Bubba - Girl Child Cried

Girl Child came home crying from 4H riding practice last night. I'm not sure what happened, because I had to stay home to keep Dan company, but here's what I learned. It's about barrels.

Now first - you need to understand something about Bubba. He's Bossy, Crabby, and Rude. He's the king of our pasture, and he never lets any one of us forget it. He laid around not being ridden for five or six years before he came to live with Woman and Girl Child, and no humans made him be respectful, and he thinks he's the Emperor of the Universe. The second thing you need to know about Bubba is that he loves Girl Child. He tries not to let everybody see (have to keep up appearances, you know), but the way he closes his eyes when she plays with his mane, and lowers his head so she can halter him just make it so clear to see. Before he came here Bubba's human Ray didn't think Bub had it in him to be a Kid's Horse, but the way he's been this year with Girl Child shows that even mean old Bubbers has a soft spot, and he's been obediently walking, trotting, stopping, standing still, standing still to be mounted, being nice to the other kid's horses (that's a tough one!) and even standing tied without digging giant craters. But I'm afraid Bubba drew the line at barrels last night. He told me that he had some dreadful experience at one time in his life with them, and he just really really doesn't want to be a barrel horse, even for his Beloved. He said he trotted two nice runs, and then when she kept wanting to do it over and over he kinda lost it and went all balky and naughty on her. He said it worked, too. That all he had to do was go on the wrong side of the barrels a few times and toss his head a bunch and Girl Child threw in the towel. Now I suppose it didn't help that GC was tired and hungry - (so was Bubba, for that matter, I suppose). Well, anyway, I'm sure they'll work it out. I do know that at the end of the day (or summer, as it may be) there is nothing that the Old Man wouldn't do for his little Princess, and if it means a little barrel trotting with a canter on the way home I know he'll cave in. I just hope Girl Child knows this and sticks it out with him. Maybe I'll have a talk with the two of them.
Good thing there is a Burro to keep harmony in the family.
Junie