Pony boy, pony boy. Won't you be my pony boy? Don't say no, here we go, ride across the plains. Marry me, carry me, far away with you. Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, let's go. Whoa, my pony boy!
It's been almost 50 years since I was a toddler, when my dad bounced me up and down on his leg - which served as my stick pony - and sang this tune. Now, it's an apt little verse I can sing to my own "Pony Boy," Clementino, my yearling Paso Fino who's discovering the world as he's ponied along by adult horses.
The last time I wrote about Clementino, I referred to him as "the brat" (Cactus Country, March/April '06). He was quite the handful! Then, last fall, I got him castrated and began monthly sessions with a trainer, which has made all the difference. He's still a somewhat spoiled only child, but now he's manageable and usually fun to be around.
On the Road
Once Clementino finally learned to trailer-load with the trainer's help, it was time for his first trailer outing. My husband, Rich, and I loaded Clementino's dam and then Pony Boy himself for a 10-minute trip around the neighborhood. I was a nervous parent; as soon as we pulled into the street, I imagined that Clementino had come untied and fallen down.
Rich, at the wheel, said he'd pull over, but I told him to keep going; I feared a catastrophe if we stopped. After five minutes of sweaty palms and images of disaster, I willed myself to assume that Pony Boy was fine. That was confirmed a minute later when we heard him trumpeting a loud neigh of delight to the surrounding traffic. We arrived safely home, and I promptly had a little drink to calm my nerves.
Clementino's second trailer trip was a bit longer, to a public arena I'd heard about. It was a holiday, and I assumed the arena would be deserted. Rich and I pulled up with mom and junior in tow to discover a mounted shooting contest in action. We parked far off to the side, in a field.
I convinced Rich we needed to walk the horses around to expose Pony Boy to other horses. Rich said nuts to that after walking mama horse a few yards: Usually as placid as a cow, she began prancing and pulling, thinking she was going back to her old horse show days. I insisted on walking Pony Boy - until the neighing between separated mother and son became louder than the gunshots.
On the Trail
It was also time to get Clementino on the trail. Fortunately, my Paso Fino gelding, Alegro, is a wonderful horse to pony from. He's fairly stout and very easygoing. All my horses pony from him - with four horses, I like exercising them two at a time.
I got out my Pony Protector, which I use when I start ponying a horse. One end snaps to the ponied horse's halter, and the other end loops around the saddle horn. There's an emergency-release clip, just in case. The device allows a rider to safely pony a horse while keeping his or her hands relatively free to control the saddle horse, open gates, etc. (It's available for $32.99 from Valley Vet Supply, 800/419-9524; www.valleyvet.com.)
I asked my neighbor and good riding friend, Beverlee, to join us. She and her Quarter horse, Bliss, were invaluable on our first few rides. They pushed Clementino from behind when he refused to follow through narrow openings between cactus - then he'd go merrily on his way.
The Pony Protector keeps the ponied horse at the saddle horse's shoulder. When going single file on narrow desert trails, I graduate to a long lead line that I dally around my saddle horn. As Clementino became accustomed to his pony rides, he began to get a little bored and stir up his own excitement. He'd fall behind and nip Alegro on the flanks, chew on the saddle or his lead line, and grab Alegro's rein in his mouth and pull hard. It was like battling a fly: Alegro would give a half-hearted kick, I'd swat, Alegro would grit his teeth at the little varmint, and I'd yell at Clementino to behave.
Then Beverlee and Bliss would take Pony Boy off our hands for a few minutes. Less tolerant of Clementino's high jinks, the first time Pony Boy nipped at her back legs Bliss let him have it with a full-blown kick. He stopped in stunned amazement, drooped his head a little, then respectfully followed Bliss down the trail, while Beverlee and I laughed that he was finally getting his due.
Thumbs Up!
Clementino's first group outing was to participate in a Tucson Saddle Club clinic to practice being around spooky objects. The only "child" among 18 trail horses, he learned a lot and wasn't even the spookiest horse there. (I'm embarrassed to say that Alegro was worse than Clementino with the tarp.)
Next, we graduated to family outings at nearby Catalina State Park, where I ride Alegro, Clementino ponies beside, and Rich hikes along with us. There, Pony Boy is exposed to backpackers, mountain bikes, and other horses.
Last week, Rich and I invited friends over for a trail ride and barbecue. Beverlee and Bliss ponied Clementino so another person could ride Alegro and I could ride my mare, Natalie. The ride requires crossing a road with fast-moving traffic and limited visibility. Clemntino took it in stride, as he'd practiced it several times before.
Today I took Alegro and Clementino out for a quick trail ride by myself. Passing traffic on our dirt road, no sweat. Going single file between cactus, no sweat. Going downhill over rocks and between boulders, no sweat. Loping side by side in the sandy wash, no sweat. thumbs up, my Pony Boy!
