Memoirs of a Riding Instructor

One of my parents came to me shortly after the fourth of July and confessed she had “tried” to have a quiet Fourth of July holiday. They are the proud owners of a large hound dog. And when I say large, I mean large, with a howling bark that could wake the dead. Whenever I go over there to teach, the dogs starts bellowing until I go over and say hello. Then he’ll let me teach my lesson in reasonable silence. Blue is a great dog with a an even better set of lungs.             Kathy, the mom, being ex military runs her home like a well run machine. She marches her petite 5’2”  frame through life, keeping her two daughters and husband in line and on schedule.             With the 4 th of July coming up, she wisely went to her local vet to get some acepromazine, a mild animal sedative for Blue. She figured it would keep the dog from getting stressed out during the fir...