getting bucked, and trying a lope

last month, riding Shiloh

Today when I went to Claudia's house, I rode Shiloh, her beautiful flea-bitten gray fifteen year old Quarter Horse gelding. His feet hurt him, so she put his special boots on.

We tried a lope (it's a little slower than a canter).
Guess what? Shiloh bucked! He protested with me, bumping his hindquarters up. Claudia got him going at a lope, and then he bumped his hindquarters up because his feet hurt. It scared me HALF TO DEATH! I thought I'd fall off. I didn't. I just lost a stirrup, but then I stopped him and got my foot back in the stirrup.

And then we tried a lope again. He did it again! I used to think I was ready to gallop. Now, I DON'T! Papaw (my mom's grand father) took me to Claudia's house and stayed.

I don't think loping is so cool. It's a lot faster than trotting. It probably would be fun, IF Shiloh didn't do that. It's SCARY!!!!

But over all I had a good time. We practiced going around cones at a trot, and then going around barrels. It was fun.

Going to the zoo with Papaw

We went to the zoo with Papaw (my mom's grandfather) a couple of days ago. It was fun. Oliver and I rode in his car, and Ethan and Trevor rode in my Mom and Dad's car. When we got to the zoo, we met my Mom and Dad and Ethan and Trevor.

Then we went and got a wagon so we could put our stuff in it and so Oliver could ride in it. He's so cute, because he kept pointing at things, "is that the monkeys? Is that a bird? Where are the fish?"

First we went to see the monkeys. There was a little baby monkey. He reminded me of Trevor, because he'd just go up to his mom and jump up on her back. He even stood up to the biggest monkey!

We ate, then saw the owls and the snakes and went in the desert section, and the arctic section. I love the desert section the most (because I love seeing the snakes, and the roadrunner bird that runs around in its cage).

Me and Oliver rode back with Papaw again, stopping with my Mom and Dad and Ethan and Trevor at Braums to get burgers and fries.

Then we drove home, arriving home at about ten minutes after my Mom and Dad and Ethan and Trevor.

I was pretty tired. Papaw came to our house that night to play hearts with my Mom and Dad, and to play rummy with me.