I sure am a prolific horse: Post #100!

You know, The Great Gatsby is quite a short book. If you thought I would match my style to Fitzgerald's, you thought wrong. In fact, Spode entered my writing into one of those "which famous author do you write like?" things, and guess which author I got....

James Joyce.

Have you seen Ulysses? Spode's read it. Even Spode thought it was too long, and that's saying something.

Hmm, this conversation on literature reminds me that I meant to post about my literature fancies, old sports. But we'd better save that for another day. Today we're focusing on me, not books. Yeah, sometimes my name means we're thinking about those two topics at the same time, but not today (put yourself in my hooves for a moment. Do you know what a struggle it is to be named after a book by a kid who's obsessed with literature? I have to compete with a book! My life is a constant battle of jealousy. It's maddening, old sports, maddening!)

I know Spode loves me more than a mere book, though. Let's face it, there's a lot more of me to love than even a large print book of Ulysses, so that's a decided advantage on my side. But quite frankly, my biggest advantage is the fact that I'm straight up gorgeous. As my biggest admirer Daisy says,
"Ah! You look so cool. You always look so cool" (A.K.A. "I love you").

Well actually, Daisy is NOT my greatest admirer. She is actually not a very nice person at all, and arguably it's Nick who really loves me--he's the one that actually SAYS "there's something gorgeous" about me. But I only have eyes for Daisy, and lucky me, Spode is my true Daisy--that one that Gatsby has an image of in his head. Well, in my life, I get to experience the ideal as the real. It's a pretty sweet deal (oh god, first books and now I'm rhyming like a two-bit poet. Make it stop! So much for not getting all literary on you today...)

Now where were we? Oh yes, Spode and I and how handsome I am. Well, we had a lovely reunion after her time away learning about teaching.

Hi! Welcome back! Do I have to get up or can you come over here?

Spode got to come home early this week, so I got one extra day with her. How did we spend it? Playing dress up, AGAIN (this is the problem with being such a good looking horse. The struggle is real)! Spode received some belated Christmas presents, including a sparkly vegan browband. It's a win-win piece of tack: veganized for Spode so she doesn't fret and feel guilty, green for me so I'm all matchy-matchy. It's a little feminine, but my roman nose balances it out, I think. And considering my namesake wore a pink suit, I figure it's okay if I engage in a little bedazzling.

It adds to my already dashing good looks, don't you think?

I completely wowed Spode with my good behaviour these past few days. She hasn't even really needed to enact her new year's resolution of tough love. Er, well, mostly. She's a bit annoyed with my eating habits. Every time I come in the barn I'm looking at the bales of hay and sneak a bite whenever possible. I'm not even hungry. I just like to point out to Spode how ineffectual her tugging and slaps are. Humans are so easy to play.

Aside from that little game of mine, however, I've been good as gold. I only act silly when I'm given explicit permission to be silly.

I should have been named Tigger!

Just trying to show Spode that I'd like to be a jumper instead of a dressage horse...

I am desperate for Spring though. Then I can engage in real silliness. I need the open space and the footing to get in my real bucks:

Just try and sit this one!  Sadly, I can't get this air time in an arena. Roll on, summer. 

After being goofy for all of five minutes, I slowed to a walk and then stopped and waited for Spode to give me some real instructions. Snapped on the lunge line and put me through my paces, and then called it a day with copious amounts of treats. Yeah, having Spode home is the best.

Yesterday I tried on another Christmas present, a new saddle pad. More green highlights. More dress up. Sigh. Spode clearly didn't have enough model horses as a kid to break her of her dress up habits. She even brought out the white polos for me.... for the last time, because (surprise, surprise) they are too short. They were cut to size for Zoodles, and I have a lot more cannon bone than he did. Spode is not too upset though, because I have green ones anyway. Of course I do. 

Did you really just put this on so you could look at me? You have a problem.

Oh god. Not selfies again! Just hurry up and get on me so I can actually do something other than be cute!

Yes, I did manage to convince Spode to get on eventually. We had a brief but pleasant walk in a surprisingly noisy arena. Probably the highlight of Spode's week. Er, and mine. I've been more than a little bored on this holiday.

Today was Spode's work day, so she waved at me in the morning and then ignored me for the rest of the day. The nerve of that girl. Thankfully she made it up to me at the end of the day. We had visitors: Ally and Rebecca! Spode says I've met them before but I could;t really remember. It's been a little while since I've seen them. Ally in particular was fascinating to me. She wanted to free lunge me, but that was so confusing! This smaller human is telling me what to do now? Why should I listen? What's in it for me? Can I eat her? Please can I just put the pompom on her hat in my mouth once? Please? 

Yes, it was a rather interesting evening. Eventually I was told to listen up and Ally got me moving. It was entertaining for everyone. I am still curious about smaller humans, so maybe I'll have more visits in the summer to wrap my head around her (literally! I can do that!). I was much more intrigued in her now than I was the very first time I met her a year and a half ago:

We've both grown some since those days, too!

Seriously, my name could be Curious George. Perhaps a little too curious for my own good sometimes, but I'm pretty sure I made everyone laugh tonight. And you know what laughter leads to? Treats, that's what. The small human brought an apple for me! Jackpot!

So, that's three days down and only one to go. Maybe we'll get in one more ride if the weather is nice tomorrow. Then, unfortunately, it's another 2 weeks of standing in the field just waiting for something to do. These weekends are much too short, even when they're extra long.  But I'm keeping my spirits up. 73 days and counting until Spode is home for summer.  That's right! 73 days until I go back to getting treats every day. Ah, bliss.

Until later, old sports.

Jay. 

This Resolution of yours is a little Spicy!

I am such a slacker, old sports! Already January 4th and I haven't written a post! It's 2015 and there's been nary a word from me so far! You must be outraged-my apologies. I really have no good excuse. Spode has been keeping me busy and I have been moving around staying warm. I write these posts in the paddock shelter, you know. It's the only spot where Spode will let me use the internet--it's dry there. Still cold though! Plus, the other geldings want their turn in the shelter too. Probably checking their Twitter accounts. They're not quite as wordy as me, so they can do the 140 character thing. I can't. I prefer to write novels.

I'm not one for brevity. Or for personal space. 

My word, 2015 has started off with a tangent. What does that mean? My attention span obviously is not improving with age. The vets are still going to be saying I have ADD. Poor Spode is going to have to face up to reality eventually and stop using my age as an excuse. I'll be 4 in May--no longer a colt, but a horse! I'm excited, but don't expect any maturity from me. My draft side will keep developing until I'm at least 6. So in 2017 you can all start demanding some mature behaviour on my part. Until then, I'll keep being silly and goofy--it's expected from a young drafty gelding, isn't it?

That was also a tangent. All I intended on writing was Happy New Year and somehow I'm already 3 paragraphs in. I learnt this from Spode, you know. She also can't stick to the point to save her life. Hmm, isn't it a funny coincidence that we have such a similar writing style? Who would have guessed it!

This is my thinking face. Spode and I also share some of the same expressions, you know. We learnt them from each other.

Er, right. Now what was it I was going to say after Happy New Year? I think something about how I spent my week... there's my stellar attention span again. Spode will be rolling her eyes when she reads it later. Let's try and get some structure into this post before I give up entirely.

Oops. Too late!

Spode had her last holiday visit today. 4 weeks absolutely flew by. We did a ton of stuff that was all new to me. I know I've already discussed some of it: lunging, double lunging, hacking in the snow, cantering in the snow, and today I was introduced to side reins. Those were no big deal. Spode explained the concept but she put them on so loose that I never really felt them. But she said that was what she wanted to happen today, so I guess that's alright. No point in doing anything else since I'm about to return to my holidays now. Spode will be home again in 2 weeks, but I won't be doing anything new again until March break.

This week I was also introduced to Spode's beloved dog, Poppy. I found her a little bit scary, but I preferred her to the barn dog, who I'm not all that fond of. Poppy smelled of Spode, and that made her better. I'm sure she was also thinking that I smelled of Spode and that made me not so bad. She's not 100% sold on horses, but always liked Zoo and seems to be okay with me as well. Phew! It's always stressful meeting these family members. You never know what they'll be like. I'm told I won't get to meet her other friends, Morag and Eddie, because unlike the barn cat they are far too prissy. They don't leave the house. How dull. I'd be happy to go and meet them, but Spode said I'm not allowed in the house. What is up with all these rules all of a sudden?! I do what I want. (Sigh. I wish. Alas, that is not the reality).

Another four legged member of the family

Poppy and I went on a nice little jaunt around the fields. I spooked a few times and bolted twice. My bad. The barn dog jumped out of the bushes and I was a little overwhelmed. Spode sort of enjoyed the feeling-I know it. She tried to act mad but I know she felt a little rush at the feeling of cantering away in the fields. She likes speed. I am not a crazy fast horse either, so my bolts aren't all that scary. Takes me a little while to get up to speed. There's not much danger in falling off either since I'm a solid guy. Spode is very pleased that we're a good fit for each other. There's plenty of horse for her to sit on-I'm no spindly TB.

I'm getting wider by the second, in fact!

That being said, I admit I've been unusually hot and untrustworthy this week. It's not my fault-blame it on the weather. The fluctuating temperatures completely messed up the field. Frozen mud meant it was hard enough just to walk around. Running was impossible, and I NEED to run. I can't just stand around all day like some of the older geldings in my field. I'm an energetic young man, old sports! I have a need for speed! Since Spode brings me into the arena, sometimes I couldn't control myself this week and I got out of hand. I have always known the limits though, so still nothing crazy under saddle. No bucking, rearing, or spinning when Spode's on board. I know the rules and I follow them. It's when she's not on that I show my craziness. Spode witnessed quite a rodeo this week.

Today was by far the worst. Spode had put a big heavy winter blanket on me yesterday because it was so cold, windy, and the freezing rain was coming. It was nice at first, but when the temperature started to rise today I got sweaty, and the icicles on my blanket were scaring me a bit. Then there was all the noises brought on by the ice. It was too much for my mind, and I was pretty frazzled by the time Spode arrived for her last ride of the holiday.

Take me in so I can escape my scary blanket please!! Also, I'm boiling. 

Sorry, old sport. I spooked all the way to the barn, inside the barn, in the arena, back out to the barn, in the barn, and back out to the field. Three hours of spooking. It was a bit much. Spode might not have put up with it so much if it weren't her last day with me. She kept asking me in hopes I would return to my senses. Er, well, I kinda sorta did. Enough for her to trust climbing on my back eventually, anyway. I ran and ran and ran. Head up straight in the air and spooking at every corner and noise. Even had my tail up like an Arab at one point. Spode was not amused.

At least you know I'm not scared os stirrups flying around with all my spooking and spinning. Everything else though is terrifying. 

After I galloped around enough to sort of tire myself out, she then lunged me until I was paying more attention to her than all the scary corners. After that she got on to walk me around and cool down. I ran around a lot, so I was feeling pretty hot. Still not tired though. I didn't do anything bad but I was still wary.

*Gasp* Did you hear that? It's the ice monsters again, I swear. 

I almost fell over in the barn afterward I was scrambling around spooking at the door opening behind me. That was when Spode decided I should just go back outside. Oh well, she did like seeing me run, I know it. She just wished I had settled eventually. I think 3 hours of it exhausted her.

Yeah, well, you're not the only one who's tired, Spode!

So as some of you may know, Spode's New Year's Resolution was to be more firm with me. It's no secret that she lets me get away with things she'd never allow any other horse to do. The benefits of having someone be head over heels for you, old sports. Also, I have an impossibly cute face. I work it.
Anyway, she has decided she needs to crack down on some of my poor manners. That includes pawing, chewing on cross ties and reins, and being pushy with the bridle (I just want it on NOW. I don't want to wait for Spode to put it on slowly.) Spode has been pleased so far. No major changes in just 4 days, obviously, but it's more that she is impressed with herself for sticking to her guns and being the alpha. Aw, how cute *eye roll*. You keep trying Spode....
There is one thing she has managed to stop though: chewing on the cross ties and reins. She bought some artificial aids for that though. She sprayed my cross ties with bitter apple spray. It tastes gross. Blech. No more, thank you. Of course, now I'm chewing on the the lead rope she's using to crack down on my pawing though. Might be coating that in spray next. As for the reins, she tried the apple spray on those too, but it doesn't sink into leather like it does nylon. And with a bit of slobber, I couldn't even tell the difference. This meant Spode went to something stronger. Hot sauce. Tried Sirachi sauce, but I didn't really mind the taste of that. Kinda liked it, in fact. She went home and raided the fridge for something stronger. My reins smell absolutely horrible now, and have dried sauce all over them. I tried it once, twice, three times, and now I admit defeat. Ok, Spode, you win this round. That is not tasty sauce.

We're also trying distraction with the flash in addition to yucky reins. I kinda like it. Something new to play with!

So so far Spode is doing well, but it's only 4 days after all. The real test will be when she comes home to visit me in 2 weeks. Usually that's when she goes really soft and that's why I've developed all these habits. She missed me too much to get mad and correct me. After three months of that, I admit I've gotten pretty bad. I'm just at the age when I start pushing too. Teenagedom. I'm in gr. 9, Spode. Spode loves that grade the best because of the teenage goofiness that's abound, but it also needs shutting down sometimes. A daily struggle, but one I know Spode likes. I'm doing it for you, Spode! Can't you see!? My resolution is to please Spode--I'm doing a good job, aren't I? Spode says resolutions are supposed to be a change though, and apparently I've always pleased her. Awww.

I'll be back to being as good as gold in April when she's home again-just you watch.

Well, until later, old sports. Stay warm! Brrr!

Jay.