Sonny is my new Missouri Fox Trotter horse from Florida. He became allergic to Florida and the only cure was to get him out of Florida. He has been a lesson horse for Tony and Jenny Vaught for many years. He has led a great life and it will continue in Missouri. He is in his 20’s.
We had the big Sharon and Sonny test today and Sonny aced it. We did our round pen warmup, rode my pasture and then went out to the real world. I coached Sharon in the round pen on flat foot walk. Mostly Sonny walked fast, but every now and then he had a comfortable fox trot which was amazing.
Occasionally, he paced, so Sharon got to feel that too.
In the pasture, I led and did some flat foot walking. Sharon kept up which I found amazing.
Sharon has become the boss. She rides one handed and carries the end of the reins as a permanent spanker. She and Sonny are a team now.
We did some stopping too. I demonstrated the flat foot walk using the words “hunk of meat and two potatoes.” Fancy also showed Sharon what the fox trot looks like.
Upon leaving the pasture…we rode up the gravel road to the cement road and returned. I coached there too. I just call out the gaits Sonny is doing. Sharon is using her motivation spanking reins now and Sonny believes her. Sharon is enforcing the rule, “Don’t Change Gait.”
Next we enter the site where the new house being built. There are strange things all over the place. I put Sonny and Sharon in the lead. If I was riding Fancy there alone we would stopped and stared a long time at suspicious things. Sonny led at a fast walk. Sharon said he was looking at things! Sonny never faltered or reacted to anything! We followed a mowed path leading to trees, but the mowed stopped, and I decided we had done enough. We returned past the opposite side of the house with more strange things and walked over a large expanse of leveled dirt. I suggested to Sharon that this could be an arena! Sadly it’s for a storage barn. Sharon is going to suggest it become an indoor arena!
Sonny earned his “Million Dollar Horse” title on this day.
I had my phone for this ride. Sadly it was dead. I didn’t charge it last night, so still no pictures.
We rode home and into our stalls. I felt very weak when I got off. It was difficult to take off the saddle. I led Fancy to our tie pole and told Sharon she could tie Sonny there too since they get along so well. I went into barn and cleared out a chair. I let Sharon wash Sonny and asked if she would also wash Fancy. Sharon did everything and got horses back into their open stalls.
I managed to walk to the house and fell into my air conditioned bed. My heart rate was around 140.I’m having an episode. My heart is not pounding like it does sometimes. I now know the weakness is rapid heart beat. It did get hot and were were out in full sun for 45 minutes or so. (I discovered the heat index was 100 on this day and humidity is high. Not good.)
When I was typing this story, sitting in my favorite Thai Spice restaurant, I caught a glimpse of something moving on my shirt.
It was a tick.
Those were the “Days My Friends”