Monday, October 20, 2008

"Is he a Rodeo Horse?"

I got sidetracked whacking back the overgrown clumps of drought tolerant, native grasses that we planted on our slopes. Since I had to do the same task last year, I have decided to call it The Annual Whacking of the Grasses. But that meant that Wally didn't get his morning ride. Instead, I finally got around to tacking him up just as the sun settled behind the hills. To Wally, the setting sun was the cue for his dinner, not for his saddle. So when I hopped on board he was, to put it mildly, a little distracted. And perturbed. When I rode past a pair of riders, each one mounted on a dusky palomino, Wally began to strut and shake his head. He arched his neck, humped his back and sashayed like a sea serpent. He was displaying both his evening friskiness and his displeasure at missing his regularly scheduled meal.

At that moment, the man aboard the taller of the palominos looked at Wally and said, quite seriously, "Is he a rodeo horse?"

I wanted to reply, "Now what gave you that idea?" but I was too busy bending Wally around my left leg to re-focus his attention on me. Instead I laughed, "No, he's just acting like a rodeo horse."

Wally's impression of Midnight: Champion Rodeo Horse only resulted in him having to work in the arena for 20 minutes. Once I got back Wally: Treasured Trail Horse and Pleasure Mount, I headed back home. Wally got a good grooming session by the dim light of an autumn sunset, and then he got his dinner. And once more, everything was right in his world.
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

awwwww wally a rodeo horse!?!?! he must have been pretty frisky! for a short time at least, by wally standards.

Anonymous said...

Wally? A rodeo horse? Naw... he couldn't of gotten THAT bad!

Anonymous said...

Wally was just showing off! :) I have ridden my mare before dinner before and when we are walking down the driveway she always wants to look back at the barn yearningly, acting like she is never going to return.
Gwen

Cindy Hale said...

What's especially funny is, what precisely would Wally DO at a rodeo? I mean, come on. He couldn't ever chase a cow. Well, maybe a milk cow.