Not Impressed!

Do I look pleased? No! I look bedraggled. It's raining. Stupid rain. I want my blanky but apparently it's too warm, so I have to get wet. "Go stand under a tree" says the girl who can go inside whenever she likes. Humph. And she had rain gear that was somewhat terrifying to begin with. It rustles at me like she might have a pony-eating monster in her pocket. By the end of my lesson I was brave enough for pictures though:

Since it was raining we only had a mini groundwork lesson. Apparently my manners are a bit "iffy" at the moment. It's not my fault I like cuddles, and really, why should I move over when you could just go around me? Fools! Supposedly it wasn't bad that it was raining, since I'm more pushy when it's wet or windy, so it was extra good practice. Cyd could just take me home and let me hang out there, then I wouldn't have to be rude now would I? Even the dogs get to go inside, and they eat poop. But I'll forgive and forget, cos when I did all the pointless things I was meant to do like go backwards and forwards and led from both sides (not a fan of that..) and turn my butt end then my front end and so on, I got soup. And I got brunch as well as breakfast, since it was feed store day, and I had half a portion of hay left from last time, and the shed fits exactly four bales, no more at all! This happens a lot, I love feed store day! Sometimes I get new cookie flavours, but not this time.

When I get soup, I like to put my face way in the bucket and submerge myself up to my nostrils and slurp. Cyd should video my bubbles one day, but for now you just get to see my drippy face. I'm still less than best pleased about being a grown up in the rain, but this kinda sorta makes up for it!

Good Baby Bad Baby

Well, I had a rather rude awakening this morning. I finished my breakfast, found myself the poopiest spot in my field, and lay down to nap some more. It's really quite tiring being a little horse all day!

Of course, Cyd has other plans for me. She has my fancy new yellow halter, and is telling me I'm a lazy bones and that it's time to get up and go to work. I don't think I like this growing up nonsense, but there is usually cookies, so I contemplate my options for a moment...

I agreed we could go to work for a little while if I could sleep in the sunshine afterwards. I took a minute to be brushed cos I got poop in my hair and apparently that's not appropriately stylish for a grown up. Once I had my saddle and my bit and Cyd's helmet we went to the circle place where my friends live. We had company today, Miss Rebecca who has a very nice pony that used to live up my street. He wasn't there but she rubbed my face so it's ok :)
We went into the circle place, and Cyd got on me. I stood really still again, because I'm expert at that game now. They both petted me, and Rebecca walked away a little. Cyd smooshed me with her shoe and pointed my nose in that direction, so I followed Rebecca. I'm a good follower! I mostly followed her really well, but sometimes she got a little far ahead and I got confused, so she came back to get me. I don't very much like going to the right, so we need to practice that some more, but I got it sussed out. We walked about for ten minutes or so, and since I did so good we got to finish up quick. Apparently I might get brain fry if I learn too much in one day. Rebecca took my picture before we stopped so you can all see how grown up I am:

I'm really quite very good looking, although don't make fun of my pink pad. That was put on without my approval! I just don't have all my own gear yet.

On the way home I was not so good. My friends were all getting ready for their day of trail riding, some were going in trailers, and some were going to the beach. I didn't want to leave them behind so I planted my feet in the driveway and there we stayed. And stayed some more. My friend Vida came and pushed on my butt and made funny noises so I went out into the road, then stopped again. I would take a few strides, then stop, and walk a stride, and stop. I watched one of the trailers drive away, and then watched the ponies go to the beach, and still I stopped. After a while Rebecca came to help again. Eventually I got moving, but in the process I did a Very! Bad! Thing! I didn't like her making me move when I wanted to stop (even though they were saying very nice things to me when I did move). In the end I lost my patience with these silly people and swung my back legs out, and I hit Rebecca. That put me in the Bad Books. Luckily I didn't hurt her, and they made me move fast until I got home and I co-operated a little bit more. I am a Bad Baby! I was just being obstinate, not malicious, but I have to learn to not do that. I don't usually act like that, but Cyd says both feet planting and kicking are Very Big No-Nos that will get me in Big Trouble! I don't like Big Trouble, and they'll be ready with new tricks next time I get stuck so I can learn how to unstick. But at least I did really good at my riding lesson. Hopefully Rebecca isn't really mad at me, and will help me again, cos I understand things much better with a follower. I'm going to go take a nap and think about what I did!

Like a real official Big Pony!

Guess what Guess what Guess what? I was so amazing today if I do say so myself. I.. Got.. Ridden! Woohoo. I had my saddle, and my girth and my new bridle and reins with a very funny bit that I borrowed. I wiggled and jiggled it in my mouth as much as I could, and chomped quite a bit but turns out the thing is not chewy at all. After I helped brush myself, I helped put my things on. Cyd says I'm not really all that helpful, but I think she needs practice putting the numnah on, so when she's not looking I take it off for her. Once I was ready we went to see my friends and go to the place where I practice my circles. We walked about a bit, and stood next to a big tub.

"I'm ready!"

 I thought it tried to bite me the first time, turns out I just wasn't close enough so Cyd moved it. Something weird was happening with my bit, she was making my head turn. Easy enough I guess. Turns out when you turn your head when the rein tells you to, you get a cookie! Yum!

When we were done with that game, she got up on the tub. I stayed really really still. She wibbled my saddle a bit, and put a foot in the stirrup. We've done this game before. My job is to stand still, and wait for the cookie. Then somehow her leg was the other side of me, and she scratched my neck and told me how good I was. I got my cookie for standing so nicely, then she disappeared. I looked around, and found her still up there. People certainly do strange things.

This is what I look like from my saddle

We were in the middle of the round pen, but she seemed pretty comfy up there, and there was some poop near the fence that I really really wanted to sniff. Figured I could just take her with me. We smelled a few more poops, then I saw my friends on the other side of the fence on the far side. So I took her to go meet them. Apparently that earned me a cookie too. Either she really liked meeting my friends, or just likes me walking about. There was some smooshing on my belly. I turned around and bumped her foot, cos I wasn't sure about that game. Not at all. She boomped me again. Huh!

Why are you boomping me?

I decided to walk a few steps, and that got me some more neck scratching. Time to experiment. Foot boomp, walk, scratch, foot boomp, walk, scratch. Easy enough I guess. Then she got off and cuddled me and fed me a cookie. This was quite effective. We went back to the tub and started the whole game all over again. Stand still, let her get on, get a cookie. Go for a walk, get a neck scratch. Apparently we're going to play with a friend on Friday so that I have someone to follow and learn from. That's going to be really exciting.

Sure I had a saddle here somewhere..

Nearly nap time!

Pointless Hops & Killer Tarps

I have to say, I'm pretty sure Cyd underestimates my protective powers! I saved her from an invisible arena monster, and all she did was complain that I stepped on her foot in the process. Silly people have no idea how lucky they are that we're here to protect them. Just because they can't see the monsters, doesn't mean they're not there!

I've been doing more lessons and getting quite good at them if I do say so myself. I've got really good at my circles, so I decided I was done with that game. I leaped and bucked with all my might, then went really really fast to show her how smart I am that I don't need to be told what to do. I slowed done when I figured she'd learned her lesson, but then she asked me to go fast. My plan backfired. There's just no figuring people out, is there? Once we both agreed on how my circles should be, I had weird straps put on my surcingle that attach to my face. I wasn't sure to start with, but figured it out really quick and trotted around pretty as a picture. That earned me some cookies!

Today's lesson was a bit different. For some reason, Cyd insisted I had to walk over stuff that I could quite easily have gone around.

 

C'mon, let's just go round!"

I did it a couple of times, then decided we must be done, clearly she had lost her mind. And you'll never guess what she did? Sit down! Yep, on her butt on the sand. Just sat there with the long rope on the other side of the obstacle. I couldn't go left or right since she had a hold of me, so I hung out for her to get bored. Trouble is, she has more patience than me, so I gave in and over I hopped again to find more cookies waiting for me. I love cookies!

"Wheeee"

I thought we might be done, and I could go see my friends, but oh no, silly girl has other plans. I had seen (and promptly spooked at) some big blue thing, lying in wait for a poor unsuspecting baby pony to prey on. To my utter horror, she started taking me over there. Oh!My!God! GobackGobackGobackGobackGoback!!!

Oh, hang on, it's not moving. Maybe it's dead? It rustled a bit when she stepped on it, but didn't seem poised to attack. I should go with her just in case it comes alive and she needs me to protect her.

 Then.. she asked me to step on it too. This was taking it a bit too far, but I remembered how she out waited me before and she is the one with the cookies. Better suss out the situation a little more.

 But you'll never guess what? It's really not scary! I conquered the beast! Trotted right over its stupid scary face. Take that blue monster. You'll never take me down! King of the Cookie Jar wins again!

Introducing... (~drum roll please~) Me!

Hi Everybody! I'm Agenda, aka The Bug Eyed Bandit, aka BUGSY.

 

I'm a three year old Arabian gelding with a lot of brains, but not much idea how to use them (yet!). I'm learning a lot of stuff right now, and do silly things - like last night I swallowed the cap to my wormer thinking it was a new kind of cookie. Cyd won't make that mistake again! She should know better, since my favouritist thing in the world is putting stuff in my mouth, and running away with it. I lead myself, I led my friend Fuega, I like to help put saddles on, I fill my own water bucket, see:

My grooming stuff has to live in a box with a lid, because I steal the brushes, and Cyd got mad when I took her saddle away and left a hole in it. I loooove cookies, they are my other favouritist thing. I'm not so sure about this growing up malarkey; it's fun but sometimes it makes my brain hurt, there's so much to think about. Really, why do I have to go in circles on a giant lead rope? What purpose can that possibly serve? But, Cyd says I have to, so around I go. She's got on my back a few times, not such a big deal I guess, but pretty lazy on her part. The best thing is when we go for adventures. I quite like seeing my friends down the road at the horse ranch, and meeting new things, like mail boxes and wheely bins. Cyd just found trails near my house, so she's started taking me hiking. It's fun, but there's not much food so I have to snack any time I find a tasty patch of anything green. We could starve out there. Hills are quite tricky, so I bounce around a bit in case it helps, especially going down.

I'm going to talk about all the fun stuff I do, so you can come read it if you like. Maybe I'll figure out how to be a big pony sometime!

Also known as - I have an on-call job that limits what I can do during my shift when I'm not actually at work. Something to fill my time :) Cyd