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It is kind of an unusual-looking crop, it has a horsehead on the end of it, and is red, white and black swirled together. I always kept it in the tack trunk that Cheryl and I have been sharing out at the farm. One day, it was gone! The last time I saw it, I had loaned it to Shannon when she was taking her lesson on Gambler. But I was quite sure that I had gotten it back after that and stowed it away safely in the trunk.
I looked everywhere for it, and it did not turn up. (Anyone reading this who knew about my missing hat a couple of years ago should rest assured that I didn't go bonkers about the crop being gone. It was merely an annoyance, but I was able to borrow one so not that big of an annoyance!)
After hunting around for a week, I had given up on the crop and was thinking about stopping by the tack shop for a new one. Then Cheryl brought her youngest son out to the farm. She asked him if he'd seen it. Sure enough, he had-right in the back of their car! Turns out he had put it there after Shannon's lesson the day I loaned it to her. He thought it belonged to his sister. I was glad to have it back!
In other news, there is a horse out at the barn who has been owned by a couple of teenage boys who like to "cowboy around" on the poor fellow. One of these yahoos was riding in the arena on the poor horse when Cheryl and I showed up to ride.
We got into the arena, and asked the kid not to "cowboy around" while we were in the arena, as we had a not-entirely-trained stallion and a not-entirely-trained kid (Shannon)in the arena. He said he wouldn't, but promptly did. He kept running his horse up behind Gambler, and then suddenly we all heard a terrific "Yeee-haw!" and this kid was galloping full tilt towards Kai (who, fortunately, is of a somewhat bombproof nature, unless there are mares involved.) I had to get stern. I turned Kai around and told him that none of that could occur when we had anyone else in the arena. Every other person that boards there is either inexperienced as a rider or has a green-broke, unfinished horse. This kid has the about the only horse that it would be safe to gallop around on, assuming no-one else were in the arena at the time.
So he apologized and we continued our ride, but decided afterwards that we wouldn't ride if he were using the arena when we came out to the farm.
Incidentally, both Kai and Gambler behaved like true gentlemen during the whole cowboy rodeo, and I am very glad to have such a level-headed horse!
We are working dilligently at the trot, but it is difficult. I am quite out of shape, and Kai does not know how to carry himself correctly, yet. But he is learning. And I am getting in better shape!