The Academic Equestrian: Dear Human

Haley figured out that ALL college assignments can be horse-related.

Photo by Haley Ruffner.

In my Language of Literary Art class, we were assigned to write letters to ourselves from our pets — so naturally my letter is from Cricket.

Dear human,

Today was a fun day, just like yesterday. Mom gave me my breakfast and she always gives me the most food, but I can eat it as fast as Diamond. Diamond is grumpy in the morning because she gets less breakfast than everyone else, and sometimes she steals my hay to make up for it. I let her because she is pretty and also because I’m scared of her.

After breakfast, I went outside with all my friends. Jimmy’s legs are stiff in the morning and he eats the slowest, so I go in everyone else’s house and make sure they eat all their breakfast while I wait for him. Mom tries to chase me outside, but I like to wait for Jimmy. He’s my friend.

Mom puts lunch outside for us when there’s no grass. It’s not as good as breakfast but it’s kind of like dry grass that goes in clumps on top of the snow. If I take a nap outside, Diamond eats all my lunch.

I found a new fun thing to do after lunch is gone. Those funny-looking extra coats you make all of us wear have stuff inside of them! It looks like the snow on the ground, only it’s not cold and it’s fluffier. My friend Chance likes to chew on my coat and sometimes it opens up and the fluff comes out! Today was great, Chance took so much of my coat apart that the part over my tail was all fluff! I think he ate the outside part because it was gone. I don’t know why he would do that but I guess he was hungry.

Anyway, when I came inside for dinner I was excited to show Mom! But she did the thing where the fur above her eyes gets really close together and her mouth moves down, and she said my name low like I was in trouble. She didn’t like my coat for some reason, so I’m telling you because I think you will like it.

Love,

Cricket

P.S. I like you extra when you bring me peppermints.

Haley is the author of Horse Nation’s “Academic Equestrian” series, following her collegiate experience as she balances her studies with participation on the varsity equestrian team and time with her own horse. Catch up on past columns by clicking the #ACADEMIC EQUESTRIAN tag at the top of the page!

Haley Ruffner is attending Alfred University, majoring in English and minoring in Business and Equestrian Studies. She has a green Quarter Horse, At Last an Invitation “Cricket,” and he is also “enrolled” at Alfred. She rides western and hunt seat and also loves to rein and trail ride.