Schooling Rides

Greetings Muleteers, well I'm glad that FH is back now.... we've been back to doing the important things in life like work!

I had a lovely weekend with not one but two rides with lots of different pals.  Firstly there was my outing with My Heroine, the Sensible One and Aunty Di.  My short eared companions had the wind up their tales (aka they were being a bit jumpy) but as soon as they saw me they decided that it was more fun to play pin the teeth on the mule... hmmm.  My Heroine was a little on the grumpy side with me and pulled some very mean faces, I can't help it if I'm beautiful and young and clever can I?  The Sensible One wasn't quite so grumpy with me but I have learnt that it's the front end of My Heroine and the back end of S.O. that I have to look out for, maybe this is why FH tells me off when I try to gentle nibble the S.O's bottom?  Anyway after a while they stopped trying to play 'Kill the Mule' and had a grump at each other instead, while they weren't looking I overtook on the inside and took the lead - much better!

Big = Mulificent when it comes to ears!

Off we went with much purpose, it's been at least a week since I showed off my mulificence to the world.  But wait what is that???  I was stood at the top of the hill looking down the lane and there's two short ears (quite big short ears) coming trotting up to us with their one rider busy not looking where he's going, surely he'll see us soon?  He look like he's playing with one of those telephone things, FH calls it texting.  Well on he trotted, his short ears getting wider and wider eyed... well how rude, everyone knows this is bad equine manners.  Just at the last minute the short ear rider notices my mulificence and stared aghast... careful you might drop your precious phone...  Well really all he could manage to say was 'Big Ears' as he went past staring, gosh Mr that is original.... honestly you humans do state the obvious don't you??

It was all over too soon, I tried to persuade FH that we needed to do everything again and longingly turned in to the next lane but alas it was time for home.

Not to fear though Muleteers, this morning I had one of my favourite visitors.  Smiley Human came to see me!  It's a while since my friend has come to see me, it seems that FH's job and social life has been causing havoc with my social calendar - not impressive FH you need to sort this out!

So I was delighted when Smiley Human and I were off, time to go and explore the local area, we saw lots of tin boxes on wheels with humans inside, some pretty ponies, a shetland with a very short tail (oops!), some of our local friends to wave our ears at and of course I had a little sample of the local hedgerows, I have to do this quickly before all the leaves are gone - I will only be left with bare twigs then.... how awful will that be for my waistline!

The humans were in need of some training today, it seems that this was a 'Schooling Ride' for them.  I had a busy time teaching them how to ask me to turn properly, I did lots of transitions with them from walk to trot (or pace / gait whatever it is I do, FH is never sure) and was trying to show them how to rein back - this is very important muleteers so that I can show FH the tasty bits of hedge that we might miss and need to reverse for.  I also spent much time standing still for tin boxes to go past me, some whizzier than others.... you humans are in too much of a rush!

So here I am showing off my pacing with Smiley Human, I hope she comes to play again soon, I overheard plans for more rides next weekend - yippee! Right time for a snooze, schooling you humans is very hard work.