Spooky Stuff

[Mickie Newnam <akelakhan@earthlink.net>]

Akela's main thing is anything that looks out of place.  The trash cans
along the road (after all, they're only there one day a week, so they
must be able to move and so they could eat horses), the trailers parked
in the area he believes is for riding (this from a horse who will
practically run into a trailer), and so forth.  Oil rigs he'll snort at
but go by, deer he's sued to and doesn't care, geese and peacocks are
old hat.  I can unfold  maps, put on a slicker, whatever, no problem.
But watch out for those sabre-tooth butterflies!  I rode him through
construction traffic for a while when they were working on the road that
is our access to our local park.  Bulldozers, backhoes, dump trucks, all
fine because they are vehicles and belong on the road.  But the guy
sweeping off the street with a big push broom was definitely someone to
be watched closely!
Squirrels he does object to, despite them belonging in the woods.  And
the birds suddenly flying up from the brush really should signal first!
(Ever see a horse try to do a spook in place at the canter?  He almost
fell on his head...)  But I've found the best solution is to laugh at
him.  He seems to feel that if Mom is laughing it can't be too bad!

Mickie and Akela (who is still silly at times but much less prone to
3-feet-sideways spooks than he was in his younger days)


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