Wednesday, August 8, 2012

While mom is away...Riley will do whatever he can to not work

This past weekend Maggie took a trip down to Tampa Bay, Florida to pick up a moped (if you asked her back around age 16 it would be pronounced mope'd, as in the past tense of mope) that she has been itching to get for a long time. It was even the right color, royal blue. This way we wouldn't have to pull off a amateur paint job and now all it needs are some purple flames. This means I finally get my noble steed, The Iron Horse, all to myself again. I know Maggie thinks it would be hilarious to see her dad and me riding around on the moped together, but that will never happen

Maggie left town with her mom, Dawn and dad, John on Friday morning which would leave me nothing to do alllll weekend loooooong. Don't worry, I'm really not that lame and I found things to do. But of course, a weekend is not complete without visiting the barn and the boys. Before Maggie left town I asked if Riley and Cole needed to be ridden, knowing that I had nothing to do until seeing an old high school team mate play against the Louisville Bats that night. Julie was in charge of riding Cole for the weekend, which was a relief in away, I'm still scared I'll break one of the boys, and I definitely don't want to break the new one. Plus, I can always play it off like Riles did something to himself in order not to work. Riley on the other hand was supposed to have the whole weekend off...or so he thought.

So I decided to get up early on Saturday and take a trip to Midway. First, I had to stop by Kroger to get 3 lbs. of carrots because they were apparently low, and Riley was probably sobbing in his stall at the thought of no more carrots. I could now head towards the barn, it would be my first trip to ride without Maggie around. The only bad part, Riley knows me all too well now. Someone was up in the ring getting a lesson so Riley and I took off on a hack around the farm. Down by the creek Riley and I had discussion number one, for some reason he didn't want to go past the field between the creek and the barn. I've never had that problem with him before, at that point I knew he didn't want to work. We got past that point though and cut up beside the skinny field to head up to the ring. He was actually a good boy in the ring, trotting around well. That was when everyone started to realize I was actually there without Maggie and were very excited that I would actually come out alone. Not to mention I finally look like I fit in around that place now that I have breaches, half-chaps, boots and my sweet new 'Murica helmet.

I didn't give Riley too much of a workout, but I've learned he has a short attention span some days, especially when I took him for another walk around the farm. Not to mention that of course on the day Maggie isn't there everything happens...down by the creek in the corner of the boys' field a giant branch decided it would snap and fall into the creek right next to us. After that Riley was spooked like crazy and done for the day, and so was I.

All in all it was an okay day at the barn, but it might be awhile before I'm out there on my own again, I need to get Riley to remember that I won't work him that hard, at least not yet.

And don't worry Riley and Cole still got plenty of carrots, I wonder if there will ever be a day when I am no longer the Dead-Beat-Dad.

-John