Calvin Coolidge and I: How We
Spent the Day on March 4, 1925 (Cont.)
Screen 4 of 7

Soon we were all ready. Lindsey got into the right side of the rather small seat and held the reins while I tied on the fishing poles at that side, sticking their small ends under and through the hame straps. Bonnie did not seem to like this arrangement, but it all looked so neat and simple we thought it must be right. After all, what could a pony--especially just a three--year old pony--possibly know about fishing poles, harness, a racing cart, or even about going fishing? Surely, two smart eighth-graders could manage such an easy project by themselves!

Well, I climbed up into the seat on the left side, took the reins from Lindsey, who by that time was quite relieved to get rid of them, and said to Bonnie with what I thought was a tone of considerable authority, "Giddyup," following the command with a cluck of my tongue, as I had heard my older brother do frequently with this same pony.

At first, there was dead silence and no movement. Then several things seemed to happen all at once. Bonnie turned her head slightly to the left--just enough for me to see the large whites of her eyes--laid back her ears covered with matted winter fur, and then bolted forward with such a lurch that Lindsey and I were thrown suddenly against the back of the seat, our heads snapping back even farther into a position which today would probably be called a whiplash. With no doctor there thus to diagnose the damage, however, we recovered quickly, but not until after I had lost my hold of the reins which had by then fallen over the front of the cart and down to the shafts below. Instinctively, I retrieved the reins as we swiftly moved out of the barnyard, but not before Bonnie had taken the bridle bit firmly between her teeth. So, even though I had control again of the reins, I certainly did not have control of Bonnie. My pulling and jerking on the reins had absolutely no effect on this spirited and frightened pony. She was in command, and she knew it.

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