B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-O

Bingo is a kid's horse. He stands perfectly still and lets the little ones wrap his legs and brush him and struggle to get the saddle on his back. He lets them lead him to the arena. He rides them around, perfectly calm. They can kick him by accident and he seems to understand they don't really mean it. He never spooks. Never takes off. Never takes a step out of place.

With kids.

With adults, Bingo is a totally different creature. He spooks at will. He hops this way and that way. If the wind blows too hard, he breaks into a canter. He finds the letter E in the dressage arena terrifying. And let's not even talk about how he feels about plastic flowers.

Aubrey is currently leasing Bingo. She was excited to ride this morning, even in the cold, and headed out to the barn, "dressed like the little kid from A Christmas Story."

Her ride went something like this:

Bingo: Hey, we're warming up! Time to spice it up with some cantering?
Aubrey: No.
Bingo: Was that your leg or the wind? Just to be safe... Canter!
Aubrey: No.
Bingo: I think I heard Alexis in the barn thinking about cantering...
Aubrey: No.
Aubrey: Let's jump this crossrail!
Bingo: No.

To be fair to Bingo, he truly is a great horse. He just makes you, if you're an adult, work for it. And if you're a kid, he melts like Valentine's candy.