Mope, mope--Pout, pout

I left town last week Thursday for a family reunion, having had a very good ride the Wednesday before. I figured Toler would enjoy his time off, as I wouldn't be back until Monday and probably wouldn't get out to see him until Tuesday at the earliest. My father (who was going to be home) even agreed to go out once or twice to give him a treat and feed him his grain and supplements. Two days without his joint supplement would be fine, but I didn't want him to go four days.

Tuesday (yesterday) I went out for my ride, and got there just his paddock was starting to get brought in for the day. Toler stood by the gate, probably thinking that the person he heard approaching with a lead line clinking against the metal fittings of his halter was surely the groom. Instead, *I* came around the corner of the cycle shop into view. [Our stable is also grounds for an awesome Triumph motorcycle shop, which means our horses are super awesome and never spook at vehicles of any kind!]

Toler's ears went flat as I approached the gate, and he was just starting to turn around when I snapped the tip of a carrot I'd brought along as a bribe. Good thing, too. Had I not brought it, Toler would have hightailed it to the other side of the paddock for sure. (He's done it before, after all.)

Toler was grumpy the whole time I was out there with him, just to make sure that I knew how he'd felt about my being away.

In the aisle, he kept moving over while I brushed his side, nearly pinning me against the stalls. I'd shove at his ribs and say, in my stern "mom" voice, "Toler!" He'd freeze, pick his head up, stare at the ceiling a little, then slowly crane his neck around as if to say, "What? Oh. Were you there?"

Picking his feet, he'd snatch each hoof away just as I was about to start cleaning it. Tacking him up, he pretended like I was a boa constrictor wrapping around his middle. And in the arena, he did everything exactly opposite of my cues.

I gave up after only 10 minutes (if even that), and took him to sponge off (as if he'd done anything to get properly sweaty over). And he knocked over my bucket. On purpose--I saw him looking at it.

I tell you. Some horses are such children.


Stay tuned for: The Moose and the Ditch.