horseingaround

"I met my new family one day when my owner said
that she was moving house and that I couldn't go with her.
I knew that was O.K. I didn't hold any grudges.
I was grazing in the paddock and three people came
up to me and started talking to me and patting me.
The man who was looking after me was there too.
Tracy, the biggest girl wanted to have a ride on me
so I was saddled and bridled and she climbed on
my back and off we went. She was a very nice girl
and I liked her a lot. When we got back she told the
man that I was too small... I was only 14.2 hands high...
and that she was looking for a bigger horse.
That hurt my feelings because I knew that I was a good
horse for anyone to ride. The lady said that the little
girl, Jules, wanted to have a ride so she got on my back
and we went down the paddock again. She didn't know
how to ride and accidentally kicked me in the ribs and
I started going a bit fast. She was scared so I slowed
down and she seemed happy. When we got back she
said that she was 'never going to ride that horse again'.
Gee, I didn't think I was that bad... but the lady told the
man that she wanted to buy me and take me home.
I was so happy... someone wanted me.

When they took me home I was let out into the house paddock for the day so that I could have a look around and find the dam and have a drink. I liked it there... there was plenty of green grass for me to eat and lots of water to drink and if I wanted to I could go for a swim in the dam.
The next day Jules came down with her mother and they saddled me up and Jules went for a ride in the paddock. She seemed to be getting more confident. Shortly after that we went to our first pony club rally day and we both had great fun.
That was to be the first of many rally days followed by gymkhana's, cross country eventing and showjumping. I didn't like dressage much because I was an Australian Stock Horse and didn't think that I should have to prance around and look pretty. I was bred to work and I was bay in colour and I was pretty anyway. But I did dressage to make Jules happy.
We won lots of ribbons, sashes and trophies and in between times Jules would come home from school and every afternoon we would go for a ride. There was a nice lane, which had fallen tree branches for jumping and plenty of shade from the harsh summer sun. We had a lot of fun in that lane.
Time went by and as I got older I was still taken to pony club events. There was a little girl named Emmalie... she is Tracy's daughter... who started to ride me. Emmalie was only 3 years old but I really liked it when she got off and when she was finished riding me she would come up and cuddle my front leg and say 'thank you Chocky for letting me ride you'. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

I was really looking forward to going to pony club with Emmalie but my old brain was doing funny things and one morning I decided to jump the paddock fence. I had never done this before and it was stupid of me because I landed on a log and shattered my shoulder. Jules
and everyone cried a lot and I knew that it wasn't good. My shoulder
hurt lots and a nice man came up to me and gave me something to
take the pain away.

I watched from my heavenly paddock as they dug a big hole in my
favourite paddock and put my silly old earthly body in there and
lovingly covered me over. Gosh they cried a lot.
I knew that they loved me but it wasn't until then that I knew
how much. I thought they were just being nice to me because I
gave them good rides. What a silly old horse I was.

I am happy to say that Jules has a new horse now. His name is
'Smokey' and he is an Appaloosa gelding who is 10 years old.
She is training him for Emmalie to ride at pony club next year.

I will be looking down on them and making sure that Smokey
doesn't think about doing anything silly to my little mistresses.
I have been such a lucky horse to be so well loved and looked after.

I am Chokita and this is my tale."