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An adventure (that I did not need)
Dec. 4th, 2008 10:21 amOh, but I guess it's worth the story. I rode Dancer the day before yesterday. I haven't been on him in over a month due to a mix of inclement weather and wanting quiet rides when I was at the stable...Dancer is fantastic, but he is a baby, and as I'm about to demonstrate, babies do screwy things sometimes, through no fault of their own.
Dancer was *very happy* to be out; he has a great attitude and enjoys exploring, and I swear that he gives me a pouty you-hurt-my-feelings look when I ride Tami. This time, it almost seemed like he was making a point of being extra good. An example of this was the two very small water crossings (less than fetlock deep) which he had only traversed a couple of times before, with much snorting and baby-horse skittishness. Crossing water is one of those things that you need to expect them to have a little nervousness about, at least at first. He blew at the streams a bit, but crossed them easily...looking back at me after each one, as if to make certain that I noticed he hadn't gotten upset about it.
When I rode him up to the river, it was only to let him have a drink and a look at the thing. I had no intention of asking him to cross it until next summer. However, he got his look, which included the trail on the other side, apparently, and decided of his own volition that he wanted across. I certainly didn't want to discourage his enthusiasm, so I let him do it.
The Russian River at this point is about belly-deep on him (waist high on me; Dancer is a small horse/large pony) and has stable footing, but there is a current. When Dancer felt it, he shied and tried to turn too quickly. When he gets frustrated, he does the little half-rear that Dressage people train into the piaffe, but which in this case caused him to unbalance and go over sideways. Me with him, of course. For a couple of seconds, I was pinned under the water by the flat of his shoulder, and a forehoof grazed my cheekbone as he struggled to get up. I had enough time to think, "oh shit, I may be about to get really hurt here" before he got off me and out of the river. I picked my sopping self out as my cell phone vibrated its death throes in my back pocket. Dancer was waiting for me on the bank, standing quietly and looking contrite.
Once I had determined that neither of us was injured, I reassured him and led him back across the river. Didn't want that to be the last thing he remembered about it, and hey, I was already soaked, so why not. I stood with him in the middle of the current until he got his bearings...watching him think about it and test his footing, watching him learn, was really fantastic. Once across, we checked out the trail for a bit, but turned back quickly because, clad in soaked denim, I was starting to shiver. He was disappointed and put up token resistance to turning back. It was really cute.
Dancer re-crossed the river carefully and flawlessly, rider intact. There were no further incidents. Have I mentioned that I love this horse? Because I really, really love this horse. Despite dumping me in the river, which wasn't his fault at all, he is made of awesome.
AT&T replaced my phone, which was due an upgrade anyhow. My prescription was 2 years out of date, so yesterday I bit the bullet, got a new eye exam and ordered glasses, which always makes me nervous, grumpy and oddly wounded. (My eyes are actually pretty good compared to many, but I hate x1000 that I have to wear glasses at all and I am not good with having my eyes messed with. It isn't a logic thing). My left cheekbone is pretty sore, but somehow, probably owing to the arnica I have been slathering on it, has managed not to turn black and green yet. I hope it doesn't; I'm planning on attending Dickens faire the weekend after next and don't want to be all bruisy.
Yeah, if the worst I have to worry about after an unplanned equestrian river swim in December is new glasses and how I'm going to look next week, I think I did OK. Thanks, Dancer. You're a great horse.
Dancer was *very happy* to be out; he has a great attitude and enjoys exploring, and I swear that he gives me a pouty you-hurt-my-feelings look when I ride Tami. This time, it almost seemed like he was making a point of being extra good. An example of this was the two very small water crossings (less than fetlock deep) which he had only traversed a couple of times before, with much snorting and baby-horse skittishness. Crossing water is one of those things that you need to expect them to have a little nervousness about, at least at first. He blew at the streams a bit, but crossed them easily...looking back at me after each one, as if to make certain that I noticed he hadn't gotten upset about it.
When I rode him up to the river, it was only to let him have a drink and a look at the thing. I had no intention of asking him to cross it until next summer. However, he got his look, which included the trail on the other side, apparently, and decided of his own volition that he wanted across. I certainly didn't want to discourage his enthusiasm, so I let him do it.
The Russian River at this point is about belly-deep on him (waist high on me; Dancer is a small horse/large pony) and has stable footing, but there is a current. When Dancer felt it, he shied and tried to turn too quickly. When he gets frustrated, he does the little half-rear that Dressage people train into the piaffe, but which in this case caused him to unbalance and go over sideways. Me with him, of course. For a couple of seconds, I was pinned under the water by the flat of his shoulder, and a forehoof grazed my cheekbone as he struggled to get up. I had enough time to think, "oh shit, I may be about to get really hurt here" before he got off me and out of the river. I picked my sopping self out as my cell phone vibrated its death throes in my back pocket. Dancer was waiting for me on the bank, standing quietly and looking contrite.
Once I had determined that neither of us was injured, I reassured him and led him back across the river. Didn't want that to be the last thing he remembered about it, and hey, I was already soaked, so why not. I stood with him in the middle of the current until he got his bearings...watching him think about it and test his footing, watching him learn, was really fantastic. Once across, we checked out the trail for a bit, but turned back quickly because, clad in soaked denim, I was starting to shiver. He was disappointed and put up token resistance to turning back. It was really cute.
Dancer re-crossed the river carefully and flawlessly, rider intact. There were no further incidents. Have I mentioned that I love this horse? Because I really, really love this horse. Despite dumping me in the river, which wasn't his fault at all, he is made of awesome.
AT&T replaced my phone, which was due an upgrade anyhow. My prescription was 2 years out of date, so yesterday I bit the bullet, got a new eye exam and ordered glasses, which always makes me nervous, grumpy and oddly wounded. (My eyes are actually pretty good compared to many, but I hate x1000 that I have to wear glasses at all and I am not good with having my eyes messed with. It isn't a logic thing). My left cheekbone is pretty sore, but somehow, probably owing to the arnica I have been slathering on it, has managed not to turn black and green yet. I hope it doesn't; I'm planning on attending Dickens faire the weekend after next and don't want to be all bruisy.
Yeah, if the worst I have to worry about after an unplanned equestrian river swim in December is new glasses and how I'm going to look next week, I think I did OK. Thanks, Dancer. You're a great horse.
