Birthday Ride

Cyd failed at posting my stories, my birthday was nearly two weeks ago. But here it is now :)
 
Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous. Now I am six years old, which is a lot like being a grown up. To celebrate, me and Cyd joined Aunty S and her guest peoples on a long pony ride. We went to one of our favourite places, called Orca, and rode some of our favourite trails. I walked politely, not being derpy, to where my friends live. I waited quietly with a snack until it was trailer time. I got right in the pony trailer perfectly! While we were in the field getting our bits (or flower non-bits) and our girths snug(or kinda snug-ish), Gamaypony threatened to bite my face off. Cyd and Aunty S were right there, and it turns out Gamaypony didn't mean it, she's just a big mouth bully. I stayed out of her way anyway. I had no friends on this ride, none of the ponies we joined like me, but they all tolerate me cos for their riders controlling them and me and Cyd knowing to stay out of their way. 

I was a bit fidgety for the first few minutes of our pony ride, cos for not going out for two weeks, and the last time being our hornet adventure. I settled down super fast though, cos for being a grown up now. I wasn't walking as quickly as the other ponies, but I didn't mind being left behind, and every now and again we would catch up. I got a bit stuck at a puddle crossing the trail, but when I saw that my friends were leaving I hopped on over. We had to go up Vet Check Hill, which was only my number three time going up there. It is a long long trail winding up the hill, and at the top there is grasses and the people get off and check our pulses to see how fit we are, and teach guest peoples what an enduring ride vet check is a bit like. I did cantering and trottings all the way up, not as fast as the other ponies, but we could always see them a little bit. When Cyd first hopped off and checked my pulse it was 100. She left me snacking and went to duck behind a tree, then came and measured me again and it was at 56!! I am getting so fit, ready for my 50 mile enduring ride next month. 

Next we went through the trees to get to Spectacular trail. I was just doing pony riding on a loose rein cos for knowing how to be good now. Spectacular has some canterings too, and this time I mostly kept up, just needing a few breathers. I am still learning to pace myself. I bounce a bit at the beginning, so get left behind, so canter fast to catch up, then need to get my breaths back, then canter fast to catch up again. Cyd says I should just canter normal and then I would be with my friends the whole time, but she is happy that I stop when I need to and not panic if I get left behind. Apparently this is a Good Skill. 

Guess who we saw on Spectacular trail? Aunty V and her guest peoples were admiring the view. We all did chatting for a minute, and they wished me a happy happy birthday. We overtook them cos for us riding faster than them. I did not have any troubles leaving those ponies behind, even though that has been a Difficulty for me in the past. Nice to be seeing you Aunty V, it's confusing to me that you're not on my pony ride. I can't steal cookies from Aunty S's saddle bags like I can from yours :p

I was practicing being a good leading pony coming down the Manchester hill, like at my enduring ride. Cyd had my skinny purple rope and waved it at me any time I got in her spaces. Sometimes I did teeth snappng for being displeased, which meant the rope bopped my nose for Behaving Unacceptably! At the bottom it was time to go get a drink at the river before lunch times for the peoples. The field has been mowed and turned into hayfoods, and I kept looking around a bit disoriented. At lunch time I stayed where Cyd put me, and did not escape or eat my rope. I know the drill now, you see. Even when Aunty V and her people arrived for their lunchtime I did not do misbehavings. 

After lunch times, it was time to go do our most favourite trail. It is not my favourite yet, cos for still being hard for me, but I'm learning to like it. Abalobodiah trail is very pretty and very fun. While Cyd was cheking my tack to make sure we were ready to mount up and be on our way, we shared a banana. Except Cyd made the mistake of giving me the first bite, so she only got a little bit of banana. So much for that plan! We walked to do warming up, then some trottings practice. I did some of my big trot to keep up with the other ponies. Then it was time to do canter. This pony ride stretch was my very fastest ever, I did a small gallop with Cyd on top. I got really proud of myself going so fast, especially on the steep bit, but then I was out of breath, so paused to walk a few strides, then trotted the rest of the way up to meet the other ponies. 

We went back the same way we had come, doing some more trottings and canter on the Two Log trail, and an emergency stop when Gamaypony thought she knew better than Aunty S and them having a steering discussion (Aunty S succeeded in not riding through the trees - yippee!). It was pretty riding back down Vet
Check Hill to go back to the cattle field, looking at the oceans. Once we were back at the trailer, I waited while Cyd took off my flower nonbit, and my reins, and unsnugged(ish) my girth. Indypony went in first, then it was my turn. Cyd put my rope over my saddle then pointed me at the pony trailer. Guess what? I did Self-Loading! Very polite of me. 

Of course it wouldn't be a Bugsy story if I didn't bleed some of my bloods. One of the partitions is broken a bit in the pony trailer, so it's hard to make it stick open. This meant that we couldn't stick open my partition either. When I was hopping out, the partition closed on me, so I took a step the wrong way, then charged out at speed. The partition bit my leg, so now there is a piece of me missing. I get to start my sixth year as a pony with a missing bit of leg! I am totally fine though, so don't worry about me. I was holding it up cos for it hurting, so Cyd looked at me, then made me do a trot out with Aunty S watching too and I was fine. Then once I was showered and ready to go home I trotted all the way up the road and I was fine then too. I got my magic spray on it, and we're keeping an eye on it, but I don't think I'll lose the leg. Phew!

Cows and Hornets!

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am mostly fabulous except for getting misplaced in the woods and having big welts on my poor body. I have two pony rides to tell you about.

Number one with cattles!

I got to go pony riding with Aunty V and her touring people. We went to Orca where the cattles lives to do Panorama loop. I went in the back like a good following pony, I went in the front like a fearless leader pony, and I got left behind without panicking like a grown up. Aunty V was super impressed at how good I'm getting! We mostly did some walking, except up the big hill for trottings practice.

Thanks for taking us Aunty V, and taking our picture, and Cyd accidentally took one in funny colours and still can't figure out how. After our pony ride I got on the trailer by accident. Cyd led me to the door to get my leadrope (if you leave it on the outside the cows eat it, so you have to put in safely inside the trailer. Leopony was going to go first but I stepped right on in, so Cyd shut the barrier to keep me there. No need to confuse me when I did so good getting in without help! We had a lot of fun this day!

Number two with hornets!

Ohmygoodness you guys, this ride was awful! Me and Cyd and Aunt-T and Hueypony (my bestie) all went pony riding, except there was a tree in our way. We tried to find a way through, with Aunt-T leading her pony and Cyd riding me. I started losing my mind for no reason and was super panicky, so Cyd waited for me to pause long enough for her to jump down safely and find what was attacking me. Aunt-T came to hold me while Cyd checked me but couldn't find anything even though I was so sad. Then  I started losing my mind again, even worse this time, so bad that Cyd had to let me go. She felt something owie, looked down and saw hornets all over her legs. She yelled to Aunt-T but her and Huey were about to get stung too, and Huey broke free and galloped after me. Lucky Cyd does lots of running, and set off after us. She took the homewards trail, running and phoning people to get to the road so we didn't get hit by cars. She got to the spot where there is a pony that I like to say hi to, and there was Huey. She grabbed him and started running with him until she found a safe tree to tie him to. She kept an eye on him while she ran away to make sure he wouldn't get scared again, then kept going to find me. Except she got all the way nearly home and found Uncle J but not me. So they turned around and set off again. Finally they found me on the homeward trail, I must have turned right instead of left and Cyd ran ahead before I turned myself around. I was so happy to see her that I did whickering and marched right up and hid my face next to her for cuddles.

Scratched and bumped

I definitely had my worried face on, and had some scratches on my face but no real owies. We slowly made our way back to my house where I got my saddle off and Cyd gave me cuddles and scratches while Aunty V pulled a ton of stingers out of me. I got left with my hayfoods to calm down, and Cyd to get a proper drink. She came to check on me before going home to make sure I didn't get tummyache once the adrenalines wore off. I was ok, and still ok this morning, except for having big welts all over me.

Welts are no biggie except super itchy. It's better to be itchy than still lost in the woods. Thanks to all the people who came to help look for me (ten people total, with more ready and waiting if needed). That was a bit too much adventuring even for me!