We left home around 3:45, trailer packed, Romeo loaded. He's easy to bathe, easy to boot, super easy to load - aim & point. Amazingly relaxing to load him to go. Unloading? Same deal.
Arrived at the church for VBS around 4:40 - right on my mental schedule. Quickly met up with my friends & coworkers, found our spot, and got Romeo unloaded & settled. Boots off, haybag hung, water bucket filled, cookies applied. Got him saddled, and took him for an in-hand walk. He blew & looked at a large trash dumpster, but once his nose touched it and it didn't "bite back", he relaxed. Silly boy..
I set the leadline walk route - down the side of the pavement, up through the tall grass, back to start. There was another family there with about 5 horses, though one little pony was quickly set out of commission (how they didn't see pony was lame at saddling, I dunno. Two steps out on the asphalt, pony was refusing to hold weight on front left. Pony tied aside on a phone poll.)
Romeo, was an angel! He didn't balk, didn't refuse, didn't toss his head, didn't fight me one step. I had all ages of kids, probably all elementary school age & a few middle schoolers, but I really can't tell for sure. Some children spoke all English, some none (the church has adopted a mission group from another country, who speaks not English, or Spanish, but something else.. Corin? maybe? can't remember). My favorite had to be the little baby boy who spoke NO English, holding the saddle horn tight, leaning his entire little body against it, flip-flop feet near the back of the saddle pad. When I saw this with most kids, I'd say "sit up tall & look over his ears. Relax, you're having fun!" I said that to this little boy, and got a dead stare. "Oh Good Lord, keep the boy up there, and let this be Romeo's best walk yet." Romeo tip-toed, and barely crawled along the little walk route. I was SOOO proud of my Roan Pony. Good Boy Mo!
Romeo walked faithfully for an hour plus, with no breaks. One kid would unload, the next would load up. He didn't get a cookie, or water, nothing, during the entire work. He was a soldier. He figured out his job, and did it well.
Why again is he for sale? I had a blast riding him Saturday, then again re-tuning him Sunday morning. He took care of each child like they were his own, and made my job leading effortless. What am I thinking . . . .
1 comment:
GO Mo Super Pony! That's great!!! I knew he'd be a star!!
enter *voice of reason*
He's for sale because you are over being scared and he needs to help someone else......you need to move on to your next dressage super star!
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