August 18, 2016 
“You have a horse?” Your friend enthusiastically inquires.
“Yep!” You reflexively affirm.
You know damn well what’s coming next, and yet, it still somehow catches you off guard.
“Really?! Can I ride him?!”
And there it is. It’s out there and there’s no going back. The entire world is now looking directly at you, watching you squirm, waiting for your answer. Ugh. No one wants to be the fun police but how do you explain to an equine neophyte that this horse of yours is not some bicycle or bag of Doritos trotted out for free samples? They borrow your car all the time, so how do you make them understand that your green thoroughbred cross is not as reliable as your Corolla without sounding like an ass?
“Hello? Did you hear me? Can I ride him or what?”
“Umm, well, you see…here’s the thing about that…”
