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Age - A numeric value which is directly proportional to the time it takes to heal up from getting bucked off.

I guess nice weather brings out the stupid in me. The other day it got up to about 65 degrees, sunny and calm. Not bad after bein in the 30’s and windy. I had worked the night before at my “real” job but I caught a couple hours sleep after taking care of the horses in the morning. Be a good time to get out and ride somethin before going back to the job.

So there’s “Bandit”, my 2 yo Paint gelding out there in the lot looking bored. I’ll bet he’s just waitin for me to come saddle him up. Slap on a saddle, bridle and the spurs…here we go.

The front yard looks like a good place to get out in the open a little and just do some simple stuff. First we’ll de-energize that big ol magnet pullin us back to the barn. Ok he remembers that, time to light a cigarette. After showin off a few of his dance moves things settle down and we get relaxed.

We’re burnin daylight, time to get goin. Walk some nice easy circles. Ahhh, the neck is good, we’re gettin somewhere. Try a little trot. Oops we’re a little fresh, head goes toward the sky. A few shakes on the snaffle and things are looking good again. By gosh we might just have a goodun here.

Sun is shinin down just calling out for a lope. Make sure everything is right…reins feel good, nice centered seat, neck is looking good. Just a touch of the outside spur ought do it.

What we hadn’t worked into our program is that the sun shines on “Blue”, our Blue Heeler dog, too. Blue figured this would be a good time to play a little tag with Bandit. Just about the time that spur found it’s mark Blue come up behind Bandit and gave him a bark.

Well, Bandit knows it ain’t but a few weeks until the NFR. He figured this be a good time to let me know I should be hauling him to Vegas and get him entered in the saddle bronc event. I really doubt I made 8 seconds so maybe he’s right.

After picking up my hat and making sure no body parts were layin on the ground, I went over and caught Bandit who took the opportunity to munch on some grass. Now we gotta see how much my stupidity set our training back. Swing a leg back over and see how things feel. No tension, that’s a good sign. A few circles and the neck is still nice and soft. A little weight shift and we come to a decent stop. Shake the reins and add a little leg…the neck melts and we take a few steps back. Get a little trot going and things still look good.

Let’s see, where’s that dog? Probably scared him off when I showed him how I could fly. Time for the lope again. Ahh yes, gotta love Bandit’s lope. A fella could ride that all day long.

Pull the tack off and hang up the spurs. Brush Bandit off some, check his feet and get him a little somethin to eat. Then I get to go to work while he tells the other horses rodeo stories.