seem like such a great horse! I would would really love to ride you, you seem to take such good care of your riders. I have sat through quite a few bucks, but I would much rather someone who doesn't! Like you! K would also love to jump with you! You seem like such a special little girl. You were the one no one wanted. Even your dam rejected you. But at least your new mom loves you very much! I love all you animals thy everyone has given up on. That no one wants, and have deemed usuless. That's probably why I like the rescue so much lol! I know your mom is definitely still looking for a young rider for you. But there are so many people that like horses, but don't like the commitment, or how taking care for you! Your mom is just trying to find someone who loves _you_ not just riding.

Well I feels bad saying this, but those dogs are amazing! I love big dogs! But it is definitely very stupid that the owners won't lock them up


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## Knave

I think I’d have doubts about getting my horses to chase a bear too! That is not a dog.

It sounds like a terrible situation and I’m sorry. Maybe they’re old and they’ll die soon... dogs do have short lives. Usually a sad thing, not so much in this situation...


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## knightrider

We had a funny ride yesterday. It wasn't so funny then, but I got my way, so that made it funny.
Mom knows I hate a ride she calls "Dirt Bibby". Not too far from our house is a road called Bibby Road. On one side is dirt and the other side is paved. I have ALWAYS hated dirt Bibby Rd. When I was young and baaaadddd, Mom would ride me only as far as a sign that said "35" on it. She would give a sigh of relief when we got to "35" and turn around for home. Because I hated dirt Bibby then and hate it now.

I was, and still am, quite happy to ride on "paved Bibby." And that has yucky snucky bonky sows and piglets on it. Dirt Bibby is stupid and boring. Paved Bibby has nice grass along the side of it. I like riding on it, and when we get to the crossroads, I always ask Mom if we can go on paved Bibby, not dirt Bibby.

Mom decided yesterday that it would be a bright idea for me to ride down dirt Bibby and cross the puddles along the side of the dirt road to eat the grass on the other side of the puddle. Sometimes she has us horses do that to get us used to going through water. Sometimes I'll do it, too, when Chorro, Windy, and Aci go first.

But today I wasn't in the mood to even go down dirt Bibby, much less cross puddles to eat grass. Mom gives us lots of hay and pellets to eat. I don't need to eat some dirty winter grass with sand all over it from cars driving past it. I wouldn't cross the puddles. I didn't want that grass. I don't like those trucks driving so close to me and splashing water. I DON'T LIKE DIRT BIBBY ROAD!!!!!

Finally I crossed puddles 4 times and ate a little of that old dead grass. I was surely unhappy and Mom knew it. So she turned me around before we got to the barking busy spit bowl that used to bite and now doesn't. We went back to paved Bibby Rd. and had a very fun ride going down it and through the planted pines. 

I was so happy to be going where I wanted to go, that when we got to the cows, who were all mooing their heads off, I just walked along calmly. Oh, so what if those cows are all going "mooaaaahhhhh" They moan and bellow. I don't care. Windy hates cows, but they don't bother me much.

I was so happy that Mom listened to me and let me ride where we both could have fun.

Here is a picture of nice interesting paved Bibby Rd. And then a picture of boring old stupid dirt Bibby Rd.


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## AbbySmith

Oh, I was so excited to see that you posted! I love reading your journal Isabeau!
You see, if you would learn a lesson or two from your mother, you would learn that when you do what _she_ wants, you get what _you_ want. _After_ you rode on old dirt Bibby Road, mom let you ride on Paved Bibby Road and you had lots of fun together! Your mother knows what she's doing! You should listen to her more often lol!

Also, you should be very glad that you live where you do! Look at all that grass! There's no snow anywhere lol!


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## Knave

I was thinking how pretty each road is!


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> I was thinking how pretty each road is!


Yes, Cash, Mom thinks "dirt Bibby" Rd. is fine to ride on. It's only me who hates it. Aci rides on it all the time. They go off exploring trails they have no permission to ride on. Actually, I'd rather go off dirt Bibby exploring than stay on it riding. I don't know why I hate it, but I always have. Mom takes me on it sometimes; I always wish she wouldn't.

One time somebody was bringing two halves of a house on two tractor trailers down dirt Bibby road. There was no room for lil' ol' me! I was terrified. The tractor trailers stopped because I was jumping around going nuts, saying there was no place for me to get away. Mom had to get off while EVERYONE waited, including the people in a car following the two tractor trailers. Mom was not real happy with me that day, and I told her it was because she took me on dirt Bibby Rd.


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## Knave

That sounds horrible! I wouldn’t want to go down it either, although I am quite good about vehicles. Zeus is the shocker who doesn’t like some equipment.

Maybe your dirt Bibby road is like antelope are for me. I hate antelope. We see them often, and my hooman doesn’t seem to care either that I don’t want to be around the stupid things!


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## AbbySmith

Okay, quick question for you Isabeau.
How do you feel knowing that your mom's profile pic is the buffalo Chorro, and not you! 
I feel like you'd be pretty upset about that knowing you lol!


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## knightrider

@AbbySmith, I really hate it that Chorro is the avatar on the computer. Mom says it is because she got Chorro before she got any of us, and she got him as a baby and raised him. Aci and I were close to babies when she got us, and Windy was only 4 months and taken off her momma's milk . . . but Windy is the hooman filly's horse, not Mom's horse.

That's how Mom explains it. I think she loves him best of all, but she doesn't want us to think she has a favorite. <<<< I >>>>> should be the favorite!!! She put a lot more time and effort and care and energy into working with me!


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## AbbySmith

Lol! Well your mom is allowed to like other horses besides you lol! 
Maybe you could convince your mom to take a group photo? Oh! You know what? Your mom probably put Chorro's photo up cause she thinks that you're too good to be seen in the internet! She probably thinks that you're awesomeness will crack the screen or something! Yep, that's it, your mom just thinks you're too good!


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## Knave

Cashman here again,

It is interesting to me Isabeau that Chorro is her favorite. I thought you were her favorite. You have me concerned that I might not be my hooman’s favorite... it is an important consideration I think.


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## AbbySmith

Knave said:


> Cashman here again,
> 
> It is interesting to me Isabeau that Chorro is her favorite. I thought you were her favorite. You have me concerned that I might not be my hooman’s favorite... it is an important consideration I think.


😂🤣😂🤣ROFL!!


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## knightrider

I have heard Mom tell several people that Chorro is her "heart horse." That doesn't sound so good, does it? Chorro runs up to Mom and moons all over her and tries to stick his nose in the halter if she is trying to halter another horse. He makes a big smoochy fuss over everybody who visits. He's nice to hoomans, but not to other horses.

Mom tells people that I am more like a cat. I can be very friendly and affectionate and rub all over hoomans when the mood suits me. But there are times when I'd just like to be left alone, and if Mom wants to ride me, I'll walk away. Doesn't do any good. She always gets me anyway. Sometimes she wants to hug me, and I'll duck my head away. Sometimes I just don't feel like all that smothery stuff. But here's the thing: I know Mom is crazy about me. She almost gave me away, and she cried and couldn't do it. And she tells me she'll never consider it again. So that's what counts, right? Not that stoopid "heart horse" crap.

Oh, and Aci is in big deep DEEP doo doo. Today, when we were eating breakfast, he wanted to fuss with Chorro (their stalls are side by side). He won't say if it was an accident or on purpose, but he swung his teeth hard when Mom was grooming Chorro and clocked her in the head so hard, she saw stars. And she had on a heavy fur hat because it was cold this morning! It gave her a huge goose egg and headache all morning, she said. She was so so so SO mad at Aci. He's mad at her for bringing Chorro back. Chorro was at Paintlady's house being a teaser gelding, and she should have left him there. But noooooo, Mom missed him soooo much, she went and got him the day that mare got bred! And Aci was mad about it because he hates Chorro (I do too, I'll bet you know that, don't you??!!)

And say, what's a teaser gelding anyway? Why would anybody want that stoopid ol' buffalo at their house?


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## Knave

Hmm Isabeau, that is hard to read.

I don’t know why you would act like a cat though. That gives her good reason you know. Even cats can be more loyal than you sound. I want to be caught. I don’t want my hooman touching anyone else.

Queen and I are sharing the same hooman. I don’t like that. Queen thinks she is more important than she is too, and she hates it too. We fight about it, and I may have almost hurt my hooman when I lost my temper with that little, how do I put it... well, her name says it well enough: Queen.

So, I guess I can relate to Aci. Hoomans should not be shared. My own calls me a jealous husband, and says it is dangerous. Maybe she means what happened with Aci, but he should have been more careful. We keep discussing that, my hooman and I. She explained that she is small, and I am not allowed to forget where she is EVER, even when I lose my temper, which she doesn’t like either.

I explained that she shouldn’t be so lacking in loyalty, and also more aware of her surroundings. Queen seems to never forget she is there, and neither do the others. Queen is the only who is as particularly jealous as myself though... we are similar in some ways. I don’t hate her, well, except when she is taking my attention.

I do, respectfully, believe you should work on showing loyalty. Obviously, as Queen is teaching us, you can still maintain your self importance and royal standings.


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## SueC

Sunsmart here. I'm definitely my monkey's favourite - she spends more time with me with than either of the other horses. When the Arab mare died in 2014 I was sad; and I never got another friend like that one, so my monkey said that she'd try to be my best friend to make up for that a little. Of course, the monkey doesn't live in the paddock, and doesn't have four legs, and all sorts of things, so it's not the same, but the attention is nice anyway. And the food. And the adventures with the monkey and the rather shrill, forever barking smallish black-and-white four-legs that comes with us and wants to race me. She only shuts up when we race each other or when she's after a kangaroo... I'm not sure exactly what the point of that black-and-white noisy four-legs is. The monkey seems to like her. I do feel a bit safer when she is with us because I know that if we meet a lion, she will make a far easier meal for it than I will.


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## knightrider

Ha ha, Sunsmart. I have one of those small 4 leg things too that goes along with me on rides. She doesn't bark or try to race me, but she squats and piddles right in front of where I'm going to walk. I reach down and try to bite her, but she leaps away, mid-piddle. I think it's a game for her, like your small







4 legger races you.


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## egrogan

Isabel here...My mom says I’m retired now, which is confusing to me because I’m full of energy and _never _get tired of chasing Fizz around, but anyway, since I don’t have to carry around the saddle and the human anymore, I don’t have much to say here.

But I had to chime in about the short 4-legged. We got a baby one last year, and from the beginning, he’s been loud and zoomy. He always thinks he can make us move around the field where he wants us to go, and I give him my best mare stare and tell him to back off. Maggie pins her ears and pretends to kick if he gets too close. So he has to stay on a lead with mom a lot of the time.

As annoying as he is, I must be getting a little soft in my old age...the last few nights when the cold hard wind is blowing, I’ve let him hang out in my shed with me while mom gets the night hay ready for us. He cleans up the shavings while I wait for new hay. He’s not alllll bad, at least when he is quiet for a few minutes!


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## Knave

It’s Queen today,

I am a fan of your journal. I could be called a diva myself.

I am sure I am the favorite, don’t listen to Cash. I don’t like the other horses, but the human is my best friend. I’m a little irritated now because she’s been visiting me less and adventuring less with the storms. It’s really not that bad outside, and I’m out all of the time, so she should really get over it.

I want to bite the little monsters. I’ve a funny story about that, but I’ll tell you another time. We have a new one that is a baby. I can feel my human’s attention being broken. Today in fact, she knelt down in front of me for such a long time, talking to that little monster. I don’t mind it as much as the others, because it is a baby, and babies are to be protected. I am not a baby!

Anyways, I finally got bored enough to pull on the human’s hood. Really, she was acting like I wasn’t even there.


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## knightrider

We want to read the funny story about the little monsters!


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## Knave

Well, it is a little embarrassing. It is funny too though.

Sometimes my human rides me from the place with the brushes to the corral. This is because, like I said before, I am not a baby.

We were walking along, and I was carrying her with the pride of my stature, when she tells me it would be alright if I chased the dog. Now, I knew she told me I could, and so I quickly agreed. After all, when we are together we could do anything, and nothing is to be feared.

I got so excited though about finally showing her my level of fighting, that I leapt with joy and meanness to the dog. That terrified me though immediately. After all, the woman was on my back and I was being a grown horse, as I am.

I got so frightened that I took that jump, that I blew up. You understand; you are all horses. So, I was bucking my best, and my human is solid, as she should be of course. I wasn’t getting her off, but she picked my head up. Of course I gave it to her, but I continued to buck, because I was just getting more and more scared.

I was putting on quite the show. It was unqueenly though, and so I am ashamed. Then, since I didn’t have my head, I fell down! The human was thrown in the beginning of the fall, and we hit the ground at the same time. We were looking into each other’s eyes, and both of us scrambled to get up, because falling is hugely embarrassing! All over a stupid little monster I know I could have easily killed...

She jumped back onto my back, and we both pretended nothing happed of course. That is the correct reaction to something so humiliating.

I expect this kind of funny, and rather embarrassing, story remain a secret. Oh! You should have seen how far I tore the gravel out of the yard though! If nothing else, it was a display of my athleticism. I know my human was impressed.


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## knightrider

Oh my! No wonder my hooman didn't see that story on Horse Forum. This is a secret just between us horses. You know, long before you were born, I did a lot of falling down too . . . only I was just so mad I used to do it on purpose. But you are right--queens don't fall down.

Say, Queen, do you like to roll? I LOVE to roll! I know I'm a queen and you're a queen, but doesn't it feel so lovely to feel that dirt sliding around your skin? I take my front hoof and throw it all over my back when I am on the ground. It feels so nice. Where we live, it is sand so it doesn't stick. A good shake and I look as nice as always. Do you have sand? Or are you just too prissy to roll much? I get the feeling you are a strong queen not a prissy queen.


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau,

I like to nap, but I’m not a big roller, no. I wouldn’t call myself prissy, because you know I love a good fight. Dirt however, I’m just not sure I love it. The dirt in my corral is kind of sticky though.

Sometimes I consider rolling in the gravel on the walk back to the corral, but I haven’t the nerve to do it yet. My human and I are best friends I am sure, but rolling seems just out of my reach... one day I may give it a try. It does appeal to me.


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## knightrider

Queen, you don't roll? Wow, you don't know what you're missing! Rolling is the best thing ever! I roll within seconds of my Mom getting off me. She has to hold me up or I'll roll with the saddle on. I L-O-V-E to roll!!! (I think I've already said that). You've got to try it, Queen. It feels so lovely.

What do you like to do for fun, Queen? Besides stomping dogs. BlackMare stomps dogs. She's killed one . . . or maybe two. I just bite 'em. But stomping dogs is not fun for me. I like my ears rubbed a whole lot. I like to scratch Windy's withers while she scratches mine. And I really really REALLY like to eat nice things.

Queen, do you like boy horses? I have no use for them. Aci is nice and a fun friend, but I really don't care for boy horses much. Too pushy and bossy.


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## Knave

No, I just don’t enjoy rolling. Maybe I will do it when more hair is shedding. I will have to see. Brushing is amazing though, and it seems to scratch those itches. Maybe that is why I like human so much. Actually, the reason I like her so much is because she makes me stronger. Everything is scared of a horse with a human.

I like being pampered, and I like attacking horses and dogs that irritate me. I just really enjoy a fight. I do like food though! You are right that it is amazing!! I wish my human gave more treats; I’ve had some and they are the best thing. I get grain. Do you? Grain is particularly satisfying.

I like exploring. Human takes me outside and we do interesting and fun things. I just love seeing new things, and since everyone is scared of a horse with a human, I know nothing can scare me.


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## gottatrot

Hero here. 
Wow, Queen, you are lucky. I try to be brave, but there is a big bear in the woods and my human likes to go right over there, even inside the woods, that obviously belong to the bear. He's going to get real mad one of these days about us walking through his woods. My human acts like there is nothing to worry about, but she looks like she'd barely be a snack for him so maybe that's why she doesn't worry. She just is clueless, you know? I mean, she's always got a dopey look on her face like there's nothing to worry about. I know one of these days that bear's going to come after us. 

My granny (well, she's not really my granny but I call her that because she's really old and I live with her), Amore is a dog stomper. I don't stomp dogs myself because they're too squishy. I like stomping on hard things like fence posts and cement. They make a nice ringing sound. Dogs just don't.


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## Knave

Hero, I think you must be crazy to be scared of any animal when you are a human horse. Maybe let me explain it, if I can.

I grew up where there were some strong horses. There were many horses on my mountain. One day these big sky machines came and we started to run from them, because they were terrible monsters in the sky of course.

All of that, and the human horses came out. They weren’t scared of the machines, because they are like superheroes. (Your name is Hero, and you have a human. You should know better.) The human horses then bossed us everywhere we went. We weren’t able to do differently than they asked, and fighting them didn’t work.

I knew watching that one day I would maybe be a human horse. They are the best of the best, and I of course would fit that description. My mother was lead mare, and she taught me that I would be to. You know lead mares are the top of the horse herd right? So, I was an obvious choice.

When I realized I was a human horse I immediately knew. I was the new boss. No one could touch me, not even sky monster machines. Untouchable.

You should really figure that out. It’s been obvious to me as soon as I saw. You are old, you should know that.


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## Knave

Oh, I forgot to answer Isabeau’s question. I apologize. I do like boy horses, especially ones who know their place. I met a new boy horse recently, but he is a baby, not like me. He knew his place right away and clacked at me. You know that rule I assume since you are also a special type of mare.

Cash is my favorite horse, and I often eat with him and curl up next to him. He is a great guardian for a Queen. He is really big, all muscle. Maybe a bit dense... but I enjoy him.

If you read what I wrote to Hero, which I must assume as you own these letters, I do like being a human horse. The worst thing about it is that all of the horses in my corral are also human horses! It is a problem for me.


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## SueC

Sunsmart's monkey here, eavesdropping.

ROFL 😂

I miss the old ROFL emoji. Please imagine ten of them in a row at this point...


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## knightrider

Amazing day yesterday! For the first time ever, I rode in the trailer without sweating or shaking! Mom hasn't taken me in the trailer for a very long time. She always takes Windy or Aci. And then yesterday, when I saw the trailer all hitched and her putting stuff in it, I wondered if just maybe it might be me? Naaaah. It'll be Windy, I thought.

Then she put my halter on, and I wondered if it WAS going to be me. Naaaah. She's just going to trim my feet. And THEN, she walked me to the trailer! I thought about not going in, but you know me, I just went in . . . I always do.

When Mom got to Oleno, where we were going to ride, I was cool as ice . . . and NOT SHAKING!!! Mom was so so so proud of me. Then, instead of riding on the regular trails that we do, we went across a busy road and rode up a dirt road. I had Painthorse and April with me for company. But back to crossing the busy road: big trucks came along the road and April was really nervous. Painthorse doesn't like riding across yellow lines. Guess who led the scary ride??? Me! That's who!!!! Yes, I led the way. Then suddenly I realized I was leading the others in a scary place and halfway across the road, I stopped and tried to go back. A huge semi tractor trailer was barreling right towards us. Mom booted me as hard as she could, but would I go ahead? No sirr-reee. I would not go. All 3 horses and riders were soon going to go SPLAT on the busy road. And another tractor trailer coming the other way. Painthorse lady jumped off Painthorse and led her across the road, then April and I went. The tractor trailer slowed way way down so he wouldn't splat us. I felt pretty foolish, but I panicked. Mom wasn't too mad at me.

Back to the dirt road. More tractors and things came at us on the dirt road and all of us horses handled that really well. THEN we got to a closed gate where you had to punch some numbers into a round thing. None of us horses would go up to that round thing, so Mom got off and punched in the numbers. She was embarrassed that Paintlady had to get off when we almost got splatted. I was in front and Mom should have gotten off. She thought I would go on, she really did, I know because I can read her mind. She thought if she booted me hard, I'd go. I should have, I know. I'm sorry.

After we got through the gate with the numbers, whooooo-weeee! You should see how the horses live in that place!!! Acres of lush grass and black painted wooden fences, and pastures for miles, and houses like castles. Ponds with rocks and waterfalls, fancy cars, and living quarters horse trailers. And oh! The beautiful horses living in those pastures!!! It was amazing. 

And then we went into the woods where there were lovely trails with no branches hanging down, and we rode along a beautiful river. I thought Mom was going to make me go in the river, but she didn't. Instead, she and the other hoomans talked about having fun camping there at one of those fancy places. Wouldn't THAT be different! One time Chorro and Aci did that, but I didn't go that time.

Well, it was all pretty fun. Mom was proudest of me not being upset in the trailer. She says I am 14, soon to be 15 in July, and it took long enough, but WE DID IT!!!!! Mom loves me so much and I love her too.


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## Knave

Cashman here,

I am disappointed in your crossing of the road. Big trucks and tractors, and really any equipment isn’t scary. It wasn’t like you saw an antelope! If you don’t see an antelope, you should be steady and trustworthy.

I am impressed that you rode in the trailer well though. I wouldn’t shake in a trailer, of course, but you did it well and that is good.

Everyone in the corral has been complaining that I am cranky and bossy. I don’t mean to come off that way; I just have expectations of my associates.

Camping in a woods with water sounds fantastic to me!

Oh, news from my corral. Today there was a big storm. The hoomans were down the street at a funeral for the old boss, remember him? Anyways, the hail was massive and awful. I will show you the little girl holding a piece (she is a big girl though now, big hands, they say she is 5’10”. I am 16.3, that is much bigger, but in the female hooman variety she is big I believe. Like me she is still growing too.).


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## Txshecat0423

This is one of the most entertaining threads we have ever had the pleasure of reading!

Skip, Hombre and Henry
And their hooman Cat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knightrider

Oh wow! Thank you thank you! Skip, Hombre, and Henry can write to me too! I love hearing opinions from other horses!


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## Palfrey

Excellent, enjoyable journal!


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## knightrider

This morning I kinda messed up, but it's OK now. Mom used to ride us 2 hours every morning. She often goes with our neighbor, whom I call The Curmudgeon. That was when he owned me, and he thought he could make me behave by demanding it. Now that Mom has me, I've gotten over all that stuff. Mom and I have worked out our agreements, and we get along just fine. This man isn't really a Curmudgeon. I know I was a royal brat.

But, sadly, he is getting older and has more and more problems going riding. He can't ride for 2 hours anymore. Mom was doing shorter rides with him, but it occurred to her that she could keep riding another half hour after he went in and still enjoy a longer ride. It didn't occur to me, though! I was outraged.

He went in, we rode to our gate, and to my horror, Mom asked me to keep on riding! Ain't gonna happen! I lost it, the way I used to do years ago. However she tried to turn me, I wasn't going to turn away from my gate. Mom whapped me good with her fly swish, but I didn't even feel it. I was out of my mind. I have NEVER been asked to ride past my gate! Alone!!!!

Mom got off and did something she doesn't do. She was wrong, but she didn't care. She did it. She took that fly swish and she whacked me HARD!!!! She has told other riders you can only hit a horse 2 seconds after they've been bad, otherwise the horse doesn't understand. So she was wrong wrong wrong . . . but she did it. She told me she was super disappointed in me and we're a team, and I let her down. She knew it was more than 2 seconds, but she was mad and she didn't care.

She led me past our gate, and past Chorro bouncing and screaming and racing back and forth exited that I was back. As she led me, I felt more and more ashamed. Mom trusts me and brags on me. She thinks the world of me. I know I was very baaaaaadddddd. When we got past our property, Mom mounted me again. I could tell she was tense and expected me to bolt for home. She leaped on and tightened the reins. But I was sorry and ashamed and wanted to do right by her. I didn't even move one foot. I stood like a bale of hay.

Then I turned around and headed down the trail, giving her the best half hour ride that any horse ever gave a hooman. When she socked me with that stick, I knew very well that she wouldn't ask me to do something terrible. I should have trusted her, and I deserved that hard smack. I won't ever do that again. Mom and me are tight.


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## SueC

This is Sunsmart! Isabeau, monkeys can be so unreasonable. If we're just doing laps around our own farm trails I usually stop after one lap when we get back near the house to tell my monkey that the tie-down and the food bucket are _over there_ but do you think she gets it? It's like she's deaf or something. She keeps facing me the way of the trail head saying, "Sunsmart, home is _that_ way! We're going the long way home!"

I can't understand monkey logic. Anyway, nothing I do has any effect on her insistence that home is _that way_ when I can see it is _this_ way, but I do understand what she's saying so after hopping up and down a bit and trying to reason with her, I humour her delusions and gallop off with her down the trail head because, hey, if I have to go the long way around, I can always make it quick. 🏇

Darn monkeys. But her cooking is nice and she knows where all my itchy spots are.

In other news, I went for a ride yesterday for the first time since everything turned into a bog for a month. The dog was yapping incessantly as she always does and egging me on to race her. I was feeling jaunty and decided to take her up on it. It was nice to be out again. We did the Figure-8 through the valley floor, half the ride at the neighbour's place. I saw lots of cows and calves there, and the dam is super full. Squelch squelch squelch. Kangaroos in the bush and nice afternoon sun slanting through the eucalyptus trees.



















Also, I met a new monkey called Shey today who stabbed me with a needle but it was only a small one so that was OK. And she said Nelly's posterior is too fat, bwahahahaha! I like Nelly but it's nice when it's someone else's posterior that's too fat. Mine is just right apparently and this monkey is a professional judge of equine bottoms.


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## Knave

Hello. This is Queen. Cashman wanted to write to you, but I convinced him I was better suited to this discussion. He of course is a big galloot who complains on occasion about things by stopping or pulling on my hooman’s hands, which is utter nonsense I believe, as I’m sure you do as well. I guess sometimes he prances, but I haven’t seen it. Could you even imagine that big galloot pretending he could dance? Really, I doubt it.

My hooman has yet to irritate me, but I completely see your reaction. Royalty should be treated with deference. That big beast who she ties me to often irritates me! You can only imagine the level of slow his gates are. He even runs slow! I’m not kidding. So here I am, wanting to move out with a bit of fancy (imagine my white legs and how I can over exaggerate their movement, and I can even glide, which I know is rare. I have that hang time at a trot where no leg touches the ground.), and of course I can’t hit fancy when we are lumbering so slowly.

I go after him. I know he’s big and I don’t get away with it, but I try and hurt him. He needs to move! I lunge and get ahold of his neck right behind his ears, and then my hooman says no and wacks me with the romal. I get her point, but seriously, I doubt she would handle that level of irritation.

So, when there is no one to attack for you, maybe your solution was the best. I believe I prefer bucking, but your way makes perfect sense. Then you just accept the wack, like I do for attacking the giant galloot, and show your embarrassment in not being quite as perfect as you are. I fully understand!


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## SueC

Sunsmart's monkey here. You animals! Honestly! 😄 🥳


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## gottatrot

These posts are THE best!!


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## knightrider

Today I did something wonderful for the very first time ever! Here's the deal. Curmudgeon (who is not really a curmudgeon, but that's what I named him years ago) got himself a new horse. The horse is white with big round spots all over him. Quite dramatic. Of course, you know I hate appaloosas, so you know, who cares?

BUT this appaloosa walks slowly . . . unlike me, who walks . . . no, dances . . . and glides along beautifully. And Curmudgeon wants a horse like me who glides and dances. So, he thinks he's gonna train this poor ol' appaloosa to walk fast. And he does this by whacking the poor ol' thing every stride or two. I thought that appy was gonna blow up on him. But he just started ignoring the whacking. That was pretty nice of the horse, not to blow up. I would have . . . in fact, when he did that to me, I did blow up. But that's a long ago story.

Mom didn't like that whacking AT ALL. I could tell that Mom was super unhappy about that appaloosa getting smacked over and over. Mom loves appaloosas. You might not have remembered that.

So Mom asked me if I wanted to do something that I simply DO NOT like to do. Mom asked me to lead the ride . . . going away from home. Now, I will lead rides at times. Mom tricked me into that years ago. But after a while, I've had enough and just don't want to anymore, and Mom understands that and doesn't make me keep leading. She says I've done well and deserve a break.

This morning she asked if I would do this, and I said I would. And after a good while, I said, "I don't want to anymore." But oh, no no no. When that sweet old appaloosa started getting whacked with every stride, I could feel Mom getting upset. 

"No wait!" I said, "I want to lead after all!" And I surged on ahead. We rode for 2 hours, and quite a bit of it was going away from home. We made 2 big circles, and I never hesitated once when we turned away from home to do the second circle. You know, I think I'm starting to like leading rides. I'm good at it too.

When we got to our house, Mom said she wouldn't sell me for $6,000,000! I'm the best!

Any other horses got some triumph you wanna crow about? I'd love to enjoy it with you! Fizz? Queen? Hero? Aria? Anybody else? We horses rock!!!!


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## Knave

We horses do rock! This is Queen; Cash is busy eating, and does not like to be bothered during mealtimes.

I prefer leading. Everyone else to too slow. I think the curmudgeon deserves an accolade; he didn’t make you go slow to walk with that lazy Appaloosa. Lazy is so far beneath horses like us. My hooman makes me stay a step behind. Behind Cash, behind Lucy, and no one will move like they should. They do not know how to glide like you and I. It’s pitiful.

I have been irritated. My hooman left me in the corral for almost two weeks. Two weeks! I understand she has something like strangles, because I heard her cough today. Do you think maybe she has been eating off the ground? No, I think it’s strangles.

In any case, she finally took me out today. I was calling to her. I knew she wouldn’t be able to ignore me for too much longer, although two weeks is far too long. I guess it was a win, getting out at least.

It was odd though. She brushed Cash and she brushed me, and she gave us our grain of course, and then she rode without the big leather piece, but she didn’t ride long. We walked a circle and that was it. I didn’t do anything wrong of course, so I was annoyed when she got off and turned me back into that stupid corral.


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## gottatrot

(Gottatrot: Lol, these posts have me choking!)

Hero here: Can't say I've been doing anything much to be proud of. As usual, the other guys around are intimidated by me, and all I have to do is flex my neck muscles or flash a hoof, and they stop putting their noses over the fences. 

My hooman though, has been making some real progress. It's taken a long time to teach her how to have a sense of humor, and how to get more relaxed. She used to be kind of reactive; she'd jump and holler sometimes, or flail her skinny arms around. They'd bounce off me and I'd just blink at her or give her some gentle nips and wait for her to calm down. That's usually the best way to handle these things. Sometimes she wouldn't get a joke, so I'd have to tell it to her louder, and then she still wouldn't relax. But nowadays she's responding to more subtle humor, so I think she's getting there. 
Just yesterday she said, "Why are you being so cute and cuddly?" Since she's becoming better trained, I can just stand there sometimes and wait for her to scratch the best areas, and to funnel the treats over my way. She used to need a lot of cueing about what to do, and I'd have to give a stamp or reprimand her with my tail so she would learn which behaviors were unacceptable. If she really didn't listen I'd have to do something that would get through to her, like knock over a wheelbarrow or smack a hoof against a wall. Sometimes that's what it takes to get through to hoomans, and it just takes a lot of time to shape their behaviors, you know.

My advice is to just be persistent, and in time they'll come around and learn how to behave.


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## Txshecat0423

Skip here: I will brag on myself! Mom and I haven’t ridden at a rodeo in about 18 months, first of all because of 2020 COVID and second because we moved away from all my drill friends. But my aunt asked Mom to come help at a rodeo this weekend, and I was asked to carry the big American flag for the National Anthem. I had to make my way at a slow walk around the arena to start with by myself while a video played and it was a standing room only crowd! I was VERY good except when the loud bass from the carnival near the arena started pounding…I don’t like that loud bass. But Mom pushed me forward and then we went to stand in the center of the arena and I stood like a statue while the anthem was being sung. I didn’t even swish my tail! Mom was so proud and she says it is a real honor when we get to carry the American flag. I was so happy to see my drill friends again. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knightrider

Now is the time when going riding with Mom is super fun. The skies are blue, the breeze is fresh, and the temperature is crisp and cool. Today I didn't really feel like heading out, but after we got started, I started having fun. Mom was shocked at me when a HUGE loud motorcycle went by really fast, blasting loud music and I hopped up on my hind legs, spun, and took off running. Normally I reserve that antic for tractors. Motorcycles stay on the road and leave me alone. Tractors . . . well . . . you never know WHERE they are going to go . . . and they could easily kill a horse!

What I started to write about is HOLES. I don't know why, but I fell in two holes in the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, I went down so deep that my whole body was on the ground and Mom jumped off me. I never did fall on her like Aci did . . . but Mom thought I was going to. That was the day we saw a buzzard convention. There were 40 or even 50 buzzards flying around overhead. Mom and I never saw that many ever before. They weren't landing or eating anything dead . . . just flying around. Weird.

Then today, I stepped into a hoof-sized hole that was really deep and went down on my knees. I hopped up so fast that Mom didn't jump off. She checked me all over and I hadn't hurt myself. I am so tough! Mom said I keep stepping into these holes because my hooves and legs are so dainty. I've been called dainty all my life. I may be dainty, but I don't get sick and I don't get hurt. I think queens are supposed to be that way, @Knave, Queen, are you that way? You look pretty lovely in your photos. Are you tough like me?

Speaking of tough, I showed that Anatolian shepherd who is tough! It came out barking and snarling at me just as a car was coming by. Mom got scared and turned me away from the road, thinking that I might bound out into the road the way Aci and Windy did. But not me! That dog comes up to my forearm, but I'm not scared of it! I just kept on trucking down the side of the road. Ever since the mate to that dog got killed, this one doesn't bite any more, but it sure is aggressive and looks right scary. Mom was scared that I'd be scared (yeah, I was pretty stupid about the motorcycle today, wasn't I?), but I wasn't. 

Since that first Anatolian shepherd got killed, and we're not getting bitten any more, Mom has been exploring more and more fun places to ride past that dog place. We found a bunch of fun woods to ride in today! I was glad she picked me and sorry I was so grumpy when she first got me out.


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau,

Yes, royalty should not stumble. I do not fall myself. My hooman says it’s because I was raised in badger holes, but I know it’s a bearing type of thing. You must understand.

I’ve heard, in the corral, about others falling. Did you know that Cashman always fell when he was young? What a brute.

I also heard that Bones has fallen in a couple of holes. He’s very coordinated, but he says sometimes they hide behind brush. Like I don’t already know that. Ugh. I heard the reason Cashman was brought home was because Bones was working hard, and he was running up a steep mountain after some cows, and his hind leg went very far down into a badger hole. He tore his stifle. He was out of work for a good time frame.

I hope you fall in no more holes Isabeau. Also, I think you should teach that dog a lesson. Royalty does not stand for such behavior from underlings. Sometimes I try and strike or bite the dogs, just so they remember such facts. If one threatened me he would learn.


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## knightrider

Wow, @Knave, Queen, you ARE brave! And sure footed. To be fair to me, the holes are completely covered in tall grass and you can't see them until you are in them. But still, I hope you never go in one!

@Txshecat0423 , Skip, you are truly brave and amazing! I salute you, and I want to be more like you and Queen. Something to work on, right? I'll bet neither one of you is afraid of motorcycles. Well, I'm not either. I think I leaped and bolted partly because I was mad and didn't want to go riding. Windy acts up really bad when she is mad and Mom won't let her do running walk home. I shouldn't copy Windy. I want to be more like Skip and Queen!


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## Knave

Isabeau,

If I am honest, although it embarrasses me, I am petrified of motorcycles. You see, on the mountain where I was raised with my herd, people made sport of chasing us with motorcycles.

I guess that where Cash lived they did not play that, because he actually likes motorcycles! I however would be happier to not see another again.

So, we will just decide motorcycles are devilish creatures that one should hold a healthy fear for.

Yours sincerely,
Queen


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## knightrider

@Txshecat0423 , Skip! Guess what I did yesterday! I rode past a great huge American flag that was flapping loudly right past my nose! Mom and I went on a long solo trail ride back in the woods. Someone had recently built a house back there, and for the first time ever, they had put up a flag . . . and it was real low too, right where I needed to walk. There never used to be a flag there, but I did fine riding past that flag. I knew you'd be proud of me, Skip, of course, I haven't _carried_ a flag, but riding past a real big one where there never was one before is an accomplishment for me. Thanks for inspiring me!


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## knightrider

Say, how are all you horses doing in the cold? I've been having some interesting rides with Mom. It's not that cold here anyway, but we think it's cold because we don't know any different.

Mom was riding me in two big hay fields where we are allowed to ride because she was cold and wanted to be in the sun. It was lots of fun, although I really wanted to eat the hay and she really didn't want me to do that. I heard something in the bushes, and I didn't want us to get killed, so I jumped sideways, and Mom's stirrup leather broke. She got off and picked up the stirrup, then laced it back on. She always keeps bits of string and leather in case of accidents. So, we rode on. But we hadn't gone very far when I wanted to eat some of that nice hay, and I put my head down. Then the chin chain broke on my bridle! Good thing Mom puts two or three bits of string and leather on her saddle! She tied that back and we headed for home. Mom needs to buy some new tack, doncha think?!

Another ride we did in the cold was not good. I was verrrry baaaaad and Mom was quite unhappy with me. Disappointed too. She had been bragging that I was turning into maybe her best solo horse. Not anymore. Not after that day! We were riding down the dirt road when a big BIG truck pulling a huge noisy rattly trailer came at us. Cars and trucks don't worry me . . . although they used to, really a WHOLE lot when Mom first got me a long long time ago. Mom didn't see any reason why that big truck should make me misbehave. But, oh brother, did I ever! I started spinning wildly. Mom thought each time she could just head me past that big truck after a spin, but I'd just spin again. I was spinning my way back home!

Finally, the truck stopped, and good as I am, Mom was sure I'd just ride on past that waiting truck. But I just wouldn't stop spinning for home. You can definitely say I lost my mind because I was too upset to even remember what I did! Mom had to jump off! She hasn't had to jump off me in YEARS! That poor truck driver had a job to do, and it was not watching a silly mare spin wildly. As soon as Mom got off, I came back to my senses, and she led me past the truck and huge trailer. Boy, did I feel stupid. But, hey, I didn't even think of rearing. My front feet never raised up from the ground. But now you know why Mom never spun me when I was rearing all the time. I can really spin!

So I gave Mom a super good fun ride after that. @Txshecat0423 , you can tell Skip that I walked right past another loud flapping American flag on that ride. So Mom forgave me and was mostly proud of me. Until we were almost home.

We ride home on a road that has traffic going really fast. We have a nice big area away from the road, and all of us horses are quite good with that. But we have to cross the road to get to our barn. Mom can't turn her head well enough to see behind her, so she points us horses towards the road so she can check for traffic. Uh oh, baaaad meee, as soon as she pointed me at the road so she could check for cars, I bounded into the road. She tried to make me stop, but I wouldn't. And a car was coming really fast. I whipped around so quickly, she almost came off. And we almost got smashed by that car. That was so stoooopid of me! Mom was really upset with me. She said I wasn't safe, and I wasn't. She said she couldn't trust me anymore. Where was my mind that day???

Today we had another solo ride, and I knew I had to make up for all the wrong things I had been doing. I gave Mom the best ride ever! It was cold and even started raining, but we were having so much fun, we didn't want to go in. I never cortoed so smoothly in all my life. And we did a bunch of cantering too. Partly because we were cold (or Mom was, I wasn't!) We rode 10 miles and explored a road further than Mom had ever gone before, mainly because the rocks are kind of bad, but today, my feet were solid and I didn't "ouch" one bit on the rocks. I rode perfectly past another flapping flag. When we had to cross that road, I thought I might spin and run across it again without looking, but Mom snatched me up quick and scolded me. Then I was good good good good all the rest of the way home. It was a super fun ride to remember.


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## Knave

Cashman here,

My rides this winter have been similar, but without the tack problems. I wonder if your hooman does need to invest in new tack.

This winter feels different, doesn’t it? Something is in the air. I am on edge, as are the others. I did have a better ride on my last, but we didn’t really do anything either. Even the dogs have been off.

I was pleased yesterday, because I was given hay at the trailer while my hooman rode Queen. Queen was watching everything I could see, and the dogs were threatening to attack the hooman across the street. Those hoomans always have little trucks come with trailers to buy hay. Oddly there are never any horses in those trailers. The dogs kept fluffing their hair and running aggressively towards the hooman with the trailer.

My hooman kept yelling an awful loud mess of things at the dogs, and they would eventually come back before crossing the road, except one of the small ones went. I can’t remember which. My partner dog, the big black young one, seems to worry my hooman when other hoomans are around. My hooman says she can be mean.

Well, Queen is mean too and she rides her. Queen was not happy about all of the mad dogs and some cat walking across the road. I could tell she was debating. She kept humping up, and I waited for the show, but they did little things constantly, and she never did give me that show.

I am convinced it is an odd winter.

Sincerely,
Cashman


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## knightrider

Knave said:


> This winter feels different, doesn’t it? Something is in the air. I am on edge, as are the others.





Knave said:


> I am convinced it is an odd winter.


Cash, you are so right. Chorro was so awful on one ride, that Mom had to get off him . . . and she has never EVER gotten off him. And Windy is being terrible too. On the good side, Chorro and Windy have redeemed themselves a bit, well, Chorro a lot, and Windy a bit. And today I did too. Mom is happier about me.

But, guess what? Aci (my boyfriend, my love) has been wonderful. Every ride, every time. And yesterday he took the two grandbabies for rides and was SO GOOD.


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## Txshecat0423

Isabeau, Skip here! That is so awesome about riding past the flag! I know it is probably scary for horses who don’t have my job but I’m proud of you!

I have a question though…what’s with all the spinning…do you want to be a reining horse? ? I will be the first to admit I am not expending one single ounce more effort than I have to in any particular activity I’m involved in…my favorite speed/activity is stopped dead still. Getting upset at anything just makes me have to move or something and that’s NOT happening. I encourage everyone I know to be slow and lazy like me!

We have started drill practices again and there are so many new horses I have to teach how to act this year. I’m sad though because I pretty much like everyone until they give me a reason not to, and one of the mares doesn’t like me! She backs her ears and swishes her tail and doesn’t want me up on her flank in one of the maneuvers…I don’t understand it! I don’t bite or kick or even back my ears and I am a GOOD boy. She makes me sad [emoji22] One of the other horses acts terrible for his hooman and tries to bite all the other horses. I try to stay far away from him! 

It has been cold but I have a nice heavy winter coat. My herd is very tired of this wind though! 

Don’t run out into the road, Isabeau, you could get hurt or hurt your hooman and all your horse and hooman friends would be so sad. I know sometimes it can be hard to control those impulses, but I know you can do it! I wish my hooman and I could come ride with you [emoji3590] Remember the bravery you felt in passing the scary flag, and that accomplished feeling when YOU DID IT! Try to hold onto those feelings when you’re facing something else new and scary. I’m rooting for you! 

Skip


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## egrogan

Isabeau, It is nice to hear from you. I have some sad things to share. Our boss mare, Maggie, had a terrible, terrible situation a little bit before the santa hat and candy cane day came. We knew Maggie had been hurting in her neck for some time, even though she tried not to let us or our person see how much it hurt. But, she did not want to reach down to the ground to eat her food- and Maggie is the horse who loved food more than all of us- so our person knew that something was wrong and looked at Maggie with worried eyes every time she came to our field. Our person had to hold the food up off the ground under Maggie's mouth so she could eat it ok. Then the lady doctor came a few times to look at Maggie, one time when the file man was here to check our feet. Everyone decided that Maggie did not have bad foot pains, but instead they thought Maggie had a funny name thing called "arthritis" and that it made her legs and neck hurt because they were stiff. Izzy and I didn't know if we should be worried though, because Maggie was still the boss but we could tell maybe she had bigger trouble coming but didn't know what to say about it. So one day the frozen slippery ground got covered up by the white fluffy ground, which should have made Maggie feel better. But she felt worse. So much worse. We all got really scared because Maggie could almost not even stay standing up or walk. The whole back part of her wobbled and swayed around, and she kept almost falling down. Our person found Maggie like this early one morning when she brought us our breakfast; she tried to be brave but of course we knew right away she was scared, and Maggie was scared too. That day, our person brought Maggie up to the big barn on her own, and we heard Maggie call out to us with a scared sound. So we got led to the big barn to be with her. I will be honest, I think the big barn is really boring and a little claustrophobic (big word). I don't like having to be there for too long. But I tried to behave myself because we all knew Maggie needed us. 

So the lady doctor came back in the afternoon and gave Maggie the poky jab in her neck. It was supposed to make something called her spine feel less swollen. We all hoped she could use her legs better after that. We ate our dinner in the barn and had lots and lots of hay. Maggie stands in the box next to me in the big barn, and she was glad to have so much hay. Then it got dark outside so it seemed like we were going to sleep in the barn overnight, which we never do. I wasn't that happy, but I knew I had to stay for Maggie. 

I don't really want to talk about everything that happened next but I will tell you some of it. Maggie fell down when our person was inside. Isabeau, we got really scared. We knew Maggie wanted to get up but she couldn't. Her legs wouldn't work at all. The medicine from earlier in the day could not help her move her legs because of something really wrong with that thing called her spine. Izzy and I tried to be quiet because Maggie was scared laying on the ground in her box. I could hear that she was scared but I could not get to her. Finally our person came out and she tried to help Maggie too. Our favorite man came out and he was so scared, more scared than I ever saw him. The people were on the phone a lot, when they talked to Maggie's forever mom, who lives far away, they started crying big tears. Soon, the doctor lady came back. Everyone was quiet and trying to love Maggie, sitting on the cold ground with her and petting her head, telling her they would help her and not let her be alone and scared. After a little while, Maggie became quiet and we knew that the doctor lady had helped her go deeply to sleep. Izzy and I both were led out from our boxes, one at a time, and we went over to see Maggie. She looked more peaceful but she was still on the ground. I sniffed and sniffed for a very long time. Maggie did not sniff me back. She did not move at all. I knew something was different and I took the time to say goodbye to Maggie because I knew she was not with us any more. Then Izzy and I went back outside, where it was very, very dark, and went back to the field where we live. We did not stay overnight in the barn after all. But Maggie did stay there. Izzy and I stood near the gate all morning hoping that we were wrong and that they were going to bring Maggie back. Izzy kept yelling for her but we did not hear any yells back. We realized it was just going to be the two of us.

Isabeau, I am sorry to tell such a sad story here. We still have times when we feel very sad about Maggie leaving us. Without Maggie here, Izzy gets very upset if our person asks her to stay alone in the field, so I have not been able to go on any rides like all of the other horses here have gone on. That was what made me want to answer your question and tell you about my winter. I am missing being able to go different places, while I have to stay here so Izzy isn't upset. 

She's so ungrateful! She makes mean faces at me when it's time to eat, and she chases me around just for fun. There is lots of the white fluffy stuff on the ground, so I have to admit (just to all of you, not to Izzy) that it is kind of fun to let her chase me because I go galloping through the white stuff, bucking and leaping, and it feels so good to run and play. Sometimes we have to stay in our coats because it is very cold, but when the sun is bright we get the coats off and then I love to roll and roll and roll in the fluffy stuff. It helps itch all the itchy spots I get when the coat is on. 

My person told me yesterday I might meet an old friend soon. She said that a horse from my faraway farm, where I was born and lived for many seasons, is probably coming to our field soon. But she said it's still a surprise which old friend it will be. I can't wait to find out. And I hope whichever friend it is, she will help Izzy calm down a little!

Isabeau, I hope you don't mind that I told this story. I feel better being able to share it with someone. I think maybe some of you have had to say goodbye to horses in your herd, so you probably know what it feels like. It's good that we are such strong and brave horses to make sure our people don't stay sad for too long.

Your friend, covered in white fluffy stuff,
-Fizz


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## Txshecat0423

Fizz, My herd and I are sorry you and Izzy lost your friend. Many nose touches and nickers to y’all…

Skip, Jolene, Hombre and Henry 


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## Knave

Too Fizz:

This is Queen. I am sorry your friend died. I guess the old boss horse here died right before I came. I never knew him though, but the others tell me stories of him occasionally. They always talk about what a good and fair boss he was. When I am the boss I will not be fair. It is coming you know; I can feel I will be the boss soon enough.

I think Beamer died. None of us know. The hoomans spent the day with him, and I heard that they did that with the old boss. Then they trailered him away, just the same. He never came home. None of us know what happened to him, there are guesses of course, rumors of different things, but some of us are convinced he died.

I liked Beamer. He already understood I was the future boss. He never caused any troubles, and always seemed a calming influence when Cash, the big galloot, or Lucy, the dramatic one, threw a fit about something particularly silly. They will throw massive corral causing chaos over something as simple as a coyote walking through the pivot. Sometimes I wonder if they are just bored. Beamer never did that. Don’t tell anyone, but I miss him.

Yours truly,
Queen


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## Knave

Hello everyone,

My name is Bones. They never let me write. I am sick of the rumors. I don’t think Pete, the old boss, or Beamer are dead. This is why-

There was a horse called Charlie. Charlie was a first class jerk. Most of them are. He left and never came home. I saw him at the fair. No one believes me, but I did see him. He pretended not to know me, but he was there. I think I saw that Keno, I’m sure you remember him, at a ranch we visited too.

When HeiHei died I saw it. Everyone did. It was terrible like Fizz described, but a vet didn’t come. They said there wasn’t time, and they killed him themselves. It was the most sad thing, and everyone cried and cried. I know about crying; I’ve always been a “girls” horse. It is a different sort of crying they did over the little paint colt.

Beamer, before he LEFT, once told me of a horse called Speedy. He also died in the corral. I think when horses die you see it. I don’t think they trailer away. No one will listen to me. They all think I’m crazy. I saw Keno and Charlie though. I know I did.

Bones


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## knightrider

Thanks everybody for writing to me! I feel like you guys are my friends. I am lucky to have such good friends. I got an e-mail that Sunsmart died. He was my e-mail friend too. I am sad about that.

Bones, you are right. Our Tico went off in the trailer and never came back. But I smell him on my Mom's clothes from time to time. She says he is doing fine. I don't miss Tico, the old grump. But I know Mom and her filly miss him. But he's not dead. He's just fine.

What is white stuff, @egrogan Fizz? I've never heard of it. You say it is cold? I saw the pictures. It seems like there is a lot of white stuff where you are. We have green stuff, brown stuff, and tan stuff when it is cold. No white stuff. You might think that is good, but you guys get to skip being ridden and we don't get to skip, ever.


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## knightrider

PS: Bones, do you like your name? I wouldn't want to be called Bones. I think you are a pretty horse, not boney at all. I think you need a noble name, like Majestic or something nice, even Blueberry or Pasta or Banana. Food is nice. So is royalty, like Prince or Baron. Queen is a really good name. I'd be Reina, because I have to have a Spanish name. Mom screwed up and calls me by a French name, but my real name is Spanish. Isabel Memorable Paradise. You say it Ezz a belle, Mem or Ah blay, Par a Diz ay. That's me!


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## Knave

Hello again,

I didn’t like the name Bones, but my old hooman, now the girl is mine, told me about a book she bought. It was called “Old Bones the Wonderhorse.” She told me about some of the things this other Bones did, and I guess she laughed when she read it because he sounded a lot like me. So, now I am proud to be called Bones.

Bones


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## gottatrot

(Oh so sad! I didn't know that Sunsmart died. 😥😥😥)


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## egrogan

Fizz here- we also heard at our farm that Sunsmart had died. Even though we never met him nose to nose, we felt like we knew him. His person is doing ok but misses him a lot.

Isabeau, the white stuff is like when the rain comes from the sky, but this kind of rain is...different. Sometimes it is soft and fluffy, and fun to roll around in. But sometimes it is hard and sharp, and when it hits you in the face it makes you close your eyes and turn the other way. It can stick in your fur and you have to itch hard on the side of the building to get it off. And it makes the ground hard to walk on I like the fluffy white stuff but not the sharp white stuff.

I am sure that Bones is right that most horses who go away on a trailer just go to a new farm. When I still lived at my faraway farm (the first time), I went away in a trailer for a few seasons. The people who took me and another horse from the faraway farm away were nice at first. But then they got mean to each other, and soon that made them mean to us horses. They put us in a field and then they left. After awhile, they stopped coming back to the field. We ate everything in the field! Soon there was not really anything else in the field to eat. We only had water in puddles. I don't like to think about that time. But we were lucky because someone saw us looking hungry and thirsty in that field, and they talked to the people at the faraway farm. Before I knew it, we went back there! All the people and horses there were very happy to see us come back, and we had all the food we wanted to eat. I even got a boyfriend when I went back there 😉 I had a little filly at the faraway farm before I left to come to the farm where I live now.

Speaking of fillies- Queen, we need to talk. I am old enough to be your mother so I am going to talk to you like your mother for a minute. I think you are right that you will be the boss soon. I think you are WRONG when you say that you would like to be a mean boss. There is no reason for this. Maggie was a good boss. Sure, she told us what to do and always got the food she wanted, but we didn't mind. She would just stare at us or flick her ear at us, and we would move, no big deal. Izzy is a MEAN boss. She could just look at me and ask with her eyes to move, and I would, because I'm an easy going sort of horse. But instead, she comes charging at me with her teeth bared and bites my behind, and shakes and snakes her head while making terribly ugly faces. Frankly, she looks crazy when she acts like this. My person says it's because she's "insecure," whatever that means. I say it means she's a bad boss. But as long as there's plenty of hay in the field - which there always is in this field - I just get out of her way until she can get herself under control. Queen, I don't get the sense that you are insecure, so I say harness your quiet power. I bet the other horses will like you more that way.


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## knightrider

Mom says she has that book _Old Bones the Wonderhorse. _She knows that story well and loves it. I'm going to get her to read it to me someday. Hey, you horses, do any of your hoomans read to you? Mom doesn't, but I wish she would. I would like it.

Speaking of good and bad bosses, grumpy ol' Tico was a super good boss. All he had to do was flick an ear or raise his nose and all of us horses would listen to him. On the other hand, Chorro is a terrible boss. He bites and kicks all of us. Windy gets the worst treatment because she wants to take over and be boss, so she challenges him sometimes. Aci wants to be his friend and also won't back down when he tries to be friendly, so he gets a lot of scrapes and nicks. Not me. I stay away from that big buffalo. I want nothing to do with him.

Every once in a while, if I am thinking about something else, Chorro goes after me and cuts me up a little. I try very hard to pay attention to where he is and be somewhere else. He might be jealous because Windy is my best friend and Aci is my boyfriend, so everybody else in the herd likes me and wants to mutually groom with me.


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## Knave

It is Queen again. I cannot fathom how Bones managed to write to you all. Even I do a good job of keeping him in line.

Fizz and Isabeau, I will take your thoughts into account. I have heard stories of the old boss Pete, and he sounded both very fair and very aware and that seemed to work in the corral. You must remember, I was raised in a different world than all of you. In my very small foalhood, I lived upon a mountain, and my mother was the lead mare. She ruled with an iron fist, and this took a lot of meanness because our herd had grown too large to be sustainable.

I learned from her what it took to manage a herd, and how the herds collided and meanness was always necessary, as well as awareness. My hooman doesn’t understand why I get so upset when we come across horses outside. Now I know the outside horses are from the house with the arena, but before I thought I would have to fight them.

Oh, I do love to fight though. Yesterday I saw the big black dead cow dummy. I’ve seen it move before, and when I followed it I tried to see if biting and attacking it would make it move better, but my hooman said no. I don’t know why she doesn’t let me do the things I want to. Guess what though? I pulled the dummy myself! I could tell everyone was proud.

As far as reading to me Isabeau, no not really. My hooman has a little box. All hoomans seem to have a little box. It is interesting the way the box seems to suck them in and steal from them. This box reads us stories sometimes while we are working. My hooman doesn’t seem as attentive then, and I’m almost certain that’s why it changes to singing. I like singing if it is good. I don’t like bad singing.

Do your hoomans have little boxes they talk into and listen to things on and lose their time looking at? I hope not.

Always Yours,
Queen


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## Dancing Arab

Hi y’all!
This is Galeno, but my human calls me “stop that señor!” I don’t think any of you horses know me except Isabeau, and maybe she has told Aci or Windy about me, but I don’t know. I don’t think she told Chorro because he’s an old buffalo, she says, and I don’t know what a buffalo is but whatever it is I don’t think they should ever get to know nothin’ and if they did they wouldn’t understand, they aren’t all that smart. But the rest of y’all probably don’t know me. 
A quick explanation of me- I love food, stealing hats, and more food. That’s pretty much as good of an explanation as I figure y’all really need right now. (Tol’ja it was quick ) I’m new here, by the way.
My hooman has a box thing too, Queen! She brings it out and I use the voice-to-text thing to type things and talk on here. Sometimes I tap on a keyboard of her laptop with a stick, but mostly not. She also uses it to take wayyy too many pictures of me 
I just finished reading Isabeau’s journal, and it’s really good! I got so excited when other horses started talking too and couldn’t wait to finish so I could talk to you guys too . I was very sorry to hear that Sunsmart went over the rainbow bridge. I hope his monkey is doing ok, even if this is a rather late reply. And sorry to all y’all who’ve lost friends.
-Galeno


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## knightrider

Oh yay, @Dancing Arab , Galeno on my journal! Welcome! I'm so glad you got on my journal!

Today I took a real little guy riding. Mom said the people who came to ride said they had taken a bunch of lessons and were pretty good riders, but it turned out, they didn't know anything at all. Good thing all of us horses are so well-behaved. Of course, Mom put the little fella on me because he was scared to ride, and I take care of little guys--the best ever!

And Chorro took the little guy's mom. She didn't know the first thing about horses, but Chorro never put a foot wrong. Mom's hooman filly rode Windy and Mom rode Aci, so all of us horses went out on a super fun trail ride with these hoomans who didn't know anything. But we taught them really well. Except for one thing they didn't learn. They kept dropping the reins on the ground and walking away when they wanted to do something. Mom would leap and catch up the reins and say, "Oh no, don't do that. You can't just leave a horse." They haven't figured that out yet . . . but they will. Wait 'til one of us takes off (it's usually me <<<sorry, but it is>>>>) and starts rolling with the saddle and bridle on. Then they'll learn right quick!

Galeno, does your name mean anything? It sounds Spanish. Are you Spanish? I am. I love everything Spanish. Do you?


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## Dancing Arab

knightrider said:


> Oh yay, @Dancing Arab , Galeno on my journal! Welcome! I'm so glad you got on my journal!
> 
> Today I took a real little guy riding. Mom said the people who came to ride said they had taken a bunch of lessons and were pretty good riders, but it turned out, they didn't know anything at all. Good thing all of us horses are so well-behaved. Of course, Mom put the little fella on me because he was scared to ride, and I take care of little guys--the best ever!
> 
> And Chorro took the little guy's mom. She didn't know the first thing about horses, but Chorro never put a foot wrong. Mom's hooman filly rode Windy and Mom rode Aci, so all of us horses went out on a super fun trail ride with these hoomans who didn't know anything. But we taught them really well. Except for one thing they didn't learn. They kept dropping the reins on the ground and walking away when they wanted to do something. Mom would leap and catch up the reins and say, "Oh no, don't do that. You can't just leave a horse." They haven't figured that out yet . . . but they will. Wait 'til one of us takes off (it's usually me <<<sorry, but it is>>>>) and starts rolling with the saddle and bridle on. Then they'll learn right quick!
> 
> Galeno, does your name mean anything? It sounds Spanish. Are you Spanish? I am. I love everything Spanish. Do you?


Good for you for being nice to the little hooman foals. I’m good with them too but I never like listening to my hooman 😏
I’m a Spanish Arabian, technically. My hooman says that they only make up 1% of the Arab population, which makes me special. My name is Spanish, and that’s why! Mom looked it up and my name means both friend and calm. I’m not always the calmest but I am my hooman’s very best friend! And I make her calm. My hooman is learning Spanish and she’s always mumbling in it- she’s not all that good but she knows some. She says past tense is hard because there’s two of them- pretérito y imperfecto, but I don’t know what that means at all. She also says, “loco caballo” a lot. I don’t know what that means either- do you? Maybe I’ll use the google thing to find out… oh! She also really likes the Arabic language- and I’m ARABIAN! I don’t know if thats related or not. Maybe its one of the reasons she does. So anyway, yes I am Spanish and my name does mean stuff and I really like anything and everything Spanish! 
Adios amigo!


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## Knave

Hello everyone!

It’s Queen here today. It was bath day at my house. I enjoy a bath; I mean, everyone should look their best. My hooman says I’m getting a bit on the chubby side. Can you believe she said that to me? I am gorgeous. Anyone with eyes can see that. I carry what weight I need and do it with class. I didn’t insult her looks, and trust me I could have. When was the last time she brushed her hair? If one of us is going to complain about weight, let’s be realistic. I am the one who packs her around. It’s irrelevant what I weigh.

I have taken on a job. Did you guys know that? I am enjoying it, but that hooman of mine makes me keep things slower than I should. I am a queen, and the cows know it, and if they dare to consider otherwise they deserve a lesson in manners! Do you think she has let me teach any of them? She did let me go after a few, but not enough and not as seriously as the job required.

So, that’s a lot of new in my life. I guess on Saturday I’m going to a big branding somewhere completely new. My hooman doesn’t seem excited about it. In fact, it’s obvious to me that she has a bad attitude about it. I wonder what’s crawled up her tail.

Speaking of bad attitudes, Bones has been on one. He threw a fit after the bath, and that’s to be expected from him, because he’s convinced water will kill him. He learned something about acid rain… is acid rain even real? My hooman says it’s not something taught anymore. I digress. He has been so mean in the corral! He and Zeus have been in a battle, and their screaming is loud enough that I’m sure the neighbors are going to complain. To top it off, today he wanted to fight me! Me! I don’t have to tell you I won.

Someone needs to get him some medication. They talk about me like I’m a baby, and look at how he acts!

I should note that I’m excited for another pen pal!

Queen


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## Dancing Arab

Hi Queen! 
How dare those hoomans insult you are weight! I can’t believe it! The audacity. Maybe all nice horses weights are insulted- my hooman says I’m a but on the pudgy side! How rude!! Maybe she should make sure a fact is true before insulting me! She says I’m a 6 on the body con-dish-onion score thingy (what do you think corn-dish-onion means?) that can’t be all that pudgy! But noooo! Less grain for me. How rude. Maybe they make up insults because we’re just too amazing and they can’t find real faults with us… what do you think? 
hopefully your hooman comes to her senses. I sympathize with you wholeheartedly


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## Knave

Thank you Galeno,

I may be somewhere between five and six on the scale, but does she forget I am growing?! It looks good on me, and she must be blind to not see the other two year olds get a bit pudgy and then lengthen. Maybe it confuses her because I stayed stunning all through my yearling year?

Still stunning as ever,
Queen


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## Dancing Arab

Knave said:


> Thank you Galeno,
> 
> I may be somewhere between five and six on the scale, but does she forget I am growing?! It looks good on me, and she must be blind to not see the other two year olds get a bit pudgy and then lengthen. Maybe it confuses her because I stayed stunning all through my yearling year?
> 
> Still stunning as ever,
> Queen


I’m sure you’ll be able to knock some sense into her head. Try nickering when she comes over to you- melts hearts every time. Of course she should know you’re still growing! How does she know the others are but not you? Crazy hoomans, I tell ya! I’m certain she’s wrong and you’re still stunning. 
By the way, tell your hooman she writes a really good journal for you and your pals. My human says it’s well-written and she likes the style, whatever that means. I don’t know if that’s a nice thing to say or not- maybe you know? Speaking hooman is hard sometimes. Let her know if “style” and “written”don’t turn out to be mean. And let her know I liked it, whatever my crazy hooman thinks. 
yours, Galeno


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## Knave

Thank you Galeno!

I always nicker, every time I see her. I’ve taken to mimicking Cash, who runs to the gate and yells at her. I also am copying his banging on the gate. It helps her to know I am serious about needing out.

I want to work. I just don’t want to be insulted, you know? All body types are beautiful, and I am growing!

Queen


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## Knave

Galeno,

I forgot to tell you that my hooman saw what yours said and was very excited.

I hope everyone has an excellent day. It is going to be a pretty day here.

I heard a rumor that Lucy is working on writing you all something. I can only imagine what she has to say. You know how mares are when they are pregnant? Well, she has the looks to match it. She looks like her belly might just split!

From the morning sunshine,
Queen


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## Dancing Arab

I’m h


Knave said:


> Galeno,
> 
> I forgot to tell you that my hooman saw what yours said and was very excited.
> 
> I hope everyone has an excellent day. It is going to be a pretty day here.
> 
> I heard a rumor that Lucy is working on writing you all something. I can only imagine what she has to say. You know how mares are when they are pregnant? Well, she has the looks to match it. She looks like her belly might just split!
> 
> From the morning sunshine,
> Queen
> [/QUOTE
> Queen,
> I’m glad your hooman was excited. My hooman was too. It’s nice that Lucy will have a foal soon. It would be nice if Isabeau could have one too. She likes foals.
> I hope you have a good day too. I turned 11 today, which means my hooman will give me lots of carrots later! I can’t wait.
> From forever cold land
> Galeno


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## Dancing Arab

Dancing Arab said:


> I’m h


I don’t know why that didn’t send… I meant to say it’s nice that Lucy is pregnant- I think Isabeau’s mom should let her have a foal too. 
I hope you have a good day as well- I know I will; I turned 11 today and I’m gonna get looooottttsss of carrots later
From the land of forever cold,
Galeno


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## gottatrot

Aria here.
I thought I would chime in to give you other horses some tips. First of all, hoomans like to look at your belly. Then they poke it a lot and say things like "chubby," or "fat." If they do this a lot, they stop giving you as many treats. 

If you've just met them, the trick is to pretend that you are pregnant. I don't know if this would work for Galeno, maybe not. But try standing at oblique angles, and puff your stomach out. This will work fine, unless they bring in one of those stern looking hoomans that wear the long white coats. They will tell on you. Then you'll have to resort to other tactics. If they start looking at your belly, distract their eyes up to your face. There is a special expression you can make. If you do this, they will look away from your belly, and start feeding you lots of treats. Works for me every time.


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## Knave

Hello Aria,

This is Lucy. It is not nice to pretend pregnancy. Do you know how miserable having a kicking and complaining foal in your ever tightly stretched stomach is? I never have been even slightly considered on the line of chubby. I like to maintain a four on the body conditioning scale. Now, my stomach is so terribly tightly stretched that it feels it may rip in two.

The baby in there, which will obviously be perfect as it will be from me, and we all know I am perfect, kicks and kicks from the inside! I have edema on the bottom of my stomach thanks to that treatment. Pregnancy is not something to joke about.

That little filly Queen, who in their right mind would call that a queen I have no idea, has the hooman half convinced she is pregnant. Do you know she even has a big pouch in front of her bag? If I were still in the corral with her I would show her a lesson or two about faking pregnancy. To be completely honest however, I am so miserably uncomfortable that I am not sure I would be as capable as normal of getting into a fight. I definitely feel like fighting, but this baby must be the size of an elephant.

Miserable in the maternity pen,
Lucy


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## knightrider

Awwww, Lucy, this is Isabeau. I want a baby so bad. I know you are miserable, but babies are the best thing ever. You will remember having and loving that baby as the highlight off your life. My congratulations!!! If it could only happen to me.


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## Knave

Isabeau,

Why doesn’t your hooman let you have one? We all know mares like us are the type who deserve them. People let peasants have them all the time. Royalty needs offspring. It is a law or something.

I know I will love the baby; I just don’t like the pregnant part. I was allowed to raise Zeus and Queen, and I was the best at it. I am even nice to calves. My hooman wants me to bite them, and I have to tell him no. No one touches a baby around me. Babies are actually my favorite. I know you wouldn’t think so, but I guess I was just born that way.

I am ready for it to be out though. I guarantee it won’t kick me once it is here. I think it tries to buck on the inside! I hope it gives that man a run for his money. I love him, but I also like to cause him trouble. I know you understand that.

Still in the maternity pen,
Lucy


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## Dancing Arab

Ok guys: question for y’all. Do your hoomans hug you? If so, do you like it, or not? 
My hooman hugs me all the time. I tell her it’s not appropriate behaviour for a kingly horse like me and it’s honestly downright humiliating. Does she listen? NOOO. Of course not. I always keep my ears back so she knows to not, but she hugs me anyway. If no one’s looking, my ears go forward once she’s hugging me and once I even nickered. But don’t tell anyone I said that. Nobody can know that I actually don’t hate hugs. What about y’all?


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## Knave

Hi Galeno,

This is Queen. I like hugs from my own hooman. The others bother me. They do not have the authority.

Everyone hugs Zeus. The funny thing is that Zeus hates it. Even stranger hoomans hug him. It must be something about his face. No one tries to hug me, except my own hooman, but my face is one of distinguished royalty, and everyone knows you don’t cross those boundaries.

Cash seems to enjoy a hug, although he’s not what one would call affectionate. Lucy would murder someone for the consideration. I enjoy watching hoomans try and pet her face. She always teaches them better manners.

Bones likes hugs from anyone. Bones is mentally unstable you know, and he hugs everyone he sees. They don’t instigate it. He holds them with his head and neck, and some hoomans don’t like hugs! No one ever said he was right in the head. He’s oddly needy. Sometimes I think he’s not sure if he is a horse or a hooman himself. Weird.

Well, I am in a mood. Did you know my hooman toted me across the country today, so that I could sit tied to the trailer?! She didn’t even get on me! She didn’t even show me off to the onlookers. She left me! It was rude and uncalled for. I didn’t like being there at all. Cash seemed to enjoy himself, but I think Zeus didn’t like it either. He liked the attention, but he doesn’t like going new places. I might agree with him if I must simply stand around all day long!

Frustrated,
Queen


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## Dancing Arab

Bar San here
I’m another horse of Dancing Arab’s. Nice to be talking to y’all. Galeno never lets me 🙁
Oh my goodness Queen! How absolutely rude of them to do such a thing. To take you all over the place and not even ride! Once my hooman did that too. Well, sort of. They spent forever trying to get me into the trailer, and then they just drove around, took me out, and tossed me back in and we get home. They called it training. It wasn’t. But I did get lots of treats after, so that was nice. 
I love hugs. From everyone, everywhere. And I know Galeno does too, even if he won’t admit it. 
Bar San


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## Knave

Hello Bar San!

I stole the writing. It’s Bones. Queen can whine all she wants to, I sat home alone! Alone! I guess Lucy was here, but she was in a different corral all the way past the milk cow. I hate being alone! I hate brandings too… I’m not sure how I feel about it. It was an awful day. I spent a lot of it in my head.

I love hugs too! Hugs are amazing. I am the best hugger ever invented. Hugs are special and great and perfect.

You said your name is Bar San. My hooman said you might be a Doc Bar crossed with Peppy San Badger. That is my grandpa too!! Doc Bar is on my mother’s side, and Peppy San Badger on the other. Maybe we like hugs because we are long lost cousins!!!!

Today was so hard. I’m glad everyone is home. My friends, the ones other people say don’t exist, they are mean to me when I am alone.

Sad day,
Bones


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## Dancing Arab

Knave said:


> Hello Bar San!
> 
> I stole the writing. It’s Bones. Queen can whine all she wants to, I sat home alone! Alone! I guess Lucy was here, but she was in a different corral all the way past the milk cow. I hate being alone! I hate brandings too… I’m not sure how I feel about it. It was an awful day. I spent a lot of it in my head.
> 
> I love hugs too! Hugs are amazing. I am the best hugger ever invented. Hugs are special and great and perfect.
> 
> You said your name is Bar San. My hooman said you might be a Doc Bar crossed with Peppy San Badger. That is my grandpa too!! Doc Bar is on my mother’s side, and Peppy San Badger on the other. Maybe we like hugs because we are long lost cousins!!!!
> 
> Today was so hard. I’m glad everyone is home. My friends, the ones other people say don’t exist, they are mean to me when I am alone.
> 
> Sad day,
> Bones


Dear Bones,
Guess what!? Doc Bar was my great grandad! So we are sort of related. But I don’t have Peppy San Badger. My dad was Genuine 007, and my mom was Sonata Bar San. My hooman says your hooman might know of Genuine 007. 
I’m glad you like hugs too… maybe we both do because we’re related. Do you think Doc Bar did too?
I’m sorry you had a bad day. Bad days suck. It’s too bad you got left all alone. Every week my hooman leaves with Galeno and goes to a lesson and I get left behind. I hate that! I always call for them and get all upset. 
Your relative Bar San


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## Dancing Arab

Dancing Arab said:


> Dear Bones,
> Guess what!? Doc Bar was my great grandad! So we are sort of related. But I don’t have Peppy San Badger. My dad was Genuine 007, and my mom was Sonata Bar San. My hooman says your hooman might know of Genuine 007.
> I’m glad you like hugs too… maybe we both do because we’re related. Do you think Doc Bar did too?
> I’m sorry you had a bad day. Bad days suck. It’s too bad you got left all alone. Every week my hooman leaves with Galeno and goes to a lesson and I get left behind. I hate that! I always call for them and get all upset.
> Your relative Bar San


P. S. I forgot to say my hooman says my full name is Genuine Bar San


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## Knave

I’m so glad to meet a cousin!!


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## Dancing Arab

[/QUOTE]
Today was so hard. I’m glad everyone is home. My friends, the ones other people say don’t exist, they are mean to me when I am alone.
[/QUOTE]
Galeno and Bar San’s human here. I just reread this again. And again. I don’t know whether to laugh or to be sad for Bones. Maybe both. Poor Bones.


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## Knave

To Galeno’s owner, from Bones’s-

It is sad. It is funny. It is funny in how sad it is, and how sometimes all that’s left to do is laugh.

Bones’s imaginary friends are always mean. In turn, he bites and kicks himself over and over, screaming in pain at what he unknowingly does to himself. The other horses take their turns are dealing with it. They take on the fight and it pulls him out of his head.

Little girl had a horse called Pete, and he managed that corral like no alpha ever has. Bones was simply not allowed to stay in that mental space with him in charge. Now, whether we took him or not, this is what he would have done. He hates brandings and spends the time at the trailer with his imaginary friends. He is dangerous in the corral, and so at neighbors’ we don’t take him in.

It is sad for him, and a crazy thing to witness. He has an overall good life however. He just deals with more than most.


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## Dancing Arab

Knave said:


> To Galeno’s owner, from Bones’s-
> 
> It is sad. It is funny. It is funny in how sad it is, and how sometimes all that’s left to do is laugh.
> 
> Bones’s imaginary friends are always mean. In turn, he bites and kicks himself over and over, screaming in pain at what he unknowingly does to himself. The other horses take their turns are dealing with it. They take on the fight and it pulls him out of his head.
> 
> Little girl had a horse called Pete, and he managed that corral like no alpha ever has. Bones was simply not allowed to stay in that mental space with him in charge. Now, whether we took him or not, this is what he would have done. He hates brandings and spends the time at the trailer with his imaginary friends. He is dangerous in the corral, and so at neighbors’ we don’t take him in.
> 
> It is sad for him, and a crazy thing to witness. He has an overall good life however. He just deals with more than most.


I’m so sorry for poor Bones! If only he had some nice imaginary friends. Good thing he has nice real ones!


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## knightrider

Isabeau here! I don't like hugs at all. Neither does Windy or Aci. But big ugly ol' Chorro loves them. Mom taught him to hug like Bar San if you wiggle your fingers at him. I don't like hoomans messing with me at all . . . except when I feel like it, which is kind of rare. Mom says I am like a cat, only wanting affection when I am in the mood. I don't know, those pouncing things don't ever spend time with us horses.

I feel sad for Bones too. I also feel sad about Bones' name. I know he's named after a famous, very fast race horse, but he is so handsome! The very fast race horse was not handsome. I wish he was called Commander or Prince or something elegant, like Piper. But I'm glad he is loved because that's all that really matters.

Say, Bones, do you like your name? If you like it, then I'll stop minding.

Also, we haven't heard from Aria or Hero recently. Don't you guys write anymore? What about Moonshine and Pony? Do you guys like hugs?


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## Knave

Hi Isabeau,

I don’t mind my name. I’ve never had another. I don’t remember why they called me it, but I have always had it. My old hooman thinks changing names is bad luck. I remember when I went home with her, they gave her my halter, and it said Bones right across the front! They called me Bad Bones, but my hooman didn’t like that. I outgrew that halter sadly. It was mine. It was green and tan.

Today the wind is blowing really hard. I think it’s going to stay like this for a while. No one likes wind. The other horses won’t stop bucking. I play with them some, but Zeus is mean! He hurts me, and Cash is just too big and cranky. I play some with Queen, but Cash doesn’t like that.

Sincerely yours,
Bones

PS- thank you for calling me handsome. My hooman girl and my old hooman always say I’m really pretty. The lady, I think she is the great dam of my hooman, used to say I was the Barbie horse when I was young. Everyone thought I’d hate it, but I liked it. I know I’m pretty.


----------



## gottatrot

Isabeau, it's Hero. 

Not a fan of hugs, at all. I'm a tough guy and Mocha, Smokey and Dusty are three guys living in pads real close to us, and they're always watching me. Can't let my guard down or appear weak.

I'm bigger and stronger than all of them except Mocha, and he's one of those guys that look big but they're all soft like puffed up marshmallows. What do you expect, naming a horse after a chocolate drink? Bleh. 

At least Smoke and Dust are macho like me. I know my special gal named me after a real super hero, not one of those fly men or flash guys. Someone with _all _the best powers. 

Aria though...she loves hugs. She used to be scared of our gal. It was kind of nice back then; now I have to share the treats because she barges right in there and gets her share. 

Once Aria got over being scared, she decided scratches and hugs were great. Well, she's a girl. They're kind of different, you know? You can't really fight with them and they like gooey stuff. I guess you and Windy are girls, but maybe different kind of girls than I'm used to. 

For some reason I've mostly been around girls called A Rub (some kind of sorority or something), and they all seem to like people fawning all over them like they're real princesses.

Aria told me one time that her ancestors were so special, their people let them live in their tents with them. She's always making up weird stuff like that.


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## Dancing Arab

Galeno here
I have to agree with you about girls, Hero. Some girls are ok, but most of them? There’s something wrong in their heads. Although I don’t know about Aria. My hooman says the same thing about the tents to me. But my hooman is full of hogwash. So I’m unsure now. 
It was good to hear from another macho gelding. 
Cold in the white fluff
Galeno


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## Knave

Cashman here,

I don’t know that I agree with all of this talk about mares. Lucy or Queen would be quick to win a fight. When Queen was a filly I finally had to knock some sense into her. She needed to know she couldn’t take me. Imagine some little weanling trying to fight a 1500# stud horse. Now, my hooman says I am not a stud, but she knows nothing.

I was thinking about the way life used to work, when I was a colt or Queen was young. I remembered the herd I came from, and how there was always a lead mare, and she certainly bossed everyone around, but she wouldn’t challenge the stud. The stud is the real fighter, taking on outside threats, where it seemed she dealt with the inside threats.

Adding geldings into the contained herd that Queen and I were moved into, changes the dynamics of life. We still have a lead mare. Lucy was the lead mare, and even I stayed out of her way, although we worked together to maintain the order of the herd. Now, with her gone, Queen has stepped into that position. She definitely knows the way herds work, and she no longer challenges me.

I tried to remember if that was how all colts and future lead mares learned to not challenge the stud, and I think it was. I think they all needed a little lesson at a young age, right when they started feeling important. Sure, Queen gets to be lead mare now, but as a weanling it was bad behavior.

So, I think of mares as particularly mean. The geldings (I am not one, I don’t care what you say, and just because Bones is a crypt doesn’t mean he isn’t treated as a gelding because he is not quite mentally there.) are always being reprimanded by the mares.

Zeus is an oddity though. Boy are the old type herds lucky they don’t have a him. He fights like a stud, but he doesn’t feel pain as a normal horse should. He’s also much stronger than his size dictates. I laugh watching him torment Bones. Sometimes I stop it, because it is cruel, but it is still funny. Queen is working at controlling Zeus. She is a better fighter than Bones, because he is too emotional.

The odd thing about Zeus, is that he doesn’t want any power in the corral. He doesn’t exist in the spectrum from alpha to beta. He just is. It’s almost as if he is not a horse, and herd dynamics don’t apply. He fights to fight. He thinks he’s just playing. He doesn’t seem to care about the pain he causes, or that he could rise in the standings, because that just doesn’t register to him.

I wonder how the herds of my and Queen’s childhood would manage geldings and oddities like Zeus.

With much consideration,
Cashman


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## knightrider

Wow! Cashman! You can really write! I thought I was clever with some of my hooman words, but you are amazing! You are such a thinker. That's unusual, being so big. I have a little "thing" for Bones, though I've never met him. I like wounded helpless things. Not that Bones is wounded or helpless, but, as you said, he certainly is an oddity, hearing those cruel friends urging him to hurt himself.

Today was a freaky ride for me. Mom rode me 2 hours, and it was the most beautiful day--so nice to have spring, all the trees and grass so green and birds singing their hearts out. BUT--We hadn't been riding 10 minutes, when I heard a horrible scary tractor looking thing chewing up the stubble between the pine trees. And it was COMING RIGHT AT ME! We were riding on the road, but I hate hate hate tractors because they don't stay on the road. They get on my trails and come after me. I know one is going to hurt me one day.

Mom was all excited because those cleared areas around the pine trees give her many more places to ride where we don't have to worry about cars. But, oh! Get me away from that tractor thing!

So we got away from it--whew!--and rode on. And then there was a horrible scary whining noise that mom said was a "chain saw" and that it could not/would not come after me. But it sure made me nervous. I can just imagine a chain coming down on my back. Eek. So we rode on and the sound of the chain saw faded away.

Then it was time to pass the Anatolian shepherd that used to bite. Oh, he was so aggressive today, coming right at me with those huge jaws and desperate eyes. He comes up to my shoulder, he is so big. And his bark is so loud. But we got past him. Whew.

Mom decided to enjoy the trails that lead off a dirt road because we could hear people logging further down. But it turns out, it wasn't logging. It was men cutting limbs off of trees to keep the dirt road clear! There were four vehicles and a big up-high box with a man sawing stuff in it. That was awful, so we went a different way. I was pretty anxious about all these spooky things, but I gave Mom a wonderful ride in spite of them.

Then we had to go back past the Anatolian, and this time he did want to bite me. He touched my hind leg and I leaped forward to get away from him. He really looks intimidating (pretty good word, huh, Cash?)

So, we had a super fun ride, and everything was good. Then we had to ride home past the tractor looking thing chewing up the underbrush beneath the pines. Pretty hard. And then, and then! I almost lost it because there was a white van/truck thing parked alongside the woods across from my house, and YIKES! A MAN IN THE WOODS! Normally I wouldn't like seeing that, but it wouldn't bother me. But it sure did bother me this time. Mom calls that "too many rabbits." She tried to explain it to me, but I didn't really understand it. Something about being scared by a whole lot of things that really aren't very scary.

But I went on past bravely, and Mom said she was very very proud of me for handling all those rabbits. And there weren't any rabbits at all on this ride.  You are right, Galeno, hoomans are WEIRD!!!


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## Dancing Arab

knightrider said:


> Wow! Cashman! You can really write! I thought I was clever with some of my hooman words, but you are amazing! You are such a thinker. That's unusual, being so big. I have a little "thing" for Bones, though I've never met him. I like wounded helpless things. Not that Bones is wounded or helpless, but, as you said, he certainly is an oddity, hearing those cruel friends urging him to hurt himself.
> 
> Today was a freaky ride for me. Mom rode me 2 hours, and it was the most beautiful day--so nice to have spring, all the trees and grass so green and birds singing their hearts out. BUT--We hadn't been riding 10 minutes, when I heard a horrible scary tractor looking thing chewing up the stubble between the pine trees. And it was COMING RIGHT AT ME! We were riding on the road, but I hate hate hate tractors because they don't stay on the road. They get on my trails and come after me. I know one is going to hurt me one day.
> 
> Mom was all excited because those cleared areas around the pine trees give her many more places to ride where we don't have to worry about cars. But, oh! Get me away from that tractor thing!
> 
> So we got away from it--whew!--and rode on. And then there was a horrible scary whining noise that mom said was a "chain saw" and that it could not/would not come after me. But it sure made me nervous. I can just imagine a chain coming down on my back. Eek. So we rode on and the sound of the chain saw faded away.
> 
> Then it was time to pass the Anatolian shepherd that used to bite. Oh, he was so aggressive today, coming right at me with those huge jaws and desperate eyes. He comes up to my shoulder, he is so big. And his bark is so loud. But we got past him. Whew.
> 
> Mom decided to enjoy the trails that lead off a dirt road because we could hear people logging further down. But it turns out, it wasn't logging. It was men cutting limbs off of trees to keep the dirt road clear! There were four vehicles and a big up-high box with a man sawing stuff in it. That was awful, so we went a different way. I was pretty anxious about all these spooky things, but I gave Mom a wonderful ride in spite of them.
> 
> Then we had to go back past the Anatolian, and this time he did want to bite me. He touched my hind leg and I leaped forward to get away from him. He really looks intimidating (pretty good word, huh, Cash?)
> 
> So, we had a super fun ride, and everything was good. Then we had to ride home past the tractor looking thing chewing up the underbrush beneath the pines. Pretty hard. And then, and then! I almost lost it because there was a white van/truck thing parked alongside the woods across from my house, and YIKES! A MAN IN THE WOODS! Normally I wouldn't like seeing that, but it wouldn't bother me. But it sure did bother me this time. Mom calls that "too many rabbits." She tried to explain it to me, but I didn't really understand it. Something about being scared by a whole lot of things that really aren't very scary.
> 
> But I went on past bravely, and Mom said she was very very proud of me for handling all those rabbits. And there weren't any rabbits at all on this ride. You are right, Galeno, hoomans are WEIRD!!!


Do you know what? My hooman talks about rabbits too. It makes no sense. Every time she says it there are no rabbits anywhere, just lots of odd scary things. I told her she was being ridiculous but she said she read to somewhere a long time ago. Isn’t that odd? 
And Cash, I agree with Isabeau, you do know lots of big words


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## Knave

Isabeau and Galeno,

Thank you. I know I am a big type of animal, but I do try and think about things the older I get.

My hooman talks about rabbits too! She says things were a “thirteenth rabbit.” Now, when I was young real rabbits would make me blow, and I don’t know what I would do with thirteen. It’s funny, but I don’t think I’ve seen any rabbits this year. Isn’t that odd? Sometimes there are huge amounts, and this year, nothing. I’ve literally not seen a single one. I heard rumors about something called tooolarima, but I don’t know that word.

Today we had to go to work after lunch! Queen was looking at all the rabbits (mind you, there were no rabbits). There was this little fat horse there they called Partner instead of the buckskin. I didn’t like him. It’s like he has little man complex. He wanted to fight me in the trailer! Okay, he is overweight, but he is small. He is smaller than Queen I think.

The job was really short. Queen and I stayed together, and we sorted out this cow with a calf who didn’t have an earring (how they made that mistake don’t ask me. I wouldn’t have done it.). This little horse did it all with a bend to him, trying to make sure the cows wouldn’t kill him from behind! I’m not kidding! This little horse was scared of cows! It’s not like they were antelope, at least that is understandable. How does a horse get a job working cows when they are scared of cows? These hoomans were all mistakes today.

Talk to you soon,
Cashman


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## Knave

Cash here-

I told you all I was a stud.

That is all,
Cashman


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## Dancing Arab

I guess you are right there, Cashman
Galeno
P. S. Do you prefer Cashman or Cash?


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## Knave

Hi Galeno,

I prefer Cashman, but everyone calls me Cash. I just deal with it though. My hooman always calls me Cash, only occasionally by my real name.

See, I am very big. The prison called me Cash, and my hooman has a superstition (that is a big word, and I even understand it I think) that changing names is bad luck. So, she left me the name, but decided she would call me Cashman. There is a caterpillar dealer here called Cashman. Those are big pieces of equipment. It fits me.

Cashman


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## knightrider

Cashman! You are going to be a daddy! That is so exciting (I am so jealous! I want to be a mommy!). Do you hope for a colt or a filly? Are you dreaming of the things you can teach it? I bet it's going to be a wonderful baby. I am so happy for you--at least one of us is going to have a baby.

Queen! You are going to be a mommy! (I am even more jealous!) How do you feel? Paintlady's red horse is going to be a mommy REAL SOON, like THIS WEEK! She is SO miserable. She can't lie down anymore. She wants that baby out so bad. I can hardly wait to see her baby . . . and pictures of your baby. And real soon, you are going to be an auntie. I was an auntie once to Windy--it was WONDERFUL. Windy and I are still best buds. I hope you will be best bud to your niece or nephew. It will be great practice for when your own little one comes along. And then the cousins can play and learn together.

How I wish Mom would make it happen so that Windy and I could be moms and have cousins!

(Mom here): Sorry, Isabeau--ain't gonna happen. Mom has too many expenses with her hooman babies. Colts and fillies are expensive. Plus, you know, they would never go anywhere but always live here. Mom doesn't need FOUR horses. She certainly can't manage SIX horses!


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## Knave

Isabeau,

It’s Cashman. The trick you need is to get a stud horse who for some dumb reason the hoomans call a gelding. I kept telling my hooman that I was not a gelding. Of course, hoomans choose to not hear what we say sometimes! Why do they do that?

I guess I hope it’s a filly, but it’s going to be a colt. I just feel it.

I am sitting here saddled. The sun won’t be out for a while. It must be the beginning of the long days. I’m confused though. The hoomans put Queen in a corral next to Lucy last night, and she’s not saddled. I didn’t see the man saddle anyone. Are they riding me double? It’s already a hard day! Boy do they put a lot on me. Lucky for them I am a big strong stud and can handle it.

Longsuffering,
Cashman


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## Knave

Queen’s human,

Firstly Isabeau, I had good reason to believe he was a true gelding.

Now, to Isabeau’s mom- hmm, aren’t your kids getting big? I thought they were older than mine. So, they should cost you less soon at least. You know, that means you should have a little money… lol

Actually, I can see not wanting more horses though. I personally did not need another colt! Cash is only 6 and Queen is 2. I feel like to get her solid I will need more than 2 years to focus mostly on her! She was awfully close to Cash, but obviously God’s timing was perfect and we did need her and Cash going this year. I can only acknowledge that his timing will be again perfect.

The ranch itself is a bit short horsed in total right now though with Lucy out. This is pointed out with the necessity to use Partner today. The horse my mother rides is pretty old (he was a lie sold at an auction, but a nice horse overall). I wonder if this colt is actually meant to be a replacement for them in the end.

Knave


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## knightrider

Cashman, Isabeau here. Are they going to make you a gelding? Or leave you a stud? Maybe wait and see what kind of baby you made? Who do you live with now?

Cashman, no boy horse is going to climb onto me! Nuh uh. Never gonna happen. Paintlady's horse went to the vet and came back pregnant. That's what I want to do. I don't need a snotty nosed boy horse grunting over me! Sorry, Galeno and Cash, but boys are just too bossy for my taste. Well, except for Acicate, who is very sweet to me. He is extremely gentle and kind. You know what is funny? Acicate is not kind to hoomans, just us horses. He can bite hoomans every once in a while and acts like he might kick too. Not Mom, though. He knows she'd never tolerate it. But he'll threaten other hoomans. And he acts bad when they try to ride him. But not Mom . . . and not Paintlady. He loves them.


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## Dancing Arab

knightrider said:


> Cashman, Isabeau here. Are they going to make you a gelding? Or leave you a stud? Maybe wait and see what kind of baby you made? Who do you live with now?
> 
> Cashman, no boy horse is going to climb onto me! Nuh uh. Never gonna happen. Paintlady's horse went to the vet and came back pregnant. That's what I want to do. I don't need a snotty nosed boy horse grunting over me! Sorry, Galeno and Cash, but boys are just too bossy for my taste. Well, except for Acicate, who is very sweet to me. He is extremely gentle and kind. You know what is funny? Acicate is not kind to hoomans, just us horses. He can bite hoomans every once in a while and acts like he might kick too. Not Mom, though. He knows she'd never tolerate it. But he'll threaten other hoomans. And he acts bad when they try to ride him. But not Mom . . . and not Paintlady. He loves them.


That is funny about Acicate, Isabeau! No offence taken- if I were a mare I wouldn’t want any dumb ole stallion jumping all over me. 

Galeno


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## Knave

Isabeau, maybe I am just tired, but WHAT are you saying? -Cashman

Isabeau, this is Cashman’s human. Don’t talk about that with him please. Lol

I don’t know. I find myself conflicted the more I think about it. Cashman is an excellent horse for me. Today I ponied a horse he didn’t know, and he did nothing. He helped start Queen, and when she cycled and we were riding him, no response whatsoever. He is only studdy in the corral. There is zero studdy behavior when being used.

He is perfect how he is, but I do not want to breed him again. You make a good point that he could very well make a nice baby, but I just can’t imagine breeding him intentionally ever. Yet, I do not want his personality to change at all ridden. Currently he is always ambitious and works hard for me. Is the testosterone giving him that edge? If I cut him will he be fat and lazy? Will he lose that little thing that makes him so good? Will I be taking a risk putting him into a surgery health wise?

It is a whole lot to think about. Our corral system could work. We could separate geldings/studs (apparently) from mares. Yet, does that create problems in itself?

It’s a lot right now to consider.


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau,

It’s Lucy. I needed someone to talk to. I am so miserable. I’m uncomfortable and my hind legs are swelling, almost to the point one might call me lame. I feel like sitting there just pinning my ears and swapping feet, which never makes it feel any better, which is why the ears must display the pain and annoyance I feel.

I cannot wait to get this foal born. I always wanted to be a mother, but now I don’t know if it was worth it. I hate this.

Still alone in the maternity pen,
Lucy


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## knightrider

You know, Lucy, I hadn't thought much about how uncomfortable it must be to have a baby growing inside. I'll bet you are miserable. @4horses (I call her Paintlady), has a horse named Paris who was just absolutely miserable. But, guess what???!!!!! Her baby was born yesterday!!!! A fine healthy strapping buckskin colt! At first Paris wouldn't let him nurse. She kept kicking him just like my mother did to me. Paintlady held up a front foot, hoping the foal could nurse then, but Paris still was able to kick at him, even with a front foot held up. Finally, Paris gave up and let the baby nurse. That baby just drank and drank. After that, Paris let him nurse every time.

It probably won't be long now before your baby pops out, and then . . . how wonderful that will be! I've been told we mares forget all about how miserable we were and look forward to another baby. But thanks for reminding me that being pregnant is not all sunshine and roses. Maybe today I won't mind quite so much not getting to have a baby myself.

@4horses is going to put up pictures of the new colt as soon as she stops mooning over him.


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## Knave

Queen and Cashman’s owner here-

How did I not know Paintlady was @4horses?! I didn’t know she had a bred mare! I cannot wait to see the pictures!!!!! Now I’m excited.

Lucy does seem quite miserable, but this morning she is more back to herself. I think walking her helped a little, although her hind legs are still very stocked up. I think it’s been hard for her, to go from being a very fit and active horse, to being contained for so long. I know exercise is healthy for pregnancy, but with her we had to keep her inactive due to her trying to sluff the foal.

I am hoping there are no long term consequences to this pregnancy for her.


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## knightrider

Today I was a star!!! Mom is so proud of me! We were riding with Curmudgeon (who isn't really one, I know that now) and his horse Nicky started being really REALLY bad. He's been getting badder every ride, and today he was terrible. He was rearing and rearing and jumping around, and then he slammed Curmudgeon into the bushes and almost knocked him off.

This is crazy because Nicky has been here for 4 months and was quite gentle and safe. Then he started getting bad. Curmudgeon is really old and been riding and breaking colts and breeding horses and everything all his life. But, here's the part: he is really old now. He doesn't walk well. He takes a super long time to get on and off, and he holds the horn when he rides because Nicky can spook kind of big. (I don't, not me!)

And every ride, Nicky is getting badder. (Mom says it isn't badder. I should say "worse." Hey, it's MY journal!)

I think I bragged a while ago that I now lead rides. I mean LEAD them from going out the gate to heading home. I LEAD when other horses don't want to go. Mom is so so so so proud of me for doing that. I was the horse that wouldn't even go out the gate first for YEARS. But now I lead the ride.

Nicky had a leadrope on him because Curmudgeon needs help mounting and dismounting. Mom and Curmudgeon remembered how I would rear and rear and they put a leadrope on me, then I would go along. So Curmudgeon tossed the leadrope to Mom and guess what? I dragged that stubborn naughty ol' Nicky down the trail. Yes, I dragged him, fighting and rearing. And I am little! But I am strong and good.

Curmudgeon said I deserved an A+, and Mom was busting with pride. I pulled Nicky along for about 10 minutes. Then Nicky started riding good again. When we got to a turn away from home, I pulled him again as he fought me. He was telling me that I should go with him and fight to go home instead of doing what Mom wanted. I thought about it. But no, I'd rather be proud of being a team with Mom and her hooman friends.

On the next turn away from home, I just crowded Nicky, pushing him towards the turn, and he went. And then it was time to circle back towards home, so Nicky was fine. We rode 2 hours.

I heard Mom and Curmudgeon discussing other horses who did like Nicky. They had a horse named Rico who would rear and fall over and go nuts like I did when we came to a trail that led home. Curmudgeon and Mom had ridden Rico for over a year and he was just great. Mom really loved Rico. Then he got sold to a little boy, and the new owners couldn't do anything with him. They sold him to another lady--the one who does our teeth, and Rico was so bad, he crushed her against the barn wall. He wouldn't behave for anything. Curmudgeon got him back. Mom rode him a lot and he was good. Then he started being really bad. I mean really really bad, like I was. Neither Mom nor Curmudgeon wanted to fool with him anymore (Do you notice how Mom did NOT give up on me? I was better than Rico. I'm better than everybody!) and they gave him to Erica Miss America. Erica is the queen of all queens, and she got Rico going nicely and sold him . . . and then he was good.

Mom got Aci because he started rearing and bucking. And every ride, she would make him behave, but the next ride he was worse. He got so bad that he wouldn't even go out the gate to ride. Erica Miss America didn't have time to fool with Aci, but she told Mom what to do, and it worked. Aci is fine now. It didn't work for me, but you know, I'm REALLY special.

So Mom and Curmudgeon wondered why some nicely behaved horses get steadily worse, even when their riders make them behave. What do you horses think? Of course, our first thought is that they are in pain and won't tell us. But Rico and Aci both started riding good when the people didn't give up on them. So I am thinking, "not pain." They wouldn't tell me. Aci is too proud to ever say he is in pain.

Lucy, would you please hurry up and have that baby! Paris's baby is 2 weeks old already!


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## Knave

Cashman here,

I told everyone I was writing you this time, because I do the job you did. It is a fun job isn’t it? I really enjoy forcing the youngsters to my will, and I am a big and strong type. I heard them say Bones used to like to do it, and he’s small like you, but strong like you too. I guess he does it differently than I do. He tries to help them learn instead of just make them, and I guess he’s really good at it. Yet, if he can’t get in their head and is stuck just muscling it, I guess he also can lose his temper a bit too much. So, it’s me, and I’m good at it too.

Do you think the curmudgeon should be riding a horse like that? I think the old hoomans should ride the type of horse who is what my hooman calls “kindhearted.” So, they could be agile even and sensitive, but not bad like your friend. I let her read your letter, and it did not make her happy about the bad horse.

I haven’t known bad horses like that, that become bad. On the mountain everyone was in their position. At the prison everyone was bad, because people only know so much, but that isn’t the case with your hooman or the curmudgeon. Here everyone has been good, but I’ve heard some stories of bad horses.

I don’t think it’s from pain. I’ve been in pain and wasn’t bad. I know there are mean horses and angry horses. I think hoomans are like that too. I knew Pete, and they said he went bad, but he was very old, and I heard them talk about “toomores,” or something that sounded bad.

I have heard them talk about overdoing one side of things. They talk about it with Queen, who is a horse who we know is mean, but she loves MY hooman. We’re supposed to share; it’s annoying, but I digress. They were talking about a line, and how on one side there is the move things, and on the other there is the don’t move things. Sometimes someone spends too much time on one side. It was all very confusing. I guess the hooman spends more time on the don’t move and stupid things side with Queen, because her move side is her natural one. So, they say if she spends much time on the move touchy serious side before she knows everything, then they will “blow her mind.” I know a lot of things, but I don’t know what any of that means. It sounded like they were talking about making horses bad. Maybe my hooman will explain it. What is “blow their mind?” I don’t want to know I don’t think!

I guess I am not a good stud. Queen is cycling, which kept me busy and happy this morning, but my hooman took her away from me. Now us left are fighting, and I am angry about the whole thing.

Lucy is refusing to foal still. Maybe she wants someone to watch the surroundings for her, and she will now that Queen is over there. I keep thinking that she is just scared without any horses close enough to get comfortable.

Annoyed with corral systems,
Cashman


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## egrogan

Knave said:


> Annoyed with corral systems,
> Cashman


----------



## gottatrot

Hi everyone, Hero here.

I don't know anything about horses being bad. I've never been bad before. I'm a trick horse, and know more tricks than any of my other friends. For instance, today my hooman was riding me between six deer, and I did a trick where they had to run to the sides, and the one that was lying down had to get up and jump away. 

Soon after that I did another trick where I reared up very high and quick. I had Aria on a line, following me but she doesn't know how to do tricks so she just watched. 

I did another trick where I stared at a white goat, and when my hooman said, "Walk," I stood as still as a statue. This makes my hooman dance all over my back and swing her rope around; she gets so happy when I do the statue trick. 

I have a new trick I just learned several weeks ago. My hooman ties me on a ring, but I have figured out that I can slide the rope through it if I pull on it. Sometimes when she ties me, she puts a knot, and that means she doesn't want to see the trick. But sometimes she doesn't put the knot, and hopes I will notice so I can do my trick. I pull the rope hard and fast, and then it comes, zing! After that I get to walk around and eat grass. 

Probably the curmudgeon would be happy riding me, because I'm never bad, and he would like holding on while I reared and kicked and jumped around sometimes to make it more fun. Hoomans can have difficulty focusing. They're not like horses that can follow a trail for hours. You can feel all their muscles relax, and they stare off. So you need to get their attention back to the task at hand. They appreciate the effort, and often will give a nice smack on the neck or exclaim something loudly, to let you know it was worth the trouble. 

Maybe someday I'll find out what these bad horses are all about.
~Hero


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## knightrider

Hero . . . um, I'm not sure that those are called "tricks." But you sure are a funny guy, and I sure do like when you post on my journal. Mom is having a bad time right now, and you made her laugh a lot.


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## egrogan

Hi horses,
Fizz here. I was a little embarrassed to write because I got a little sentimental last time telling you about our old friend Maggie. Well guess what, we have a new friend Josie that lives with us now. She's a little weird sometimes and I have to pin my ears at her to remind her she has her own food at our house and doesn't have to try to eat mine. My person says it's funny to see me look like I'm in charge of another horse, because usually other horses are in charge of me. I'm an easy going girl, what can I say.

Hero, I am writing because I didn't know that other horses knew the statue trick! I am SO VERY GOOD at this trick! Just last week, we were riding past a very handsome white gelding, and I had to stop in the middle of the road to admire his bouncy trot along the fence, showing off for me. Boy could he move! My person gets very irritated with me and says I pick the worst times to do my tricks, when cars are coming behind us. She doesn't know that I can hear the cars coming well before she can, so I plan to do the statue trick so the people in the car can admire me, like I admired that gelding. For some reason she doesn't understand how happy it will make the other people to stop and admire a beautiful horse like me in the road.  So she gets down and rudely yanks me out of the way into the ditch and waves the people by. I don't get it.

If I'm being honest, sometimes I do the statue trick when I see the longhorn mooers. That's because I don't trust them. They smell funny. They look funny. Maybe they make me scared a little. I think my person should definitely have to get down from the saddle and go past them before me. If she thinks they're so safe, then SHE can go past them. Right!?


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## SueC

Greetings from the new spokesperson for Red Moon Sanctuary, HRH Don Quixote.

I am taking over as the rightful heir to His (Former) Highness, who departed to greener pastures in November. His Highness was the King of the Horses for all his time at Red Moon Sanctuary, at least until he was a little too pushy with The Usurper a few months after The Usurper's arrival here in November 2017, after which The Usurper took the leadership of the horse group, but His Highness remained spokesperson.

I am rightful heir for the following weighty reasons:

I arrived earlier than every other four-legs who is left here, together with Mary Lou the Shaggy and Sparkle the Blind but Naughty - back in mid-2012. The Original Horses said they got here in late 2010, but all three of those have now Departed Hence.


I have always been the King of the Donkeys, although Mary Lou the Shaggy laughs when I say this, but don't pay any attention to her. I remained King of the Donkeys even when two new donkeys - Nelly the Matriarch and Benjamin Her Son - arrived here in late 2018, having taken careful note of how His Highness lost his horse leadership. (Mary Lou the Shaggy says she is Queen and First Royal of The Donkeys, and that she shows me a clean pair of hooves if I try to push her from her feed bin, and that I am not the boss of her, and she is laughing riotously, but don't listen to her. I am the King of the Donkeys.)


I am of a very similar colour and heft to the previous spokesperson for Red Moon Sanctuary, and very brainy, and very opinionated. I look forward to sharing my opinions with you all.
Here is a home movie from My Regal Arrival at Red Moon Sanctuary with Mary Lou the Shaggy and Sparkle the Blind but Naughty. In it you can also see the erstwhile King and Queen of the Horses and Romeo the Sage, and their very gratifying reactions to Our Arrival.






I greet all the other Spokespeople here and wave my Royal Sceptre in their general direction.


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## knightrider

Greetings Don Quixote! I salute you with my scepter! I think you are an extremely handsome donkey and well deserving of your royal title!

I look forward to corresponding with you. I do miss Sunsmart. Tell Julian "hi" from all of us.

Here is a picture of me taking care of the grandfoals on trail rides. Do you take foals for rides?


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

I thank you for your reciprocal royal wave, and your becoming comments on the commendable qualities of my personage and physiognomy. You're not bad for a short-ears! I often wonder how horses hear anything at all with those stunted ears of theirs, but I suppose you've never known any different. And also, you can run faster than us, so you don't have to hear as well.

But Isabeau, ears are _supposed_ to look like this:

...OK, OK, that was a bit of a trick due to what our monkey calls lens distortion, and I really look like this:

...but a fella is allowed to dream, and that was such a _flattering_ portrait, lens distortion or not...

Those descendants of your monkey look sweet enough to lick, and like they might have treats in their pockets. But honestly, do you think it is a dignified thing to carry them on your back? Why can't your monkey do that? After all, they are _her_ descendants, and not your business. I've always wanted to ask a horse about this - His (Former) Highness was forever carrying our monkey on his back, and on one occasion the Useless Monkey as well, when he came home in dress-ups and our monkey persuaded the Useless Monkey onto His Highness.








But I could never bring myself to ask His Highness why he put up with this indignity, because _real_ blokes like him and me don't talk about personal and emotional stuff like this, we just hang out together and have sessions drinking from the same bathtub. There are two very nice bathtubs in the paddocks actually, as well as a large green drum, so we don't have to go to the same watering hole every time we do something like this.

I suppose I could have asked the Queen of the Horses before she Departed Hence in 2014, but I only saw our monkey on her back a few times, and I had such a crush on the Queen of the Horses that such questions never survived her presence, which I often spent wistfully staring at her silver behind thinking highly personal thoughts.

But perhaps you can help me understand why you would do such a thing.

Yours sincerely

HRH Don Quixote


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## knightrider

Hi Don Quixote,

I love little helpless things, especially scared little helpless things. I think it was because when I was a little helpless thing, my mom kicked me and bit me and wouldn't let me have any of her milk. So I am happy to take any little helpless thing on my back and make it smile and be happy.

A long time ago, I only would take the big monkeys on my back for a short time. Then I would get them off. I had several ways of getting them off. But Mom and I had so much fun together and I came to love her, that I actually rather like her on my back. Sometimes Mom puts big helpless things on my back.

Last week I had the biggest most helpless hooman ever on my back. This hooman was so scared, she could not move or talk. I have never seen anything like it, and Mom had not either. This big helpless thing was super big too. But I wanted to help her. I wanted to love her. I could tell that Mom did too. This big hooman filly had had some very scary and bad stuff done to her, and she needed me really badly. Mom and I thought she would be too scared to get on me a second time, but she did. And she was just as scared as she was the first time. But she keeps trying, and Mom and I are going to keep trying too. You never know how you can help a scared helpless hooman. It feels really good to help them. I used to think being a queen was all about ordering things around and getting what you want. Mom taught me that it is about helping your subjects have a better life. And Mom showed me how good it feels to help others. I like it now.

Maybe if you tried it, Don Quixote, you would like it too.


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

Thank you for your lucid explanation. I have read it and plan to think about it for a long time, as is becoming for a thinker like me.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of me with two of my courtiers, Benjamin and Nelly, so you can see what they look like.

Benjamin's ears are longer than mine. My monkey measured them. Before he arrived I had the longest ears. I wonder if there are ear exercises I can do to extend my ears. I am not pleased that my ears are an inch shorter than his. At least I am heftier than he.

Greetings to you and your friends

HRH Don Quixote


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## knightrider

Don Quixote, your ears are lovely just the way they are. I don't think you can make them longer by doing anything. And you don't need to anyway. You are quite handsome as you are.

I have cute little ears and I like them. Aci's ears are even smaller and cuter, but I am happy with my ears. Chorro has great big long ears, but they look pretty good on him. Windy's ears are just perfect. And you know what? She doesn't like her looks. Don't worry about those ears, Don Quixote, it's what's in your heart that matters. I think you have a big and good heart.

Say, any other horses that write to me: do you like your ears? Do you like your looks? I hate that Windy doesn't like her looks and she is so pretty. I tell her how pretty she is, and she says, "No, I'm not."


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## Txshecat0423

Skip here…my mom tells me quite frequently how handsome I am, and I believe her! I love getting dressed up for a drill performance or parade. I know I probably shouldn’t like the glitter on my butt but to me that means it’s a performance or parade day so that makes it all good with me! 

I feel like I represent my breed (APHA) well so I guess I like my looks just fine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

This is HRH Don Quixote. Neither of the horses from our place want to talk. Why are all the horses being so quiet? Only one horse has responded to your question so far. Do you think the telephone lines are broken?


Yours sincerely

HRH Don Quixote

PS: I thank you kindly for your compliments, and hope you are enjoying the spring sun in your hemisphere. It is terribly soggy here. I have escaped without my muzzle and am not coming back until tomorrow from the big wide open space. Bwahahaha. 🥮 🍭 🍧 🍰 🥧 🍨 🍦 🍪


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## Knave

Hello,

It is Queen today. It’s not that I’ve been rude, but my hooman delivers letters and she was gone for many days. I had given up on her ever returning, but she came back finally.

My ears are beautiful. All of me is beautiful of course; you’ve seen me. I don’t think about my ears often. I did when Zeus tore one up very badly, mostly when my bridle went on. I worried it would be deformed forever, but it is fine now.

Everyone laughs at Zeus over his ears. I guess they are quite small, and maybe that is why he always hurts our better and more attractive ears. I hear hoomans make fun of him sometimes. Not our hoomans of course, so maybe he has an embarrassment over them. Once, the mail lady, called him the horse with the ears. That is confusing, because he doesn’t have much for ears.

I have also heard many hoomans ask if he is a mule. Did they see his lack of ears? Once a hooman asked if he was a zebra, but I don’t know what that means. I don’t know why he confuses so many hoomans. He confuses horses too sometimes. Many horses have spooked over seeing him. Maybe they just know how mean he is, and they don’t want him pulling off their ears.

In the pen again today, looking like I won’t be ridden,

Queen


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## Knave

Hello. My name is Oakley. I guess it is because some famous hooman named Anne Oakley who used the loud kill things. That is scary, but I like my name. My mommy is writing for me, but I’m telling her to say things. I no write. I am little.

I have ears. Mommy says they are specially beautiful. She says they point in at the very top. My hooman says they are big. All the hoomans say my ears are special.

My ear hurts. I have a big ouch. It is scratchy too, but then it hurts when I scratch it. Mommy says it is scratchy because it’s getting better. I always scratch, so I don’t know if I have other ouches. The other scratches don’t hurt.

I got in trouble before. I was getting a good scratch, and so I bit my hoomans top leg, where it turns. He got mad at me! My mommy gets mad at me for biting hard too. I have ouches from her for that. Good scratches need teeth. It makes me sad I got mad at.

Oh, I see a cat!


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## knightrider

Oakley, I love foals!!! Just hearing from you makes me want my own foal SO BAAAAADDDDDD. I loved hearing from you. I hope your ear owie gets all better quickly. Queen, you are certainly beautiful. Everything about you is perfect.

Don Quixote, what is a telephone line? My hoomans talks about something they call fones, but they are little squares with lights in them. There aren't any lines on them or in them. I know what zebras are. They look sort of like horses and mules and donkeys but they have black and white stripes on them. They smell funny too. 

Anybody here ever smelled a zebra? How about a llama? Or an emu? We have them around here too.

Aci got his eye hurt. Mom thinks he will have to go to the vet, maybe tomorrow. It was getting all better, but now it is not. Poor Aci. He is my love. But he's been cranky since his eye hurts. I didn't enjoy him yesterday, but I will "cut him some slack" as Mom tells me.

Since Mom can't ride Aci right now, the rest of us horses are getting more rides. And Chorro was really REALLY baaaaad and Mom can't ride him with The Curmudgeon anymore. He doesn't trust Chorro. So it's up to me 'n Windy. Windy took a beginner lady last week. It was Windy's first time taking a beginner riding. She didn't like it all that much, but she did it. Sometimes ya just have to "step up to the plate", Mom says. What's that mean, anyway.

Skip, I would like glitter on me. I would look good with glitter. I'll bet you do too!

Thanks for writing to me, everyone. Thanks for telling me about things like telephone lines. Mom says stuff to me that I don't know what she's talking about. Like stepping up to the plate. I like to eat stuff off of plates. I'd be happy to step up to one. You guys are the best. I love it!


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau!

It is Queen. My hooman is late getting me out, so I read your letter and decided I would respond before I go.

What is a curmudgeon? Is he your hooman’s sire? My hooman’s sire makes her follow orders sometimes too. It is confusing. I thought that the hooman man here was the alpha, like Cash. He orders them around sometimes. My hooman seems like me, and is the lead mare. Their relationship is like Cash’s and mine. Sometimes she caters to him, but she also shows him that she is the lead mare and not always easily bossed. It is rare. Cash has seen her pin her ears though more than I have. With me they are like when Cash and I scratch each other’s withers, or when we eat next to one another.

Her sire must be the real alpha. He doesn’t live in their herd though. He is in the work herd, like Doug the buckskin. He makes my hooman act nervous sometimes, and do things I can tell she doesn’t want to. She acts like a bottom horse there, but a lead mare in her herd.

Maybe it is because of putting two herds together. That happened when the helicopters brought us off the mountain. It was more confusion than the work herd though. The work herd knows how to be a herd and gets into their positions right away.

I wonder what will happen when Lucy comes back. That will be confusing.

Gotta go ride,
Queen


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## egrogan

Fizz here. I know about these zebra things. Everyone says they can only live where it is hot, but I just laugh comically and tell them, oh no, we have a zebra living in our town. Where it is cold all the time and the ground is covered with the slippery frozen water and the soft fluffy white stuff. I have seen this zebra standing on his hill while I was being pulled against my will in that awful death trap torture box that sometimes my person puts me into when she is having bad judgement. I hate that torture box.

Also- the zebra lives with a COW. Something almost as awful as the torture box. And a long ear, like Don Quixote. See for yourself!


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## Knave

Hello Fizz!

Wow! How could someone mistake Zeus for a zebra? He does have stripes on his legs, but he is not white and striped all over. Hoomans must not be as smart as they want us to believe. I heard the girl say many hoomans have asked if he is a zebra. I know many hoomans have asked to buy him too, so maybe they are not being insulting.

Isabeau, Lucy always wanted a foal too. I’m not sure I think about foals much myself, but maybe I will when I get older. I’ve been in herds before, and the foals seem to take away your independence.

Lucy does not love being a mother like she thought she would. It hurt her feet, and she was miserable pregnant. She couldn’t go to work because she was sick, and she sat in the corral for a long time. That did not look like any fun. I don’t like being left in all day. She was left in many days.

We thought everything would be better when Oakley was born, but her feet are bad. They keep saying the word “foundered.” Then Oakley has a big spoiled personality, and Lucy would discipline her more, but those feet keep getting in her way. She was my teacher and Zeus’s, and she loved that very much. I think she was as much a mother to us as she is to her own, but we didn’t hurt her, or cause her to be stuck inside all of the time.

I think maybe you would be more pleased raising a foal that you didn’t have to be pregnant with. Lucy was. Maybe I would like that.

Sitting here saddled while my hooman does who knows what in the house. In a bit of trouble for pulling back spooked after being saddled (don’t know what she expects when she left me for so long),

Queen


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## knightrider

Queen, the Curmudgeon is someone I named a long time ago when I first came here. I thought he was grumpy and mean because he wanted to force me to behave. You can guess that didn't work out well. I just didn't like him and he didn't like me. He lives close to where we live and he rides with Mom a lot. He doesn't try to boss her and she doesn't try to boss him. He actually isn't grumpy or mean, but I thought that at the time because I was determined to have my own way in everything and he was determined that I couldn't do that.

Mom decided to try something different. She kept doing little things that I didn't love, but thought they didn't matter all that much, so I did them. I kept doing them and doing more of them . . . and then I discovered that I loved Mom, so it was OK to do some things that I didn't love.

Fizz, nobody could hate a trailer as much as I did. I kicked and kicked in our trailer. I hurt myself more than a few times by rearing and flinging myself around in it. I was determined that I would never ride in a trailer. I didn't mind at all going into one. It was once I got in one that I panicked. Mom fed me in the trailer and worked with me








on it for 6 years. And I finally decided . . . like all the other stuff, that it wasn't really all that bad.


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## SueC

Dear horses

I know you really just want to be donkeys!








See?

Yours sincerely

HRH Don Quixote


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## knightrider

Well, hey! Sure, being a donkey must be great. Nobody rides you and makes you go places you don't want to go. You don't go in those hateful trailers. You don't have to go into any water unless you want to. You have all the food you want to eat. I've heard, Don Quixote, that you sometimes have to have a nasty thing strapped to your mouth so you can't pig out on the luscious grass. But I personally don't believe in pigging out. I eat daintily and slowly and stop eating the moment I start feeling full. So, even as a donkey, I'd never have one of those nasty things strapped onto my face. I would LOVE to be a donkey! What a great life!


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## egrogan

Are you calling me an A S S?
-Wondering if I should be offended, Fizz


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## SueC

Dear Fizz

I couldn't understand what you said so my monkey gave me a language lesson. She told me that A S S can refer to a donkey or to a posterior. (Are monkeys crazy or something??? How is a donkey like a posterior? We _have_ a posterior, sure, but this is just rude!)

Clearly you are neither a bottom nor a donkey, Fizz. I just thought when I saw that picture of you that you were using accessories to accentuate your somewhat underdeveloped ears, so you could look more like the undisputed epitome of equine aesthetic perfection - _Equus asinus_...









_Ben, who has the longest ears here_

I think you're a very fine-looking horse, Fizz - and that those ear accessories are very becoming to you. Usually with girl horses I avoid looking at the front end because I am so distressed by the undeveloped ears and because I prefer looking at their rear ends for some reason. Sadly we no longer have any girl horses. We had two with us over the years. No more girl horse bottoms for me.

Nelly, on the other hand, is always making eyes at Julian, and not just his rear end, even though he's a short-ears equine too. She ignores even Me sadly when Julian is around. 😭

But enough about that. Here's a photo of yours truly, Mary Lou and Sparkle from when the monkeys built us a shelter so that us asses and our asses would not get wet.


Yours regally

HRH Don Quixote

PS: I think it might be more fun if I lived in your paddock at the moment. Three girl horses. 🤩 🥳


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## knightrider

Today I had a rather interesting ride, so I will tell about it. Of course, I am the star of this morning's ride. If you read the trail section of the Horse Forum, you already know that Chorro was very VERY baaaaadddd last week. He is in the doghouse, bigtime, or so my mom says. I really don't see how he fits in there, but that's what she says.

So it was Chorro's turn to go riding, but Mom did not take him because he might make Rocky misbehave and the Curmudgeon could fall off. So, Mom took me! Because my name comes next in the alphabet . . . but she couldn't wait to ride me.

I had to lead the ride, which, as you know, I would not do for many years, but now I am great at it. And we were riding along, having a marvelous time. Mom says I have never cortoed better. I just glide along, and she loves it. Suddenly, Rocky started leaping around, rearing up and acting totally stupid. I looked at him like he was totally stupid. And he did it again and again. There was NOTHING there!!! I gave him the dirtiest looks too, and told him how stupid he was acting. Twice Rocky jumped partway up on a high bank and Curmudgeon came so close to coming off. Rocky wouldn't tell me why he was doing that. He wasn't nervous or hot or anything.

But I was a star. Through all that mess, I never jumped even one step, I rode along so calmly and never once spooked at anything. Curmudgeon doesn't put up with horses misbehaving. He sells them if they do that sort of thing. I guess Rocky will be going somewhere pretty soon. Mom said she wouldn't part with me for 6 million dollars. Boy, if Chorro had been there instead of me, they both would have been acting stupid. Good thing Mom picked me!

By the way, Mom has been riding Chorro by themselves ever since he was so baaaaddddd, and he hasn't done a thing wrong. But she doesn't want to do anything that might make Rocky spook, so she won't ride Chorro with Rocky. Curmudgeon got Rocky cheap because he spooked bad with his old owner, so it isn't that big of a surprise. The big surprise is that he didn't spook for a whole month, and now he is starting to.


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## Knave

Cashman here,

I am also really good at riding with a horse who might need correcting. This Rocky fellow sounds like a real mess. Why didn’t he cow to your look?

I guess he is gone in any case, and we shouldn’t waste too much time thinking over it.

Queen and Bones are bugging me to ask you a question. What did Chorro do?

Pretty much full, occasionally picking at breakfast and wondering what the day will bring,

Cashman


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## Txshecat0423

Skip here. I am the choice for walking anxious horses into the arena, settling down cantankerous horses or riding beside a newbie in a parade. I do NOT understand horses acting the fool. I just want to stand still and sleep…that other mess takes way too much energy and I think they’re crazy for making themselves all hot and bothered!

As an example, this weekend my mom and her friends and me and my paint horse friends were at a rodeo and they wanted to run our big fireworks pole at the end of “God Bless America”. My aunt was going to run the pyro but she asked if she could use me instead of her mare Lady because Lady wouldn’t stand still in the arena for about a minute and half. WHAT??? So I stood as still as a statue and then I ran out as fast as I could at the end of the song. I know we’re supposed to be all dramatic with the speed at the end like that, but really I just don’t want the sparks from the fireworks pole hitting my butt…I think that might sting a little.

I am back home now but I had three
performances and a parade these past four days and I am a very tired paint horse. I’m going to sleep now…I always sleep best in my own bed! 

Nite nite
Skip


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knightrider

Mom wrote this last week. I wasn't there. If I had been there, it never would have happened. Chorro won't say why he was so stupid. @Knave, this is what Chorro did

172 · Jun 15, 2022

A Disappointing Ride

I was on Chorro riding with my neighbor, whom I'll call B, on Rocky. Everything was super fine and fun. B said that the horses were mopey and he wanted to perk them up. I started cortoing on Chorro and Rocky wasn't too keen on doing his shuffle. But Chorro was tooling along beautifully. The horses woke up.

We got to a part in the trail where Chorro was terrified. He spooked really big and tried to bolt, but I stopped him easily. Rocky already is a bit of a spooker--that is why our friend E gave him to B--so he spooked a bit too, but nothing as bad as Chorro. We rode on.

B suggested we turn around and go back to see what it was that Chorro was so nervous about. That sounded like good horse training so I agreed. When we got close to that area, neither Chorro nor Rocky would approach. They wanted nothing to do with going forward. They backed up, went sideways, got whacked, refused.

Then Chorro said, "Oh, OK, I'll go . . . but you'll be sorry." And I WAS. Chorro took a couple of steps and spin bolted BIG. I was almost unseated.

Rocky spin bolted BIGGER and B was unseated. Off he came and Rocky took only a few steps away. It took me a bit to get Chorro stopped, and I am deeply ashamed (I deserve it) to say I yelled, "WHOA, WHOA" . I was very scared. The one thing I can't tolerate is being run off with. Chorro did whoa (thank goodness) while I was kind of cattywhompus in the saddle. Rocky was pretty close and I thought I could ride up to him and get his rein, but Chorro was being a total idiot, spinning, jumping about, and danger snorting. Rocky was certain Chorro knew something he didn't know, so he wouldn't let Chorro near him.

I felt like each leap was going to get me off. I was very scared. I jumped off Chorro, hoping that he would calm down so I could lead him up to Rocky. Chorro was being a total idiot, making Rocky more and more nervous.

Rocky stopped munching the wire grass. It was obvious to Rocky that Chorro knew the area was totally dangerous and they needed to leave immediately. In the meantime, I had no idea how B was, lying in the dirt. My neighbor B is very frail. He can barely walk. I have to help him mount and dismount. He has been riding since before he could walk, but at 77 with the loss of his beloved wife, his health is declining badly.

I could not approach Rocky with Chorro. It was just making things worse, so I led Chorro back to where I thought B was. You must know that my sense of direction is horrible. We were out in the middle of privately maintained hunting land, miles away from anything, and I had been following Rocky even further away. I hoped I was heading towards B, and finally I found him.

His shoe came off when he fell. He cannot get up unassisted, so first I helped him get up. He said he wasn't hurt, although very sore. I searched all around and found his shoe. Then it was hard to help him put it on because he can't bend down easily. And we were in knee high palmettos and scrub--very hard place to walk or even stand.

Rocky had worked his way back to about where he originally was. I hoped he would just come up to us, but Chorro continued to be an idiot, spinning, snuffing, chuffing, and shaking with fear.

B and I threw out many ideas for how to solve our problem. J, our good neighbor and the former foreman of the hunting land, is in the hospital in intensive care, so he couldn't help. B had sold his golf cart. The last time an incident of this kind happened, I rode back to his house, got the golf cart, and picked him up.

We didn't want anyone in the hunting land to know there was a problem because the foreman, S, doesn't really like us riding there. He tolerates it begrudgingly. An incident like this is just the thing to send him over the edge and say, "You can't ride here anymore." Some of the most beautiful trails in Florida right outside my back gate.

I led Chorro over to a sturdy tree where B could keep his balance and then I tried catching Rocky while B held Chorro (who continued to spin and chuff and sweat and shake, poor B, who is shaky on his legs without holding on to an obstreperous horse).

Rocky watched me with interest as I tried every horse catching skill I had (and I have had a lot of success catching horses over the years). But not this time. When I would get close, Rocky would trot (shuffle, amble?) a few strides away and look at me. I talked to him steadily, but finally, after we had tried for about 45 minutes, Rocky decided the whole thing was stupid, and cantered away (not towards home, yikes).

So I made my way back through the thick Florida scrub to B and stupid Chorro. We finally decided to call one of the hunting land employees to see if he would drive over and get B home. But there was no answer because he was likely mowing and wouldn't hear his phone.

Next thing to try was I would ride Chorro home, hoping to catch Rocky from horseback on the way, and bring my truck to pick up B.

This solution was fraught with problems. Remember my horrible sense of direction? I didn't know the way home. Rocky wasn't headed towards home. Chorro won't take me home. Chorro and I have been lost and wandering various woods at least 6 times in our 16 years of adventures. And once I got my truck, (if I ever managed to ride a bouncy chuffing spooking crazy animal home), I wasn't sure how to get back to where B was waiting. And furthermore, we weren't sure the truck could get through on the trails. Anxiety in spades!!!!

We couldn't think of a better plan, so I climbed on Chorro and headed out, bouncing and lurching. I tangled both my hands in his luxurious mane. I was so so so so scared. When Chorro "loses it", as he does on rare occasions, I have been known to walk him home. When he and I were young, a long time ago, I would keep riding him, but my nerve is not what it used to be. I DID NOT want to be up there on him.

The worst was that I did not know how to get home from where we were. I was mad at S for forbidding me to ride solo in the hunting land. If I had been allowed to ride solo there, I would have known all the trails. Except that we were near "the big house" and I always ALWAYS stayed away from the proprietors, even when I was allowed to ride solo there. So I was not at all familiar with that trail.

B (who had worked there for 23 years) had told me which way to start out and which way I should head to get home, but Chorro wanted none of the first turn. He insisted he wasn't going to go that way, and when I tried to make him, the chuffing and hopping increased dramatically. I decided to let him go the way he wanted to go, even if it was the long way or the wrong way. Sooner or later, we would finally come across a trail I recognized and we would eventually get home. I always do. After all, we were only lost in 8,000 acres. But poor B, standing by a lone pine tree waiting.

Chorro began to calm down some, still spooking big regularly, but at least walking, albeit extremely animatedly. I began to think about my two sets of complete beginners that I have started training this summer. That made me bluer than ever. They have been riding Chorro. They shouldn't be riding Chorro. Nope. Nah. Awwww, what was I going to do.

Finally we got to a trail I recognized and knew how to get home. I think we went round Robin Hood's barn to get there, but at least that worry was solved. We were on the way home.

I prayed that Rocky would be home when I got to B's house. He wasn't. Most smart horses know to go back to the trailer after just one or two rides. B has had Rocky for 2 weeks. Surely he knew to go home! But he didn't.

I got to our house and untacked Chorro. When I went inside (of course I didn't have my cell phone. I have no pockets and hate carrying a pouch on hot summer rides), my daughter had left a note that B's friend and hunting land employee had finally returned B's call, went and picked B up, notified D, another employee, that Rocky was out in Chinquapin somewhere. D found Rocky out on our road, which is somewhat busy, but worse is that it is hilly and the speed limit is 60. D had no problem catching Rocky and led him as he drove his truck. Why Rocky went to the main road instead of going in the open back gate is a mystery to me.

I went over to B's house on foot, helped him untack Rocky and washed him. I felt so terrible because Chorro had created this whole mess, although it is true that Rocky was free because he spooked big with our friend E, who is battling cancer and didn't want to take a chance with a horse that might spook. Rocky had not spooked big since B got him. Chorro has always spooked big, but he has gotten so much better in the last 5 years. But, yeah, only last year Chorro dumped me by spooking when a lost hunting dog came trotting over a hill. It still happens.

So . . . my new riders, just learning. I don't know what to do. I am so sad. And I am so sad and disappointed that Chorro was so awful. It's been a long while since Chorro has been so awful. He's usually wonderful.

So B is home, a little sore, but OK. I never did come off, and I am fine, just sad.


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## knightrider

Skip, that is very impressive! You are so beautiful and brave. Did the sparks from the fireworks hit you? I think you are amazing to do those things. I like reading about your adventures. Thanks for telling me about it.


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## Knave

Wow. That is scary and sad and I am so sorry. None of the horses had a thing to say about any of that for now, so I decided to do the human side.

I am sorry. You were brave and managed a very difficult situation. Sometimes when a horse goes that far, it is just a “live through” type moment, and you did, and B did. I am glad he wasn’t worse for wear than he was.

I think that Bones could put one of us in that situation, because when he comes unglued he doesn’t really come back. I don’t blame him; it’s just his neurological issues at play, but it is scary. Cash may get so mad that he would feel really scary for a time, but I think he would come back eventually. His size adds dimension to his scary. I don’t think, in your situation, that anyone could have done any better.

I don’t think you should feel guilty over using him with your beginners, it has worked, but maybe I would be like you and agree that maybe it isn’t a good plan anymore. I don’t think Chorro created the whole mess, and I don’t think you need to feel guilty over that. Rocky obviously is capable of what he did. If I were riding next to Chorro on any of my horses, I don’t believe they would have just gone along. Queen is young, and I expect that from her, but she has proven me differently every time someone has had a problem with their horse.

If I were to have a problem with my horse because your horse spooked, I will still consider it my problem. Of course, in the moment we feel the stressor is the issue, but when it is over we know it was in fact our problem. You said B has a lot of experience. I am sure he is not blaming you. You should not blame you.

In any case, I am very sorry all of that happened and that you are sad.


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## SueC

I wrote my own response to that here and can't cut-and-paste it as on the iPad just now! 

Don Q sends his regards. He says it's freezing cold and that he thinks it's unfair he has to wear a grazing muzzle much of the time. But I would hate to see him get fatter or get laminitis etc so a muzzle it is. And nighttime yarding with nice wheaten straw for the lot of the long-ears a lot of the time just now.


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## knightrider

Don Quijote, I just saw a picture of the three of you donkeys and Sparkle's ears are longer than yours! I am shocked. I hope you are healthy and well in spite of not having the longest ears. "Hi, Sparkle! Love your ears!"


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

I asked my monkey about that because I have no mirror nor a measuring tape or the means to use one. Could she have lulled me into a false sense of security? She said something about parallax error and how you can make things look shorter by placing them at an angle to your vertical viewing plane. Whatever that means. She also said that proportionally, Sparkle does have longer ears. What is proportionally?

Now I am worried.

Did I mention the monkey put a hot wire up around the stash of delicious round bales that arrived a fortnight ago and I have been dreaming about? Monkeys...

And how is life in your paddock?

I thought the horses had writer's block again...I never have that.

Yours sincerely

HRH Don Quixote


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## SueC

Dear Isabeau

Hello. My name is Julian and I live where Don Quixote lives with his four long-eared friends and Chasseur and me, and a yappy small malformed horse called Jess. I've never written to you before but I have read your journal and note that you have seen a lot of things so I thought you would be a good person to ask...

Why are humans so slow at running? My human ran with me this morning, well, tried to. Looking all hot and bothered and breathing like a steam train with two legs working away and I'm only jogging really, this isn't even a warm-up. They seem to have a real problem with this stuff, the lot of them. I mean, that's probably why they strap carts to us and hitch a ride off us, and sit on our backs. But Isabeau, what is wrong with these critters? They're quite clever and useful in other ways, but can't run to save themselves. I am perplexed.


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## Knave

Hi!

It’s Bones. I’m having a good kind of day. Not good as exciting, because my girl didn’t take me out yet and probably won’t. Plus, I’ve seen her on Cash! When I say good day, I mean the “bad” friends haven’t come. If I keep thinking about the girl’s traitorous behavior they will come, so let’s talk about why I decided to write.

This is to Julian. I know the answer. I learned to pick branches that are too high by watching the hoomans. They use two feet, not four. This makes me much taller to reach, but it’s not really easy. I can walk, but there is no way I could run. Everyone knows I am athletic too.

I haven’t quite figured out why they don’t go down on four legs, like every other creature there is but birds, who don’t have another set of legs. Anything with four legs beats two legs. You know how it feels, if you think about it, to build that speed. I think maybe their front legs are too short or something. Anyways, they only have two to push off and their balance has to be maintained. Try it! Really you will see they are very athletic to be on two.

Sitting here hoping against hope I’ll go out today, but trying to not think about it,

Bones


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## knightrider

Ah, Julian and Bones, I was about to reply that two legs are not very fast. Bones, you beat me to it. Birds don't go very fast when they walk, and neither do hoomans . . . or monkeys, whatever they are.

Julian, what are monkeys?

I do feel sorry for hoomans, who are so slow. On the other "hand", they have those things called "hands" on the ends of their front legs and they do an awful lot of things with those "hands" that I wish I could do. My mouth is pretty good as moving things, but those "hands" do even more.

Would you guys trade our four legs, hooves, and speed for hands?


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## SueC

Dear Bones and Isabeau

Julian again. Thank you for your thoughts, I like the idea that four legs is faster than two. Bones, you sound fun. Who are the bad friends? I'm confused.

Isabeau, the monkeys are the things that bring you buckets of food and sit on your back, as monkeys will. They can be quite useful, or a pain too. They have wonderful scratchy things on their underdeveloped front legs that are great for getting to itches. Also it seems that the underdeveloped front legs have a carrot repository in them, but I've not been able to work that out yet.

At home I have two monkeys - my main monkey and the Useless Monkey. The main monkey does lots of buckets and scratchies. Also carrots. The Useless Monkey occasionally brings buckets and occasionally has carrots, but apart from that doesn't seem to do much useful stuff.

How many monkeys do you all have and what are they like?

My main monkey is also arguing against the four-legs idea that I like so much. She says that if that were true, why can she out-sprint mice on her two hind legs, and how come centipedes and millipedes aren't the fastest things in the universe?

And Isabeau, I wouldn't trade a thing. I can keep my four running legs because I can reliably borrow my main monkey's underdeveloped front legs to do useful things for me. Though I do suspect that having those myself would allow me to go through any gate I like. Hmmm.


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## Knave

Hi again Julian,

Those things you mentioned are very small. Can your hooman, or monkey as you say, outrun a mouse? I’m not sure if my hoomans can outrun mice, although their legs are much longer I think they cannot outrun the dogs, and the dogs have shorter legs but win by having four. I don’t know what centipedes are. I don’t think we have them here. Yet, if the things you mentioned have really small legs like mice, then I think that is the reason they are slower. Small legs only push so far.

I have four hoomans at my house. Sometimes I am ridden by all of them, but my main hooman has changed to one of the hooman foals. They aren’t foals though, but maybe like four-year-olds. That is confusing, because they grow a lot smaller than we do. The hooman that is mine is older than I am, but she seems like a four-year-old. Why do hoomans grow smaller than us?

I am fun. My bad friends are not. The others say they aren’t there, but they are. I see them. They fight with me. They are very scary. None of them are good.

Sitting in the corral, depressed because I was stuck in while everyone else got rode and new horses came to my house,

Bones


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## knightrider

Julian, I only have one monkey. My hooman's little monkey used to help a lot, but now she hardly ever does. She turned into a grown monkey mare and is busy with grown up things.


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## SueC

Hullo, @Isabeau. Julian again. Monkeys grow? Mine haven't grown in all the time I have known them, and it's a good thing because my riding monkey is already heavy enough.

Do you know where they sell snorkels for horses? I need one...

How are all the other horses? It's funny you have summer while we have winter. I hear that if any of us start digging in our paddocks we may eventually meet IRL! 

And then maybe I could go check out Bones' bad friends and we could beat them up together!


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## knightrider

Today I became an official lead horse! Mom needed a horse that would lead the whole ride, and since it was my turn, she rode me! And why?

Because Curmudgeon swapped for a horse that rears (like I used to do) when he doesn't want to turn away from a trail that leads home. He doesn't fall over like I did, just rears and spins. I led the whole 2 hour ride, and the new horse, which has been named Partner, behaved himself.

Can you imagine . . . me, a lead horse!!!! I was very proud of myself. Mom couldn't tell me enough how proud of me she was.

Yesterday I took a big heavy young hooman filly on her very first trail ride ever. I have never seen a hooman more scared of horses than she was. But she is very plucky and doesn't give up. I could tell she wasn't secure in the saddle, and she didn't know how to ride very well. I took very good care of her, as I always do. On the trail home, I wanted to show what a good lead horse I could be, and I kept trying to go in the front. Mom was afraid I might corto on ahead and scare the hooman filly, so she kept telling her to rein me back and get behind Aci. The young hooman handled everything well, and Mom was pleased with all of us.

Windy and Mom went camping for 3 days at McCulley Farm with a bunch of friends. Windy did an outstanding job on that trip. Windy now has figured out how to do a smooth fun running walk and a lovely slow canter. She told me they did whole lots of it on the camping trip, so Mom left Windy home on the trail ride yesterday. She needed a break from hours of riding. And Windy did another wonderful thing--(which I already do PERFECTLY!) Windy waited calmly and quietly in the sacrifice pen while the rest of us horses went out on the trail. Windy used to be an anxiety-crazed idiot when we'd ride off without her. Ha ha! Now that Mom can trust her and let beginners ride her, she can finally be safely left back. What irony!

Say now, I would love to hear from you other horses! Mom reads me your hooman's journals, but I like to know what you guys are thinking.









Here are Mom and Windy on the camping trip. Nobody took a picture of me and the scardy hooman filly. We'll have to get one, won't we?


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau,

It is Queen today, since I am sitting in the corral with Bones and bored. My hooman took me out and hosed my leg, and I made it clear I did not want to return to the boredom of the corral, but she did not listen.

I am back to sound today. Did you hear I twisted my ankle? It’s still a little swollen, but I am back to using it just fine. You know I am a particularly strong mare.

Things have been chaotic around here as of late! First, Cash was taken from the corral and put in with Lucy and Oakley. That was a hard transition. I’ve always had him around for muscle, and suddenly I was put to the test by Zeus and Bones. Of course I came out on top, so I tried to take the attitude I rightly had to maintain to my hooman, but she didn’t understand my authority. Eventually I may have to prove it to her, but to be quite honest, I enjoy working with her. I would just die if I had to stay in this danged corral with those idiots.

Cash was my only friend, and it’s not the same having the distance between us. Then at one point Zeus left for a couple of days to work for a whole other herd. That is odd isn’t it? It left me alone with Bones, and required I again prove I am boss. Bones was a neurotic mess, he ran and ran the side of the corral. Apparently he did not want to be left alone with me either.

Zeus came back, and things kind of settled down, but then yesterday Lucy and Bones left. They are not back, so I don’t know why they are gone. I wonder if they will ever return, or if they have moved like Beamer did. Now, Oakley and Cash are alone, and they are becoming too close in my opinion. I will definitely have a problem if she takes my position in his life. I was once alone with him like she is now.

I am glad to hear you led the ride. You know that is where you belong. I enjoy leading rides myself, but my hooman makes me stay back half of the time. It’s quite irritating. I am surprised she wouldn’t ride me today; that is also irritating. I certainly hope life gets back to normal quickly.

Oh, I almost neglected to mention, the weather is changing. I don’t prefer wind, but I do so enjoy that it is cooler. It was so hot for so long.

Bored and a bit irritated,
Queen


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## Txshecat0423

Hi Isabeau! Skip here! I’ve had the weirdest last week. I had a pedicure and then after that I was lame…or was I??? [emoji48][emoji48]My mom got all worried about it because we were supposed to go see my drill friends and then make a big trip this upcoming weekend. I had to go to the doctor who made Mom mad! I was so bored at the doctor waiting to be seen that I worked on untying my lead rope…I got loose one time too! But Mom was there and tied me back up different so I couldn’t undo it. I kept trying though and I’ll figure out that last knot…I’m patient that way [emoji1787]

I have led parades and I’m one of the lead horses in the drill but I like to be in the back on a trail ride. Mom says I’m so slow if I’m in the front, everyone else is backing up…I don’t know what she means though. She says I like to mosey…does that have anything to do with eating???

I decided not to be lame anymore so we went to drill practice and then I was sorry I didn’t pretend to be lame because it is a long time to be in the trailer and it was so hot at practice I wanted to die! The big event this weekend is in an air conditioned arena, whatever that is, but it sure makes Mom happy. I’m sure air conditioning must have something to do with eating, as all things do!

I met a new brother yesterday. He was so nice and I like him so much better than mean Poppy…she doesn’t want to let me eat and THAT IS MY FAVORITE THING! Maybe when Boo comes home, we will gang up on Poppy. I’m too chicken to do it by myself…she’s scary! 

I’m glad you were nice to the hooman filly, and sounds like Windy had an awesome time on her camping trip! Going to rodeos is sort of like camping and I like seeing all my horse friends when we stay overnight.

I must go find something to eat, so later horse peeps!

Skip


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knightrider

Drama-trauma at our place! Acicate has disappeared!!! Mom keeps telling us that he is fine. He is visiting @4horses to help wean her colt. 4horses would rather ride Aci than anything. Mom is happy to share him, but she says she will get him back. She hasn't given him away or sold him.

But Chorro and Windy are beside themselves with worry. They race around calling and looking for him. This distresses Mom because she hates to see them unhappy. Doesn't bother me any, and he's MY boyfriend! I know he'll be back. In the meantime, more grass for us!

4horses says Aci is doing great at her house. He has made all new horse friends and is quite happy. He always has been a level-headed, good natured fellow (except around hoomans, isn't that funny? And Chorro is great with hoomans and nasty with us horses. Go figure!!)

Don Quixote, what are you up to? How about Aria and Hero? And Pony and Moonshine? What is your news? It's boring without my fellow to love on. Mom says I am getting my heavy hooman filly again on Sunday. When is Sunday, anyway? Is that soon?


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## Knave

Cashman here,

Aci and I are in the same pen, so to speak. I am weaning Oakley. To be honest, I’ve grown quite smitten with her. She didn’t bother about Lucy leaving, but when I do anything without her she panics and it makes me not want to leave her.

The hoomans make me though, because we need to wean calves. It seems everything is about weaning right now. I love Oakley, but I hate the corral I am in, so as much as I dislike leaving her, I do like leaving the corral.

Lucy was wretched to live with. She bit me and hit me and kicked me. I should make the hooman take a picture of me and send it to you. I don’t have a piece of flesh without missing fur and skin. I will laugh when she comes back into the main corral. Everyone had better look out.

I don’t know where she is. They took Bones too. It has to be close, because when Oakley freaks out when I leave, sometimes the wind brings the sound to her and I can hear her calling back.

I think I want to keep Oakley with me forever. I wouldn’t have imagined falling under the entrapment of a foal. I mean, yes, I do know it is my job to protect the foals. I am the herd stud you know, and I keep order. This one is different though. Something about her is enthralling. Zeus is the only one who doesn’t seem under her spell, but you know Zeus. I don’t think he is really one of us. What do hoomans call it? A foreigner.

Another day seen in the wrong corral,
Cashman


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## SueC

knightrider said:


> Don Quixote, what are you up to?


I'm wearing one of these almost fulltime because my monkey says it is spring. 😖

My monkey darkly mutters that I am in salami making condition. I don't know what a salami is. I just want to hoover the grass. That photo is from the start of summer a few years ago when I was _still_ dieting. 😝


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## knightrider

Hey, guys, I've been pretty sick. We still don't know what I had. Mom panicked when she took my termperature and it was 104. She called the vet right away. When we came in to eat, she said I moved just like a Western Pleasure horse. That sounded pretty nice until she showed me a video of a Western Pleasure class.

2020 AQHA Select Western Pleasure - YouTube 

I looked like THAT!!???? No wonder she took my temperature and called the vet right away. I would NEVER move like that! I am a tiny dancer!

The vet said my lungs were clear. My heart was sound. She didn't like the way I was so soft with my tail. Well, yeah, I felt so horrible, I didn't have the energy to clamp my tail like I usually do. The vet thought my problem was neurological. Mom had to give me a shot once a day, and put something in my food twice a day. I started feeling better right away.

I feel fine now. Unfortunately, now Mom can't say I'm never sick or lame. She has to say I got sick once, but nobody knows what it was. It cost a lot of money, but Mom is so glad I am back OK now.


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## egrogan

Isabeau, this is Fizz. I am glad you are better. It is scary when you get so hot and you can't get cool again!

Both of the mares who live in my herd have had a problem just like that recently. Grouchy old Isabel had a fever of 103*, but that was because she was an old lady who got a flu shot and probably shouldn't have. But she is fine, and back to her old grouchy self now.

We have a new mare called Josie in our herd, she came early in the summer and was a little scared of all of us at first, but she is a good friend now. But poor Josie, when our mom saw her fever numbers on the little beeping stick, her eyes got really big and scared. She took the temperature again, and then even went back to get a new beeping stick from the house because she couldn't believe the numbers, which were 106*. Apparently a lot of horses might not even stay alive if their fever numbers are that high! Poor Josie was very, very sick. She also had to get the shots and things in her food, but she felt so sick she didn't even want her food (I tried to help her out with that and just got yelled at for helping ). So because she wouldn't eat the food, she had to get applesauce and the yellow powder squirted in her mouth twice a day for a lot of days. I secretly laughed when the squirted applesauce flew out of Josie's mouth and got all over mom's face. I would have eaten that applesauce politely right out of my bowl, but no one ever let me have any applesauce!! Anyway, the doctor lady told mom that Josie had some bad illness that came from getting bites by the awful tiny bitey bugs that dig their sharp mouths right into your skin and hang on to suck your blood. But the powdery applesauce seemed to help Josie, and her bad fever numbers went away and now she is eating her food again. I still check with her every day to see if she needs help eating her food, but mom doesn't seem to think my help is needed. I say, if Josie wants help eating her food, why shouldn't I be a good helper?!

-Fizz, a good friend always there to help a girl clean her plate


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## Knave

Hello Isabeau,

That is a terrible thing to have happened! I am aghast. If I were told I looked like one of those horses I would have simply fainted away I believe.

I certainly hope it is done. My feet were bad, and I moved bad for a long time, but it is done now, finally. I don’t know why I haven’t gone to work yet. Did you know my hooman put some new crown on me? He calls it a two-rein. I don’t know how I feel about it. I mean, I do like to stand out, and I should, but I was pleased to never have anything in my mouth, and this is big and maybe off putting. I don’t know.

Back where I belong,
Lucy


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