photo by Hoofclix.com
Tales of Taco the Wonder Horse and his ammy rider on their way to a Training Three Day

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Taco on Life These Days and New "Ask Taco" Feature

Stacy has been very busy lately.  Two weeks ago she did not come ride me at all!  She said that she went somewhere called Texas for a conference.  Just as I have a job, she apparently has a job too.  It is a very lazy job, however, because it does not involve any running or jumping.  She just sits there at a screen and sometimes talks to people who are sitting in a room with her.

Anyway, I didn't mind less riding at first, because I was pretty tired after my T3D.  But now that the weather has gotten cooler, I am ready to go again!  I really liked the T3D.  Stacy let me go as fast as I wanted to on the steeplechase and she did not interfere with me too much when we had a jump.  After that I had a nice break but I wasn't really tired, so I was thrilled when I got to go again and jump a regular cross country course.  When I got back to my stall and rested, I had plenty of energy but my hind legs felt really sore.  I would have done the showjumping the next day anyway but Stacy talked to some vets and she decided to just take me home instead and let me rest.  She said we can do another T3D next year, and I am really looking forward to it.

At least I have been able to jump a few times recently.  I have been very excited to jump and I am very good at it.  On other days I have had to do a little bit of dressage or trot and canter around the track a few times.  It is not hard work but that little bit of exercise makes me feel good.  Some horses really like to have 100% time off-- no riding at all.  However, that would make me very bored and if I don't get work I exercise myself in my pasture and sometimes get a little bit agitated when I am being led in or out of the barn.  I don't mean to but I can't help it sometimes.  It is just better for everyone when Stacy rides me.

We are also trying out new saddles.  Stacy needs a new saddle because she found out that hers is too small.


I would like to help out all of my fans so I am starting an "Ask Taco" column on this blog.  You can send in questions about anything and I will give you the answers.  I am extremely intelligent and I can answer anything you ask me.  You can ask horse questions or also fashion or history or etiquette or home decor questions or questions on any other topic.  Send them to Stacy at cookiepony at gmail dot com, or post them in the Comments section on this blog post.

Best wishes,
Taco

2 comments:

Lauren said...

Dear Taco,

My mommy dresses me in something everyone calls "pee-ink." I don't really understand what it is and why everyone makes a big deal over it. I can't see what this "pee-ink" looks like, but I think it is probably very bright. Since I look smashing in everything (much like you), I can't imagine it looks bad. Could you tell me about this "pee-ink" and if I should be worried about wearing it? Maybe I have to wear "pee-ink" because I have only one eye? I don't think people should discriminate against me for having only one eye, in fact, I think I should get bonus points for doing everything two-eyed horses can do with only one eye. So anyway, my mom always says her "pee-ink" is very tasteful and "real men wear 'pee-ink.'" What do you think?

Fondly,
Arizona

Holly Ratcliff said...

Dear Taco,

Well, I've been on a break for at least the past year, but I've learned a lot and I've been working on new ways to use my many talents in different ways (for instance, I never knew that if I reached forward through the bridle and stepped up under through my hind-end that I had MORE power than if I just pull forward and bulldoze on my forehand!). Now that my mommy and I have worked on better tools for using my body to improve our riding, she is ready to put us back to work and hopefully get out to some competitions this spring. As we start to leg back up in January and February, what types of jumping exercises do you work on to get yourself ready for the upcoming competition season? My mom is really keen on something she calls "gymnastics," but I just think they're a bunch of poles all crammed together, so I get through them as best I can. As long as mommy doesn't fall off, though, I figure I'm ok. But, in order to make mom happy in the long run, what type of jumping work do you all start off with at the beginning of the year? I will try to take your advice and be good, but sometimes I just can't contain myself. I know that will make me sorry when I get in big trouble for launching my mommy, so I probably need some guidance from an eventing professional. Help me, please!!!!

Your buddy,
--Eddie