Page 13 - SophiesPonyTalesJuly10C

CHAPTER 5 LIFE AT MY NEW HOME

The second day at my new home, I realized We would cross and sometimes walk along
that they only had small hooks on the stall and side a road. Cars and trucks would pass us but
barn doors making them easy to open. After dark, Monarch wouldn’t flinch so neither would I. He set
my lips went to work unhooking the stall door. It a good example for me. This confidence when out

took me a hour but the door opened and I went on trails and roads would serve me well, later when
out for a walk to the green lawn and feasted on the I started pulling a carriage.
grass until the sun came up. The other horses were
Sometimes Monarch with Glenn riding,
still in their stalls and not wanting to go off by my-
would come to a smooth flat field road and Mon-
self required staying close to the barn. The next day
arch would start trotting. He was hard to keep up
they put snaps on the door but did not do anything
with as he had a big trot. He would start trotting,
to change the stall door that was a half door and
and keep trotting for miles moving at about 15
since the barn door was also half a door. It was a
miles per hour. My rider would encourage me to
simple to jump those. So again, I feasted on the
trot as well instead of cantering to keep up. I could-
lawn that tasted good. What is just beyond ones’
n’t trot anywhere near as fast, would fall far behind
reach looks inviting. That can get you, and us, into a
and often slow to a walk. Sometime times my rider
lot of trouble. Later I heard someone say, “Any
and I would both get back to the barn long after
horse that can jump a door like that from a stand-
Monarch was back in his stall.
ing stop, can jump like a deer, so we had better
Little else was expected of me making life
make her stall more secure.” The next day my stall
easy and relaxing. I was always looking for a way
was closed in from top to bottom with full length
to escape. There was a garden gate that people
stall door.
used to enter the paddock in front of the barn,
Monarch, one of the other horses there, held in place with pins. The gate could easily be

was also a Morgan. For the next two years, we lifted off those pin hinges but I didn’t use that
hung out together. He was a horse who also had knowledge for a year, keeping it in reserve for the
issues. We became fast friends. He had trouble right day to leave.
because someone had been mean to him when he One day, when the Glenn was in front of
was young. Apparently, he was punished while the barn, walking over to the gate, and lifting it
up off the hinges with my teeth I dropped it to
being ridden in an enclosed ring. As a conse-
the ground. Then, rather than escaping the hay
quence, he became very upset and nervous when
manger, beckoned me back to eat hay with the
asked to enter a riding ring or arena. Out in open
other five horses in the paddock. It was now ob-
fields on trail rides he was calm and confident so
vious that an escape was available anytime it was
we were taken on trail rides a couple of times a
needed. I was learning to avoid temptation, living
week. At times we would go for miles. Muscles
up to my nickname and maybe even my given
and stamina were being developed. I was seldom
name, Saint Gertrude. Glenn changed the gate
frightened on the trail rides, we would encounter
hinges.
deer and wild turkeys but where Monarch went I
would with confidence and without fear follow.

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