The end of summer was fast approaching, and this year’s show season proved just as mediocre as last year’s, although Moonshine and I did advance one level. Carol insisted that her students first have fun with their horses, and then let that show in the competition arena. She must have sensed my and a few others’ disappointment at again not qualifying for the Regional Championships, because she organized a group trail ride, including all of her thirty students (she was the busiest trainer at the farm, even busier than Gunilla). We would load our horses into all of the farm’s trailers and those boarders who had their own trucks and trailers would bring them as well. Moonshine now walked into any trailer, following in step right behind me. I think he liked to travel and see new places; or maybe he craved all of the extra attention he got when we went away. After all, at shows I would spend the entire day with him since we usually stayed at a hotel nearby. When we weren’t showing, I only saw him for a few hours, three days a week. I’m sure he realized that any time he got into a trailer, it meant we would spend all day together, with some competing thrown in. It was ideal for both of us.
Our trail riding destination was only a quick, half-hour drive away. As soon as we got there, I jumped out of Jean’s car, since she had offered to drive me, to be one of the first to get my horse out of the big, six horse trailer.
I led Moony out of the trailer, and easily slipped on his bridle after all the horses had been unloaded. He was calm and confident, unlike many of the other horses, who were animated by the new surroundings. Moonshine was the only horse that kept his head low, so that I could make the usual adjustments to his bridle. He was totally unimpressed and unaffected by the other horses’ whinnies, and anxious hopping around. It was only when I positioned myself to get on, that I learned he was just containing himself—just as I slipped my foot into the stirrup, he trotted off with me hanging off his side! I grabbed his mane with my left hand, pulled my body up, and threw my right leg over his back. I yanked him to a stop with the reins. Nora was in front and had witnessed my graceless mounting spectacle.
“I guess Moony’s ready to go!” she hollered.
“As always, with or without me!” I laughed back, now that I was adjusted in the saddle. I could only imagine how hilarious I looked trying to climb onto Moonshine’s back as he happily trotted off.
Moonshine loved to be the leader of any group, and hated when a horse walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him or passed him. He especially hated when a bigger horse was anywhere near him. If any such larger horse ever dared to approach Moonshine, he would pin his ears back, bare his teeth, and dive into an attack. I was usually quick enough to pull the reins in the other direction, so he hardly ever got to actually bite his would-be victim.
On this particular day, however, he was surrounded by warmbloods, all of which had strides twice as long as his own. He couldn’t keep up with them. We eventually fell to the back of the long line of horses. To my surprise, Moony wasn’t rushing to stay with the herd, he seemed to enjoy being alone with me at the end of the line. I trusted him so much, that I let him have the rein, riding with loops, and dropped my feet out of the stirrups.
Carol turned to see where we were and when she saw that Moony and I were at the end of the line and not rushing to stay close to the pack like everyone else, she called, “Are you guys relaxed enough back there? Do you want a piña colada or something, Victoria?”
“I’m good for now, maybe later though!” I called back to her.
It was getting hot and we were approaching a clearing, which was the small beach of a lake. When all of the horses saw that the land in front of them disappeared into water, they spooked. As the line of horses came up to the water, each shied away from it and ran back to the trail. But when Moonshine saw the water, his ears perked up and he charged through the crowd of horses. He shoved his way through, and ran right into the water. Instantly, my horse was submerged in water up to his shoulders, and my boots and saddle were in the lake with him. But that wasn’t good enough. Moony insisted on swimming to the middle of the lake! When he got shoulder deep, I pulled him back, and then he started pawing and turning, like he always did, before he was about to roll. Then, everyone started screaming, “Get out! Get out! He’s going to roll!”
Carol kicked her horse as hard as she could to come in and help me, but her horse reared up and ran backwards.
“Victoria, he’s going to ROLL! GET OUT OF THE WATER!” she yelled.
“I’m TRYING!” I was caught somewhere between amusement and genuine concern. I was worried because everyone else was visibly agitated. But seeing how determined Moony was to roll in water just struck me as hilarious. I kind of wanted to let him roll since he was so determined and I figured it would make him happy. But I had once read in one of my horse magazines that if horses go under water, they can’t hold their breath like humans, since their nostrils are so huge, and they might drown. So, I reconsidered letting Moony have his way. Plus, everyone was screaming at us to get out of the water.
But Moony was just as stubborn today as he was on every other day. The harder I pulled on the reins to direct him back to the beach, the further into the lake he went! So now the water was above my knees, and quickly going up my thighs. Moony was gleefully in shoulder-deep, and heading for deeper water. I was kicking him as hard as I could, and pulling his head one way or another, any direction but straight ahead. Finally, when I saw the water rise to my thigh level, a wave of strength took over my limbs. My right arm whipped his head to the right, and just as I got his head turned, my legs kicked with such force that I created a wave under the water. Moonshine was infuriated that I thwarted his plans to go deep sea diving, so he angrily about-faced and charged the beach—where everyone else was standing! He slashed through the herd of horses, and tore back on the trail. I sat back and pulled the reins with my whole body, and he stopped short. Then, he shook off like a dog.
“Good thing you don’t have expensive tack!” Carol joked as she trotted her horse up to Moonshine.
“He’s so mad right now!” I laughed to Carol, pointing at his ears, flat on his head, and the menacing head-tossing and gnashing teeth he was threatening Carol’s horse with.
Moonshine’s antics on that trail ride were the talk of the farm for a while after that.