I had the following conversation with Tyra while out for a short trail ride this morning. Hrimmi and Pete accompanied us.

Alys: Good girl Tyra, standing still while I got on, on both sides.
Tyra: Gimme treat.
A: Here you go.
T: Thank you. Gimme another treat.
A: Just one.
T: Two.
A: One.
T: Two.
A: One.
Hrimmi: We are going without you
T: Where are you going?
H: We are probably going on the same old trails.
T: Boring. I think that I will go and check out the area on my left.
A: Okay. Let’s do a loop.
T: Now I’m back on trail. How did that happen?
H: She fooled you.
T: Well then, I will go to the right.
H: Come on Tyra. If you keep this up we will never finish this ride. And the longer it takes to do this ride, the longer it will be before we get back to our hay.
T: Where did the grass go?

H: It’s buried under the snow.
T: (Pawing the ground) Here’s some right here.
H: You ought not waste your time, digging for that stuff. It’s no longer fresh.
T: Where did the grass go?
H: It did not go anywhere. It died.
T: Died? The grass died? OMG. No more grass? The world is coming to an end.
H: It will grow back in the spring. You know that.
T: Happened last year. Don’t know if it will happen next year.
H: Best not to worry about it. What is, is.
T: I’m going to starve to death.
H: Not right away. We just left a barn full of hay.
T: Let’s head home. Let me get ahead of you. You are going too slow.
H: Nope. You stay back behind me.
T: I am heading home.
A: Tyra, why are you walking backwards?
T: It’s the best place to get from Point A to Point B.
A: Hold on. You are backing into a tree. I’m going to get caught up in the branches.
T: (Rubbing her butt against a tree) Ahh, this feels so good.
H: Look out, she’s breaking a branch off the tree. She’s going to hit you.
T: Yep, better hit the trail. Look out, I’m coming down this trail and going around the corner and heading for home.
H: Dumb idea. Now she’s walking you back to where you turned off trail. She expects that you will behave and not do this again.
T: Is better than being hit with a stick.
H: Watch this! (Hrimmi proceeds to step off trail and walk through the brush.
T: Why are you doing that?
H: Easier to keep my balance.
T: Next time I am going to try that.
H: Pete will stay on. Alys will get off.
T: I need to put on a few inches so she finds it harder to mount and dismount.
H: Yeah, I got the height advantage.
T: What you say we toss these morons and go off and grab a bit to eat?
H: We are nearing home, no need for that.
T: Look. The dog is barking at a squirrel in the tree.
H: Stupid dog.
T: Not so stupid, she isn’t carrying a human.
H: No, not so stupid.
T: How does one get a treat around here?
H: Do as you are told, no more, no less.
T: That’s what I’m doing.
H: You know, they are saying you are a super star.
T: Yes, I am an amazing trail horse.
H: Me too. Let’s have a contest and see who can go the longest without moving.
T: You cheated. He held out his hand and you walked on and touched it and got a treat.
H: I’m out for me, you are out for you, that’s the way it works around here.
T: We’ll see about that.
H: Yes, we shall see.
T: Dog’s hooked up to the leash. Ride’s over.
H: Back to the barn. Hay awaits us.

Next: 319. 11/18/17: Anger