Copyright 2007. JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE A GREAT RIDER, A SOMEONE IN THE SPORT OF KINGS...A CONTENDER, YOUR HORSE ALWAYS BRINGS YOU RIGHT BACK TO HIS LEVEL Case in point: I was out riding Beasley on the trails around my place. Beasley is my 6-year-old PMU foal who I love desperately. He is a bay TB/QH/Percheron cross with loads of personality. Beasley was looking grand on ther trails, brushed within an inch of his life, clean tack, flowing and glistening tail. Everywhere I passed, people would “ooh” and “aah” at him. I rode through the back way and then over to my horsey neighbor, Jeanne Ryan at Argus Farms. We yakked it up a bit and then I headed home. I have to cut through some very non-horsey people’s yards after leaving her place. Most of these folks are from New York City (we are 55 miles north west of NYC, commutable distance so we are getting new people all the time). These people are enamored when they see a horse walk through their yards and come running out to pet the horse. But, first, as I was riding Beasley out of the woods, there was a man using a chain saw (my John Lyons training!). Yes, Beasley just walked right up to this loud roaring man and his machine! As the man turned around and shut off his machine, I apologized profusely for riding through his property. Just as the profuseness of the apology ended, Beasley dropped the hugest pile of poop right in the middle of this man’s lawn. I was so embarrassed and offered to get off and clean it up. He waived me off. So I cantered off as quickly as I could to get away from this man’s house and the offending pile of poop. I now knew Beasley’s bowels were empty so I can literally make a “clean” get-away past the rest of the neighbor’s lawns. Thank god or so I hoped. So I ride past two other houses filled with non-horsey NY’ers. They run out with their children, crying and screaming, “Horsey! Horsey!”. Beasley stands there proudly. “Can I touch him?” they ask. And I, feeling grand, say “Ye-isss, of course.” and I point with my crop to various parts of Beasley’s body where they can touch him. More people come out of other houses. There is quite a group around Beasley. All are remarking at his fabulous coat, wonderful personality and how I can control such a big and firey steed! “Ye-iss,” I say, “It takes years of dedicated riding and hours of experience.” On and on I went pontificating! Then I bid my farewells and decide I am going to make a splash and whirl away from the group and trot off over the hill on Beasley. Beasley has emptied his bowels, so what could go wrong? Well, he passes gas all the way up the hill ... in ... time ... loudly....with ...each... trot....ting...step..... If he had let out one loud blast, it would have been over and done with and I would have been away and gone. But no! The utmost of humilations has to last with each footfall! And it’s a loud, raucous blast to each step of his trot that seemed to go on ...and ....on.... and on.... until I was over the hill and away. Instead of an ending farewell of NY’ers talking about how grand Beasley is, they end up talking about his bowels and gas. How humilitating! I’m sure that ended up getting blabbed around at the water coolers...How this horse “blasted” away....Oh my! JUNE V. EVERS is a 40-year plus horse person who readily admits to humilation from her horses when confronted with it. She adopted a Premarin baby at 18 months, named Beasley, which she is training to do....hmm, I do not know what but he is going to be good at it. He is currently 9 years old. June is also an author of eight horse books: The Original Book of Horse Treats, The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse, Anyone Can Draw Horses, Horse Lover’s Birthday Book, The Wonderful Life of Lola, The Squeamish Person’s Guide to Pulling Your Horse’s Mane, Mazes & Connect the Dots Volume 1 Horses and The Horse of My Dreams. She owns Horse Hollow Press. When not working, she is trail riding all over or attending clinics with Beasley. www.horsehollowpress.com |
