The Little Horse Who Wouldn't

Okay, I admit it.  This story was first published, on my original blog, in 2009.  But it is so funny, it's worth publishing again.  So, here ya go...

This morning, my phone rang. It was Elder Son, though I could barely understand him.

ES: Mom.

Me: Yeah, babe?

ES: Mom, I had to ...call you. (He’s hesitating, sounds like he’s crying.)

Me: What’s up? Is SOMETHING WRONG????

(I can hear all this snuffling, and scuffing around, and some type of weird guttural noise.)

ES: Jason and I are having to load these little...(more snuffling, weird sounds) miniature horses that Jason’s granddad bought for Jason’s kids at the livestock auction, and...and...(mumbles off into nowhere, and I can hear him laughing and trying to catch his breath.)

(I can hear Jason laughing out loud.)

Me: What? What's going on?

ES: Well, Mom, it’s just that.....(fades into laughter again. He finally composes himself)...we got all the horses loaded except for...(and off he goes again) except for this (Jason laughing his butt off in the background)

Me: (I start laughing, too.) Tell me! Use your words! Finish your sentence!

Now, I ask you, how stupid is that,  that I start laughing? I can’t even see them, I don’t even know what’s happening. But I can only imagine. Jason isn’t a tall guy, but Elder Son is one tall lean bean. And a  miniature horse, much less 7 or 8 of them? Just the visuals are funny!

Me: Elder Son! Finish, please?

ES: Mom...I can’t....it’s just that, I’m really trying...okay, give me a second....okay....we’ve been trying...trying to...(and he dissolves into man giggles again.)

I just sit there, grinning like a Cheshire cat. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s going to be good. It’s absolutely positively gonna be one of those “worth the wait” ones. So, I wait.

He finally calms down a little bit.

ES: Mom, we’ve got all these teeny horses loaded in this honking huge trailer, (and they're laughing again, they’re losing their voices)...(they finally catch their breath and ES resumes) except for (bustin’ gut laughs now) the little stallion. (And he cracks up again.)

Me: The what?

ES: The stud miniature horse, Mom. He’s a stubborn little &*O(^)%(&.

Me: Oh, Lordy, me (I really started laughing now)!

ES: Oh, Mom, we are so frustrated. We tried to herd him up with the rest of the horses. He’d get halfway up the ramp, which is really short to the ground, then fall off. He’d just tip over. He’s really fat. We’d start again - he’d back down the ramp. He did not want to go. Then, we tried to lead him up. No go. Then, I led and Jase pushed. That didn’t work. So, Jase led, and I pushed. (Laughter. Then escalating laughter.) That didn’t work, either.

And now, Mom, the horse is mad. He’s snorting at us and pawing at us - it is so funny, the little thing! (Uncontrollable laughing from both he and Jase.)

(By now, tears are running down my face and I’m having trouble breathing!)

And then, Mom....(giggles)....I finally got so frustrated I tried to pick the little b*st*rd up and throw him in the trailer. (huge laughter.)

Me: What? You tried to pick him up?

ES: Yessssssssss...(fades into sputters and they’re off again, laughing hard!.)

Me: Did it work?

ES: Hell, no, Mom, it didn’t work (and they crack up into laughter again), he weighs 400 pounds and he was thrashing around and trying to get away!

Me: Oh, Lordy.

ES: I gotta go, Mom, we gotta figure this out, I just had to call you.

And he hangs up laughing.

I talked to him this morning. They finally got the little stud horse loaded into the trailer. Elder Son and Jason physically picked up the horse, together, and stuffed him in the trailer.

Elder Son is still laughing.

Me, too!

The Boy and Reg

Thought I'd post some really neat pics of Brody's new Aussie pup,  Reginald.  Well, his real registered name  is LaReginald Eugene Jackson-Freeman-Snipes.  Don't ask, I don't have a clue.  We were at the USTRC roping in Abilene.


Brody calls him "Reg".

Reg was sitting in the stands with us.  When
he saw Brody, he jumped down and ran to the fence.

Totally happy when he's with his Brody.

Teaching him to ride on the saddle.

And to jump into his arms.

Three happy, happy beings.

Happy trails!

Rodeo, Rodeo!

Tonight, we went to the SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo.  (“We” being a girlfriend and myself, since ThatManILove is working...’cause baby needs a new pair of shoes, ya know!)

It was fun.  We were given front row seat tickets by a friend of mine, and sat with them during the performance (perf in rodeo talk).  It brought back lots of memories.  The smell of the dirt in the arena, the sweat on a passing horse, the schtick of the rodeo announcer and the rodeo clown - all things that will be imprinted on my mind and in my heart forever.

I was one of the directors of that rodeo many years ago, and served on the Promotions Committee.  I helped start the Youth Promotions committee, which is called the Sidewinders.  It was for kids age 14-21, to teach them how to interact with the community and help promote the sport of rodeo.  Elder Son was one of the first members of that committee, and he was 14...so, gosh, almost 16 years ago?

The Sidewinders put on a Kids Rodeo.  All the little ones 10 and under participate in barrel racing (on a stick horse), bull riding (on a stick bull), and they even have a clown contest.  This is the halftime entertainment for the rodeo, and it is so much fun to watch!  All the teeny tiny bullriders, in their blinged out chaps, hats, riding those stick bulls...they are soooo cute.  Though that was many years ago, the kiddos still participate in the Kids Rodeo, and they are just precious to watch.  

I can remember all of us trying to keep all these kids corralled while they waited on their turn in the arena...and Elder Son, who was a long tall drink of water, even then - teaching all of them the macarena just to waste time.  I turned around, looking for him, and couldn't find him.  When I did find him, he was on his knees,  so he would be eye level with the kiddos in his circle, and dancing as hard as they were! Ay, Macarena!

Tonight, my friend and I were invited to another friend's surprise 50th birthday party in an adjacent barn, and we went for a couple of minutes.  I was blessed to see lots of people from that era of my life, and all of them had a smile and hug for me.

When people ask me, “Do you miss the rodeo life?”, my answer is always, “Not really.  But I do miss the people.  And..the horses!”

It was good to hook up with my friends from the horse/rodeo world tonight.  Friends are friends...and neither distance nor time changes that.