If you watch the above video you'll understand the second part of my title. Ms. Denali! You know better than that!! When I showed up at the barn today to grab my helmet Ms. Slew was quietly grazing down her field as fast as possible. I started walking over to her when she reared up and started kicking out and then bucking. I thought, WTF! I didn't know what to do! She started running around bucking and rearing. Then I saw it!! It was about an inch long and the largest freaking Horse Fly I've ever seen. It just wouldn't leave her alone, so I grabbed her halter and took her inside. She was very calm once I got her out of there, but I had visions of her breaking a leg during her little bucking fit. She didn't seem any lamer than normal and no heat or swelling. Wheww!! That video was taken about 3 hours later. The only thing I can imagine is Denali has figured out that "Hey, it doesn't hurt when I run anymore." No Denali, it doesn't but if you would just NOT run, that would be awesome!
I asked my trainer to turn Denali out with her halter on just in case she freaked out and needed to be caught quickly. It's a break away, fits her great, and we've had it for 2 years, but she managed to somehow in the two days I wasn't around to lose all the hair on the right side of her face. The only thing I can figure out is that her face was itchy due to heat, and she kept scratching it. Needless to say, no halter was put on today. Nice Denali, make me look like an abusive horse owner. No one is going to give you any treats!!
I had my first lesson with the woman I work for (the Grand Prix lady with the Giant Warmbloods.) It went really well, but I was really embarrassed!! I've never ridden a horse with such HUGE movement! I kept laughing, even at the trot I was exhausted!! I was obsessively in love with the saddle. I felt like I was seat belted into the horse. I think it was an Albion? I want whatever it was!! We tried to canter, but I just couldn't stay balanced enough (plus the laughing didn't help!) I'm always tense when I ride, which became even more apparent when sitting on a horse who swings his whole body as he trots. Now I understand the concept of your legs being like wet towels. She told me I'm way to hard on myself and need to give myself credit. We worked on 20 meter circles and transitions. Good lesson, but it is going to take a while to get use to riding Mr. Monster. (Love him though! Super sweet, willing, and safe!)
After my lesson I went to the barn to get ready for a dressage show we're going to this weekend. I am signed up to do Intro A, but then found out that Ophie's mom's boyfriend is doing Intro B too. I mean, I may suck at doing it, but I just tried to sign up for that too. I wonder if I should put a little badge on my saddle pad that says "Sponsored by My Mom" Nah, that would be too embarrassing!!
Trying to get the morgan to break at the poll and collect is just PLAIN HARD! We worked on that tonight, but she just wants to throw her head up. I know I need to sit deeper into my seat and make sure I'm constantly working. As soon as she thinks I've taken a break she quits. Doesn't work out so well!
Hope you enjoy the video of Ms. Slew! I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures of her. I had planned on it, but she traumatized me with her running around so we went inside to her safe, no room for running, stall. Sorry for my crazy voice! She scared me, :).
How lame does she look?? Heal Denali HEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 comments:
Awww, that's too cute! I love to see horses who are actually happy to see their owners, lol.
Your bug story reminds me of one of my own not too long ago...
The barn I worked at had stalls that opened up to the pasture, so when I mucked I was able to keep an eye on the horses in the pasture.
One day, one of the mares breaks away from the herd (which was happily grazing at this point) and came tearing up the field towards the barn, and the other horses barely noticed she'd left.
So I'm like "What the..." as she's not really slowing down as she was getting a lot closer to the barn.
She came in bucking and spazzing, it's a good thing I had the lower half of the door closed or I would have had her in my lap.
Before I know it, she's tearing back to the herd, and I saw a HUGE fly or something smack dab in the middle of her back, and she was too fat to get her tail to reach that particular spot. I see it fly off, I had no idea where it went.
Until five minutes later, an even fatter gelding came racing back to the barn! He was a little more cool-headed, he stopped bucking long enough for me to jump out of the stall and flick it off his back.
This time, I was keeping a closer eye on where the sucker went. It was kind of buzzing around for a minute and made a couple of goes at the gelding a couple of times before I smacked his butt to make him run away.
Not keeping my eye off the fly from hell, I whip off my boot and start hopping around on one foot chasing this thing until it landed on the barn and I smacked the crap out of it.
Once it dropped off the wall to the ground, I smooshed it again for good measure, and just to make sure, I gave it a hearty whack with the salt block as well.
So of course my boss was driving up the driveway as this transpired, she just about peed her pants, lol!
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Awww I love the video! She is still as gorgeous as ever :)
Glad your lesson went well. It's fun to ride other horses!!
Oh, I think she looks good! :)
So YES those flies are out by us too, EARLY might I add. Laz had one on his face and was freaking out. How do our babies survive w/o us?! LOL!
I want pictures of you riding or better yet, VIDEO on Mr. Monster...I can imagine his beauty!!!
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