Remember my entry about the "Good Horse"? Well now, for contrast we have the "Cheeky Pony".
I put Bess and Dingo out onto the driveway. The driveway has the front gate, which gives access from the road onto our property, and the garden gate, which allows access to the garden around the house.
Normally I don't shut either gate, and I generally don't have a problem with horses wandering off the property, although they do wander into the garden where the grass is even sweeter. However, recently, Dingo has been sneaking into the garden at a gallop, so I closed the garden gate.
When I walked back out to check on them, I saw Bess grazing on the driveway, very close to the front gate, and lo and behold, Dingo was standing on alert out the front of the property. Yes - on the shoulder of the road. (It's a very quiet, no through road.)
So, keeping calm, and trying to amble, rather than walk purposefully, headstall in hand, I made my way towards the two horses. Dingo saw me coming, perhaps Bess did too, although she kept munching the grass without interruption.
Dingo knew he shouldn't be out there. He pricked his ears and trotted back to Bess. "Oh, phew!", I thought. "Good pony." But, cheekiness was written all over his face "quick she's coming, we've got to go now" he said to Bess, took two bites of grass, and headed back out of the gate.
Bess took another two munches of grass, pricked her ears, and slowly, but surely followed Dingo. Dingo, feeling confident now that he had "a following", trotted with alacrity towards the sunset. My heart sunk. The cheeky pony! Not only does he have the cheek to run out the front gate, but he's got accomplices! Well, an accomplice.
By now, my friendly amble had changed to a very purposeful march, and my hand had tightened around that headstall. Luckily, Bess took a few steps, then put her head down to munch the grass. I put the headstall around her, gave Dingo one disgusted look, and walked Bess back onto our land.
Dingo, judging that the game was over, trotted back, following Bess through the gate. Needless to say, the gate was then shut.
