Growing up with Mom and Bucky

Growing up with Mom and Bucky

Bucky was my pony of the 1950’s,  His show name (even tho he only went one time) was Mighty Mouse because he was mouse grey with a black stripe from his ears down the middle of his back to his tail. But we called him Bucky for a good reason.

 

The first cartoon illustrates it pretty well of how it went.

I came across these cartoons of a girl and her pony Lucy and jumping.  They brought back memories.. not sure if you call them fond ones.

Bucky and I were told by my mother, that we had a mission.. to be coming champion jumping duo at the horse show.  So we were sent out to practice, practice… practice.  Jumping over jumps TOGETHER. The together part was a debatable as it was a 50/50 deal. Me, being the over the jump part 50%  and the not over 99% of the time was Bucky, who was not into this so much.

One time after watching from the house.. my mother stomped outside into the ring.  Signally me to come ASAP!! Meaning NOW!!  She has me get off and then she got on. Off at a full gallop, and at the top of the ring, they came down towards the two jumps at a dead run.  AND THEN..Bucky put on his brakes and Mom went flying and cussing  It was so bad, that Bucky got spooked and dragged Mom back across the jump and across the ring….  I had to give her 10 points for hanging on to the reins. (letting go of reins in her book was a major sin, that I broke a couple of times.. and learn quickly..NEVER EVER LET GO OF THE REINS)… AND she did it well.  He stopped beside me.  She stood up and was spitting out dirt… got back on… and back to the top of the ring. Around the corner they went..down to the jump…with Mom yelling at him. And Bucky putting on the brakes once again.. with Mom on his neck and then the ground.  After two more times repeats, she comes back to me..  tells me to get on and go jump the jump. Now I am not a fool but I am caught between a very pissed off mother and bull headed pony.  Neither one of us is  in to this… but off to a full canter, like at a race track.. who do we see coming across the ring with a whip in hand… yep, Mom    She is going to get this pony and her kid to jump that jump even if it kills one of us.

As we approach the jump.. I hear a snap of the whip.. this time Bucky figured it was in his best interest to jump the jump and he did. And because I was snuggled in his neck.. I went with him.. not the most graceful jump .. but we made it.  We had to go over the second jump.  Then Mom was satisfied that she had won…and went back in the house.

Each time we went out to practice jumping, Mom raised the bar from 2 feet to 3.6… meaning 3 feet 6inches..  We were so sloppy at it.. (really we did try hard to do it right..) no wrath like my mother’s. Anyway.. she gave up.. I think it was because she didn’t want us in a show ring and embarrass her in front of all her horse buddies.. that this disgrace of horsemanship was related to her.

Bucky and I were very happy.. and went back to our rides thru the tree nursery.  Where we would stop by the canel..  I would lay on my back in the grass ..looking at clouds in the sky and Bucky got to eat grass.