Wrong Side Of The Stall

Somedays, Autumn just gets up on the wrong side of the stall.  On those wrong side of the stall mornings, I know without turning on the lights that she's having one.  Her glare pierces through the morning darkness striking up the "oh great!" feeling inside me. 

Just give me a cookie and no one will get hurt.

There is no nicker on these mornings, no friendly nuzzles.  It's strictly get me my food to her or else!!!  What's or else?  Thumping her giant hooves against her stall so hard that the entire barn rattles and shutters making the automatic waterers cough out their water.  I bet she has registered a 4.8 on the Richter scale when she has had her monthly visitor in town and I haven't been quick enough serving her breakfast.  I don't waste any time making a behavior teaching lesson out of this.  It's not worth it.  I just get her breakfast.  I don't even bother to brush her on these days.  I just do my barn chores as she scowls at me in between snatches of hay. 
It's not just me that she gives the scowl to.  It's every horse in the barn.  If Willy, the gelding in the stall across from her, is in she'll just stare at him all night long with her ears pinned back.  Unfortunately, Autumn's plan of making him feel like crap about himself backfires because Willy seems to be into that hate/love sort of thing.  He just looks at her with hearts dancing in his eyes.

I skip the riding on these days.  Riding on these days is never one of those magical blog worthy moments.

Autumn having a "that time of the month" ride

When she's finished eating, I walk her to the pasture down the quickest path possible.  It's not an easy task walking an 1850 pound PMS-ing, ears cocked back with eyes flaming cookie monster filly.  Relieved when I reach the gate, I take off her halter, give her a cookie that she almost rips my arm off for and then she thanks me with the  "that's it?" death stare.  Still alive but shaky after that if looks could kill moment, she will stomp way her past me giving me the old tail swish right in the face as she bitches her way across the pasture and through the herd.  I don't mind going to work on these days and even make it there a little early.

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