Blogging from #AtoZChallenge - Reflexive pronouns and Royal

Reflexive pronouns have -self or -selves at the end. They are often misused. To be used properly, they must follow a proper noun or pronoun and refer directly to it.

Examples:
I should have shot myself for agreeing to ride Royal on his first endurance ride.
Barb felt too exhausted to compete in the ride she'd signed herself up for the previous day.

Reflexive pronouns must also be used in the correct form. Be careful not to mix forms - themself. (like your editor would let you get away with that!)

Singular: myself                           Plural: ourselves
Singular: yourself                         Plural: yourselves
Singular: himself, herself, itself   Plural: themselves

Royal is a purebred arab gelding that we found at the same barn as Pride. Someone had tried to use him as an endurance horse, but as she put it, he lawn-darted her. When I test rode him, a mare and filly were wandering the property and Royal kept grunting at them and threating to buck. Never did figure out what that was all about.

We brought him home and tried to figure him out. We managed to contact his breeder and get his registration transferred to us. A trainer friend tried to work with him, but he scared her off - literally. She'd fling off every time he humped up to buck. She also insisted on working him in the arena and many arabs just aren't interested in circles. I suggested she take him on the trail, but she was afraid. She gave up, I didn't have time, so he got to enjoy pasture for a year.

Finally, I had some time and my husband needed a new horse. We took Royal on the trail and he did great. But he would occasionally act weird, hump up and refuse to go forward. We'd eventually find a reason: an abscess in his hoof, a sore back, pure laziness. We addressed everything we found and had some success with him. But he always had my husband's number. Hubby is a sweet guy who doesn't want a horse to be unhappy. So every time Royal would refuse (something silly like the hill leading off our property), he'd get off and lead. Just like the trainer had. Royal got that trick all figured out.

We finally decided Royal didn't like doing the miles and speed we enjoy although he'd turned into a nice trail horse. I got him over getting away with refusing (took a twenty minute fight, I won) and he became a wonderful horse for a lady who lived in the mountains and just liked to wander around.

I think it's important for animals and their owners to be a good match, don't you? Or in the case of cats, people and their overlords.