My owner was inspired by the idea of my white dress. As it was once worn by nuns, Miss Bern decided that the ‘chaste and reverent’ look was suitable for me. She bought me another dress, all in black. She will be taking a long trip soon, and told me that this is how I will remain dressed during her absence. Miss Bern wants to be sure of my safety and my good behavior during her long absence; therefore, I will not be a pony while she is away. Just as was done in times of old, I shall spend my time (the time during my owner’s holiday) in quiet contemplation… as a nun.

I will be, at times, allowed in the house with My owner. She wants me to look pretty for her, and she bought me the most beautiful antique dress. I was told that it was worn my a nun in ceremonies more than 200 years ago. It makes me feel so beautiful, all the laces and silks. It also makes me a little nervous wearing it. I don’t want to damage it. I will have to be very careful with everything I do in this wonderful dress. When I went into the house with her, without hooves, without a bridle, without a harness, I felt a little bit lost. In some ways, it just did not seem right that I, a pet, should be dressed as a human being. In other ways, I loved the feeling. I like looking pretty for my owner, even if it means I have to adjust again to human ways of doing things. I am not sure how often it will happen, me being in the house like this, but I do treasure the time spent there. I feel very warm and happy inside.

Carting, carting, and yet more carting. My muscles grow sore and tired, but I know they are getting stronger. Each day, after training, I return to my stall with throbbing legs and an aching back. I am tired… but it is a good kind of tired. It comes from the satisfaction of a good day’s work.
We are doing carting on the racing track. It is much more difficult than carting on the leisure tracks around the ranch. On the racing track, the turns are much tighter, and come more quickly. My respones to the reins must be immediate and accurate, otherwise we hit the walls. I am becoming better. My owner is doing such a good job teaching me, and I am proud, oh so proud, to be learning from her. Under her guidance, I grow, day by day… becoming a better pony. It makes me so happy.

More training on the cart again today. I think that Miss Bern will not be happy, will not be satisfied, until I am as perfect as I can be. I do not blame her. She deserves only the best from her pet.
Unfortunately, I am still making many mistakes. Twice today, we ended up in the water. Its very embarrassing, very shameful to make mistakes bad enough to send the cart flying off the track and into the tide. As the water soaked into my hooves, I could feel redness rise up in my cheeks; I was glad that they were covered my the cloth she tied around my face.
I am, I must admit, learning. I am becoming better at responding rapidly to her commands. It is becoming more instictive, almost automatic. That’s the way it should be. I focus on nothing else but what the reins are telling me. They are my connection to her: my lifeline. I don’t know how we were able to cart without them before.

Today, for carting practice, my owner decided to use the reins for my racing bridle. It took me a bit of time to get used to the way the leather straps tugged at my bridle, but I eventually was able to adjust. It takes a great deal of concentration and focus on my part, but, then again, what else do I have to focus on other than her commands? They are the center of my world.
She is taking a firm, but gentle hand with me on this part of my training. There is no slacking. There is no time for play. She wants me to cart for her, and to cart well. For my part, I do as I am told. I strive to be better. Her words of praise are enough to keep me going, even through the most difficult parts of my training.

A peaceful day spent alone in my stall….. darkness and solitude…. Sometimes they are my friends.

The reins are difficult. It is hard to learn just how to read the nuances of every little pull of the leather straps. Sometimes I feel that Miss Bern shows me more patience than I deserve. I make too many mistakes. At times it is frustrating; at times it gives me a headache. We practice and practice, and I become tired. I want to do well. I persevere.

I live upon a vast rolling sea of blackness.
I am tossed, to and fro, on a dark ship
Which has, within its hold
A cage with bars of twilight
And chains forged of shade.
That is the place she allows me to dwell.
Her arms enfold me, like shadows before the dawn.
She is my cage.
She is night, itself.

Today, we worked with the new reins that Marine gave to Miss Bern. I must admit, that they worked quite well, especially for cart-pulling. THe slightest little tug, and my head is turned, pulling me in the direction my owner wants me to take her. When there is a little tug, I know to stop. When she snaps the reins, I know to go forward. I like the new reins very much, as they are gentle ones.
Not only was I kept blind for our carting, but I was also fitted with my earmuffs, the form-fitting ones that block out all sounds. I could not even hear the clop-clop-clopping of my hooves that I have grown so accustomed to. I had to rely entirely on the gentle tugs of the reins to let me know where to go.
While the reins worked quite well, I did make a lot of mistakes. It’s hard getting used to pulling a cart: bearing all that weight, keeping the stance straight and the legs high and proud. I do the best that I can. It is all I can do. Even then, there are accidents.
I pulled the cart too far in one direction today, and sent us spilling down over a hillside toward the ocean. I did my best to keep my owner safe, struggling and pulling until she was safely out of the cart and guiding my carefully back up to the trail. I will have to be more mindlul of her commands in the future. THe last thing I want is for her to be hurt.

My owner fitted me with one of my difficult blindfolds today, the one I like the least. I always feel so lost and confused in this particular one. I feel that, even as I listen and try to follow her voice and footfalls, I am stumbling about drunkenly, weaving and spinning in circles. Luckily, she attaches my leash to my collar, so I do not stumble too far. I am thankful for that, else I may get myself into trouble
My pony friend Shirin came to visit with us today. It was ever so nice to hear the shound of her whinny again. It brought a smile to my face. Shirin helped me practice with my blindfold by leading me around the Ranch. It was very very kind of her. I think we made and entire circuit of the island before we stopped. When we were done, We played a little game of tag on the polo field, where I tried to catch Shirin and Miss Bern. It was fun, but, of course, I never did catch them. I liked hearing them giggle as I ran after them.
My owner took Shirin on her first few runs though our new steeple course, the one that runs through the mountains. Shirin wanted me to follow them, but my owner knew that I would just get in the way. She had me kneel and wait for them. SHe told Shirin that I had all the time in the world. That I liked to wait. I knelt there for a long time waiting. Maybe what she said was true. Pets do that: they wait.