Beach Fun :)

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous. Today I did some more beach pony riding, and I did pretty awesome if I say so myself! I didn't start out awesome though. I actually started pretty bad. Right after we left my house, Cyd saw there was a school bus coming up behind me, so we put me in the entrance way for the trailer park opposite my house. Of course the bus needed to let small people out here, but we waited so it didn't end up behind me again. Some peoples were all "Oooh look, it's Bugsy, we love Bugsy" cos for me being a bit famous in my neighbourhood. Cyd said that sorry, we couldn't get me pets today cos for me being too excitable and trying to get my brain in working mode. I thought I should demonstrate my excitability by jumping straight in the sky when the air brakes went swooosh, and again when the doors closed. Cyd told me off and made me do behavings, and then we were off on our adventure. I did a little prancing down the road so needed some reminders to do walking like a grown up. Cyd wondered to me if maybe she was being silly taking me to the beach in this mood without anyone to help us, and cos for us testing out how I like my new hackamore. It is flower kind, which we think we like so far.

Flower-hack

Once we went across the highway and onto the trail, Cyd hopped on me. She didn't stay up very long though, cos for me being a buttface and not wanting to walk past the scary fire. I was quite happy to follow Cyd though, that way if there are monsters they will be busy eating her so I can run away to safeties. That was the only time she had to get off me though, I did everything else by myself like a grown up. Except for when the RV came by. It was just little, but going quite fast, and even though I was safe on the trail I couldn't tell if it was going to eat me. To protect us, I did trotting in place, then sproinged into the sky, then trotting in place then sproinged in the sky. Cyd laughed and told me to knock it off, so I continued walking politely. 

I'm a beach pony!

Once we were on the haul road, I got laughed at again. Even when there was lots of grasses between us and the edge, I was watching the ocean in case it was going to come get me. I was super brave at hopping down onto the beach. We had a minute to do deep breaths, and let me suss things out. We walked along with no problems. I had to go around two dead trees, which are a bit scary when you kick sand on them so don't do that, k? I got up off the beach back onto the road, and was being so good that we went around again! I did great again, until it was time to come off the beach again. There was a person and another person and a little tiny person. They put the tiny person in a seat on the back of a bicycle, and one person pedals and the other person runs and takes pictures. Right at the end of my trail. I couldn't possibly go up there. We waited until they were gone, but then another bicycle came and this one had some kind of kite made out of plastic bags, so Cyd was quite glad I hadn't made it up there yet. See, sometimes being wimpy is smart! But that was the only bad thing I did on all the beach time, and it wasn't even bad. 

I don't go near the oceans yet, but that's okay. Today was kinda high tide anyway, and sometimes there were big waves, not a good day to learn that oceans are not scary to ponies. On the way home, I was so good, just walking on a loose rein, being polite. I crossed the highway with no problems, and even rode past where my friends live without stopping. I did ask Cyd if we could go visit but she said nope and did boomp boomp with her feet so I kept on going all the way to my house, didn't stop once! Once I got home I was so tired. My brain had to go over all the things I learned, so I fell asleep while I got brushed. I think I like beach pony riding!

Not even 3 miles, but it's my naptime!

New Grown Up Adventures

Hey everybodies. How are you? I am fabulous, and while my little body is not too tired, my brain certainly is. We did two times of pony riding this week, and they were short rides where I had to learn a lot of stuff. I mostly did everything right, but of course I had some silly moments too!

Ready to pony ride

My first being-a-grown-up day was on Wednesday. Cyd got me brushed which took forever cos for me being super dirty. Then I got my things on, Cyd put on her helmet and we walked to where my friends live. Or so I thought. We totally went in that direction, and Aunty V was in the driveway, and I tried to turn to go in ready to get on the pony trailer, but Cyd made me not do that. She told Aunty V we were going to somewhere called South Trail. There was a man there wearing park uniform, and he said there was chainsawing happening, but he would walk with us and make them stop so I didn't get scared. Thank you nice man for making me not be scared. We went across the highway and down to the trail. I was a bit nervous and did some dancing when it was mounting time, so we did some deep breathing. This made me more calm and Cyd hopped on. I was doing super bouncy walking, and was very looky at all the things. We had to go past campsites and there were big people-sleeping-trailers and tents and small children doing running and fires and just so much to look at. A bit of the trail goes along the road between Lake Cleone (more of a big pond) and where it is all flooded or maybe a pond, we don't remember. I was a bit scared to go through and we discussed it for a while. I still didn't want to go, so Cyd hopped off and let me walk behind her. It wasn't so scary when I could let her go in the front. She got back on and off we went again. Next obstacle - going under a bridge. This was barely a big deal, I was a little confused by the extra noise my hoofies made underneath but it was okay. Then the biggest problem of all - moving off the grey ground to step on the black ground. I decided this was absolutely not okay, and I couldn't possibly step on different coloured ground. Lucky not many cars wanted to come past, and even a motorcycle came by and didn't scare me, but that black ground was awful. We finally ended up hopping the little fence to get to the trail that way, with a promise from Cyd that we would not be going home until I walked on the black ground. I liked going up through the long grasses that came up to Cyd's knees.

We took a grazing break at the top, cos for my brain needing to settle down and process all the things I saw and did already. Our next adventure was not exciting for me, I do walking on woods trails all the time. But we came into a clearing and WHOA! There's the ocean crashing around being all scary. Emergency stop! 

Once I got my breath back, we ambled around the bluffs for a little bit then went back to face my nemesis - the black ground. I didn't want to go again, so Cyd hopped off me and turned my reins into a lead rope. Then she made me do circle practice. What?? We don't do circle practice up here on the trail. Some people started watching me go around. I never noticed that we were sneaking closer to the black ground until "cliphcloph" I was on the black ground. Boing! I jumped right off. We went back to it, and Cyd said I had to follow her. I did a jump and made it on the black ground. Deep breathing Bugsy, s'ok, you can do this. Off the black ground, on the black ground, off the black ground, then Cyd got back on. We did the same thing again, which was boring now cos for me being totally over it. We went all the way down the path back to the road, where Cyd had to have a noisy discussion with a stupid head who was convinced that her kids needing to see the pretty pony were more important than what was appropriate or even safe for all the people involved. The ponds didn't scare me on the way back, and then we walked on a sandy bit to practice for beach pony riding when I'm more grown up. I was a bit looky again on the way home, but super brave when the chainsaws were going. Finally one of the guys spotted me and made the noise stop so I didn't get scared and cross the highway at the same time. I waited patiently for all the cars and when there was a gap I politely walked across to go home. What a clever pony I am!

You know how we're waiting for me to be a grown up before I go to the beach? I'm totally a grown-up now. Yesterday, I went to the beach kinda all by myself, with Aunt-T on foot. She wanted a test subject to practice taking photos and she thought of me cos for me being so nice to look at. She told Cyd we should go walking to the beach, but Cyd had already been planning to ride me to the Haul Road and go on the beach if I felt okay. It would be perfect to have an extra person, cos for in case I make Cyd (or me) fall down. I was much braver going down the trail this time, with just a bit of looking at all the things. I got a bit stuck when the trail went from gravelly path to paved, but Aunt-T walked over and gave me some pets, then walked away so I followed her to get unstuck.

The road was mostly not scary, there was some stuff to check out but I did good. Then it was time to be really good, and go on the sand. I was so brave! I sampled some sand grasses cos for it being important to try new things. I also made a hole in the sand with my nose like a silly pony. We walked about for a little bit, and I did lots of looking, and staring into the distance doing contemplating cos for being a thoughtful grown up pony now.

 We walked over to somewhere called Seal Rock where all the seals do their sunbathing to do resting from swimming and safeties from the sharks. I should probably not go in the oceans so I don't become a shark snack either. 

Seal Rock posing

Basically my beach riding was all uneventful. This is exciting cos for now we can go on short rides and do pony riding more often. Before, we had to go on long adventures, even our short rides took a long time, so when Cyd had lots of people things to do, I didn't always get to go pony riding. Now I have more options for short rides. Yay! Thanks Aunt-T for taking all my beach pictures, I hope I was good to help you practice. Here's my other pictures:

Hiding From Winds

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am trying super hard to not blow away cos for it being windy and stormy where I live. I haven't done pony riding in a week cos for Cyd going away to do a people race called ultramarathon (she did one hundred kays on her own two feeties - 62 miles!). Thanks for Aunty V taking care of me when I was all alone and bringing me my snacks and making sure I didn't get hurted. Cyd gets picture updates of me to show I still have all my legs and the blood is inside my body where it should be and it makes Cyd happy, like this:

Yesterday we were going to do pony riding with Aunt-A and Maggie-pony but the winds were starting to be windy and it was quite cold. Cyd said it didn't feel like good pony riding weather. Now we have to wait until Sunday or Monday and hope it's not too stormy then for us to go pony riding. We want it to be stormy cos for needing the rains but we want some occasional pony riding time too.  In the meantime I got to wear Cyd's hat to be super cute.

A Weekend of Pony Riding

A lot of up today

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous. Yesterday I was a bit tired, so didn't have much extra energies for stories, even if they are about me. I did pony riding on Sunday. Then again on Monday. Two days in a row of pony riding. We went a new place on Sunday with the Lady in Red and Trevey. I went in the pony trailer all by myself so we could go pick up Trevey, and then we went to the pretty place where I do a lot of my pony riding. I was a bit confused when we went on the trail to the field with all the grasses where the people do lunch eating but we didn't stop, we went up a big big hill. I had to do some stopping on the way up cos for being all huffy puffy and super sweaty. We were going exploring on Manchester loop, and you know what we learned? Cyd hasn't been pony riding that loop properly all this time, she's been going the long way around. Silly Cyd. Lucky we didn't go the long way that day, I would have been so tired. We did lots of trotting, including some big trots. I couldn't always keep up, but mostly I did. Sometimes I had to take a quick break, but then I did catching up, or Trevey waited for me cos for me not being as fit as he is. Also, Asanti the dog came along, and two times I got a growly voice, one time, when he came up behind me and I made angry faces, and one time when he was in front of me and I tried to chase him, but Cyd had my reins and made me do stopping and reminded me how to behave appropriately. Behaving appropriately isn't always the most fun but I'm getting really good at it, lots of people are saying so. We dropped off Trevey pony, and by the time we got back it was getting dark, and it was very dark by the time I got my saddle off and ate my mushy food. We have to go up the road to get back to my house, and in the dark we take a friend with a flashlight to walk behind me so the cars don't bump into us by accident. But we had no friends to help, so Cyd held the flashlight. You know how kitties like to chase laser pointers? Turns out I think it's fun to chase flashlight beams. Cyd was so confused and thought I was doing spooking, which is silly cos for her using flashlights and headlamps around me all the time for seeing in the dark. Maybe they'll make a video of me playing in the dark for you.

Watcha doing over there?

Yesterday, I went pony riding again with Aunty V and two guest peoples with Leo and Indy and Virshima. It was not such a long ride, but still big hills. I was so good at canter that a movie was made as if you're riding on me cos for Cyd borrowing a helmet camera from Aunty V. Thanks Aunty V!! On the pony ride, I went in the back like usual, that way I can take breaks if I need to and don't hold everybody up. When I get tired, I am okay with being left behind by the other ponies. When I have my breath back I can do catching up, so it's just fine by me, and Cyd likes that it's just fine by me. 

I did some super awesome cantering today, even with proper transitions and using my butt and my back and being smooth. Then Cyd had to make me do trotting cos for me catching up too close to the front ponies, not cos I was racing, just cos I do big strides now. I'm getting so strong. She got off to lead me on the down down down bit, and there was some pampas grass, and you know what Cyd did? She put it in my halter to make me a circus pony! I wasn't very impressed, but didn't shake it off or do naughty behavings. See how silly I look? It's hard being Cyd's pony sometimes!

We got back to the pony trailer, and I was so sleepy I couldn't even keep my eyes open to get my picture taken!

That's better :)

And look here's my cantering movie so you can pretend like you're doing pony riding with me!

Just Like A Grown-Up

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am super-fantastic. I am not being big headed, Cyd told me so. I was SO GOOD today, you would think I was a real grown up pony. On our whole pony ride (about three hours) Cyd never had to get off me, not once. This has never happened on our solo pony rides, we always find something for her to get off me for. Today I wore my new martingale from Aunt-E at Hooves'N'Whiskers. Cyd could have put it on me for the last two pony rides, but for various reasons it didn't happen. Today she forgot the reins with the rings on, so drove home to fetch them after me not behaving appropriately yesterday. This is me in my new gear:

And a better view of my new martingale:

It is slidey kind, so you don't compromise your steering, and bad-at-stopping ponies can be one-rein-stopped if need be. I don't need that, and Cyd doesn't like using one-rein stops, but slidey is still a good option. We like it. I started to do my head tossing when I was a bit excited, and got confused cos the martingale made me stop putting my head in the sky. I dropped it low, then slowly slowly stretched my head up to see how far I could go. Cyd laughed at me for being silly, then I put my head back where it should be and off we went. I did this a few more times, but it definitely made a good impression on my head-shaking and giraffing from yesterday.

Our first challenge today was getting me through some puddles. Cyd knew this might be a problem, cos for me hating puddles. The first one wasn't so big as she thought it might be - usually after rain it covers the whole trail. She was pleased to see there was a two foot gap to one side, so I could go around it. I totally surprised her by walking right up to the puddle itself, put my nose in and wiggled it in the muds, did some splashing, and walked right THROUGH the puddle. She gave me lots of pats and told me how amazing I was, and off we went to my next puddle. I only went straight up to that one, too! I didn't go through, this one was much deeper, and there was more trail than puddle anyway, but I went to check it out without being encouraged, totally loose rein, could go where I please.

We're practicing me stopping for snacks ready for when I do enduring. I'm really good at stopping for snacks, but I think I get to choose when, and Cyd thinks she gets to choose when. Today we practiced stopping at mutually appropriate places where it's delicious but I don't snatch the reins to get there cos that is RUDE (or so I'm told). The next bit of trail was actually kinda hard, sometimes Cyd had to lie flat on my neck to get under stuff, and we had to push through a bush where I nearly got stuck but didn't, and I pushed a fallen tree out of the way, and it was slippery but Cyd gave me my head cos I was behaving and told me to figure it out and I did. I put my head down, and stepped super carefully, and didn't get scared if I slipped a little bit, and remembered to leave Cyd's knees room around the trees cos she sticks out farther than I do. We had to go over some stuff too, and I didn't hesitate, or get confused as to the best place to go over. It was really dark in there so we didn't take pictures, plus Cyd had to do concentrating and we know how hard that is for her. Eventually we were back in the open. I had to go over more waters on the ground, but I did really good, just needed a little boomp boomp every now and again as a reminder that I can look at stuff, but not hang out for no reason. Once it was dry we practiced my trotting, and I did a polite big trot like grown ups do. I nearly got to 10mph, which is really quite fast, and it was super smooth and not too hard for me. We practiced switching between slow trot and fast trot, and how to appropriately adjust our speed for bumpy grounds. I was pretty happy when it got to snack time!

Snack

Itch

Yawn

We had a very uneventful ride back to my main loop, except for another tree crossing. It wasn't eventful, but I did really good considering it covered my whole trail, and was the fluffy kind with loads of branches. We went up the big rocky hill. I was doing so good today, Cyd didn't want to jinx us with trying to go across my ditch. I should really wear my booties to go up here, and usually if it's part of our ride we go down so Cyd can get off and lead me, but we went on the side where it's softer. No issues going past my puddles again, I drank from the deep one, and chose to go through rather than around the other one again. We were doing trottings practice when suddenly out of nowhere.... BIRD! Well, I can't be amazing all the time, right? It wasn't even a big bird, but I did spooking jumps to the left, right into a pampas grass bush thing. That spooked me again, so we flew back to the right. I didn't know what to do with myself, so I just jumped in the sky. Cyd can officially report that my new saddle is pretty spook proof, she didn't come close to falling off me, though the spook didn't feel super comfy on her back. We took a minute for me to breathe, and then went on our way to finish our pony ride. I was very well behaved the rest of the time, and barely did stopping in the spot I usually do stopping on the way home. (Cyd took me to the road so I couldn't get on the grass - if I get on the grass I act up. But then a car came way super fast and we had to skedaddle out the way onto the grass, but a little bit of naughtiness is better than any deadness so s'ok.)

All in all a very successful pony ride. Tomorrow I get a day off and a thorough grooming and some pony massage :)

Hang On Tight

Wheeeeeee! Hey everybodies, how are you? Try to keep up with me, k? It's time to go fast!!! Everywhere!!

Cyd is such a spoilsport...

"No Bugsy, you can't trot and fling your head in the sky. Do walking."
"No Bugsy, you can't trot here, it's too slick and you'll fall down cos you're not smart yet. Do walking."
"No Bugsy, you can't trot here, it's downhill and you'll hurt your legs. Do walking."
"No Bugsy, I didn't say you can trot and I'm the bossy-britches who gets to tell you what to do. Do walking."

You know what, Cyd? Walking is boring, and I am strong, and a grown up, and my new saddle feels good, and I WANT TO TROT EVERYWHERE. Or canter! If I can't trot, can I do canter? Nope, no canter either. Though Cyd was very happy that I wanted to do canter, cos for me usually not wanting to. Troubles is, everytime there was a good spot to do canter I didn't do behavings, and if I don't do behavings I don't get to do canter.

We just did a short pony ride cos for it being late cos for Cyd getting distracted with doing people running and Uncle J not feeling good so getting lunch foods for him. She was all confused where lazy quiet Bugsy was. Seems I am getting fit and strong, and instead of my two months off making me out of shape it just helped me get stronger so now I'm ready to GO! Lucky we're going to do pony riding again tomorrow, a bit further this time. Also, we need to practice at selfies without selfie-mode on the camera, we're not very good at it yet:

Finally!!!

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am a SUPERSTAR, Cyd said so, and so did Aunty V. I FINALLY got to go pony riding. Remember how my saddle didn't fit too good? It got to a point where Cyd said 'Enough' and we were not doing more pony riding in my bad saddle. After four weeks of not doing pony riding, Cyd spotted white hairs growing on me behind my withers, which just confirmed to us that it was good I was not wearing my bad saddle any more. But then I had to sit around and wait for a new kind. Finally we spotted a great deal, but we had to patiently wait until it arrived from Ireland. But on Tuesday it arrived. Cyd brought it to my house to try it on me, and we wandered in the field for a second but no time to pony ride. This is my new saddle:

Today Cyd stopped by the barn where my friends live to say hi to my Aunty V, and got talking to her and the guest peoples she was going to do pony riding with. They all said "Come ooon Cyd, bring Bugsy pony riding with us". So she ran to fetch me, and woke me up from sleeping flat out on the ground, and Aunty V got me brushed while Cyd put my things on, and we got in the pony trailer to adventure. I was super excited when we arrived, so did grazing for a minute and quickly settled into finding what things I could mess with, and entertaining everyone by being given a whole carrot, holding one end in my teeth, and banging the other side on the pony trailer to break it into a more bite sized piece! It took Cyd a minute to figure out all the settings on my new saddle, and hop on and off to do stirrup adjusting and stuffs. I had some hijinks walking up the hilly trail at the start, but mostly settled and walked politely. I was huffing and puffing and made sweats right away cos for being out of shape. I was polite at waiting while people did Windy Knoll pictures, and only had one moment where Cyd had to make everyone stop cos for me doing bouncing on a grand scale and not keeping hoofies appropriately on the ground. That was my worst badness of the day. I didn't freak out at the man on a small tractor machine cutting away the coyote brush (though he did stop while we came past at least). I didn't want to do drinking at the puddle cos for it being a puddle and puddles are scary, and Cyd said suit yourself, you'll learn that puddles are good for drinking if you get thirsty. There was a slushy bit of ground and I did reversing uphill to not get my toes wet, and finally scooted around it without Aunty V coming to get me like she usually has to. I did good walking down the Green Gate trail (Cyd led me for practicing), and a giant but polite leap over the fallen tree. I didn't even hesitate over the noisy bridge. I politely waited at lunch time, barely tried to escape, and didn't bother the other ponies. Cyd forgot to save me any m&ms, but I did get some apples and carrots and polo mints and grasses so I did okay. I had to do a full circuit of the spooky mounting log to suss it out before I would stand next to it for Cyd to get back on me. Next trail was Abalobodiah, which is one of Cyd's favourite. I TOTALLY DID CANTER UP IT!!! I have not done that properly all the way before. We had a few planned breathers, but everytime we all did canter, I did canter. I also did some bucking cos for it being so exciting, and Cyd says it's strange to feel me doing bucking (my new saddle is treeless so she can better feel my body doing things) but that it was very secure. We did walking to get to North Boundary trail, and on the way had to go past the puddle. I marched right in there and drank a whole ton! There was a tree to cut, and Aunty V needed help so Cyd hopped off. There was nowhere to tie me so she left me with grasses to snack on, and clipped my rein to a weedy branch. I didn't leave cos I'm good (and starving). I didn't even get scared when Aunty V went "WAAAAAAAHH" super loud for doing Godzilla-style tree crushing. On we went! North Boundary trail is fun, and very very steep in places. Us ponies have to do bounding to get up it easily, and the people have to lean off our backs and hang on to our manes. I got up there with no issues. I have done it one time before, so Cyd knew I could do it, but she didn't expect it to be so good as I did it. Troubles is, there was a tree down that we couldn't cut through. We had to turn around and go DOWN the super steep trail. Aunty V led her Leo-pony down, and Cyd stayed on my back, but kicked her feet out of the stirrups just in case I slipped and she needed to get out of my way quickly. Apparently riding a treeless saddle and being stirrupless down super steep trails and guiding a not-quite-grown-up pony is a good core exercise. I made it with just a few teeny mistakes, and didn't freak out at a little skid, and was good at taking care of us. I got a bit confused when we got to the trail junction cos for forgetting where we parked the pony trailer and thinking Cyd was trying to get me lost after dark again. She wasn't though. The sunset was incredible and the people all went "Oooh" and "Aaah" and did picture taking. Aunty V is going to send us the pictures another day so you can see them. Treve and Rascal decided they should escort us down the hill, and I totally didn't get too bad even when they did trot and canter around us. Only one time I tried to bolt. Cyd was on the ground leading me, and we're not too sure how but somehow she got out of my way, got me stopped, hung on to my rope, and didn't fall down. Reflex ninja kicked in apparently. I was a bit grumpy going down the hill cos for being tired and confused, then saw the pony trailer. I got in pretty okay even though it was really dark in there. I was so ready for my bucket snacks when we got home, and all my hay foods. But Cyd is super duper proud of me, and she has to work all week so I can get my energies back. She is going to come double-check my back tomorrow, but it looks like I'm good to go in my saddle! Yippeeee! We also used our new reins from Aunt-E, and Cyd really really likes them. Apparently next time I get to use our new martingale cos for me doing head tossing, and it's not my head or my teeth or my saddle or my bit. I get carried away when it's exciting sometimes, and need a quicker reminder than Cyd can always give me. Aunt-E made it too, we'll show you next time. Cyd's phone did breaking, which is why this post isn't filled with my pictures, but some will be coming soon. Here's a picture of me in my new reins though, so you still get to look at me. Can't have you forgetting how handsome I am!