FMNM Blog Hop: The Fear

Don't laugh at my 2 minute drawing. It works!

My lovely bloggers. I want to know something. I don't know why, but I do. I want to know:

What has been the most fearful moment you have ever experienced with a horse?

It could be while riding, on the ground, with your horse, with somebody else's horse, etc.

Love for No Fear Baby.

I just want to know, because, why not? If you are still struggling with whatever happened and don't want to think about it, that is perfectly fine. If you don't really have a story but your friend does, share that one. Or just see what others have been through. I'll go first.

Rothstein at Golden Gate. Kind of looks like Bobby!

I can't think of too many times that I have been really scared shit-less on a horse. But I do know which moment takes the cake. It was my first year galloping racehorses on the track. I rode a scrawny guy that we were slowly trying to get back into health and shape. Our trainer, E, thought I could hold him because he was not the fittest creature, but damnit, that bastard liked to run. I would mostly back track (jog on the outside rail backwards) him because every time we turned around to gallop, he would take off. And I would just sit there and hold on until he got tired (which was pretty quick) and then pull him up.

Had to take Rothy in a citation bit. It's the bit choice for super strong horses or runoffs...

I liked this little Rothstein horse. He wasn't super attractive, just a plain little bay. He was sweet as pie to tack up or groom or bathe, and never did anything super silly under saddle. He just wanted to run. Well, today was the day. I was going to hold him for a gallop. I was prepared. My fitness was increasing. I wanted to give it a try. The trainer told me "Don't let him run off with you". Gulp. Ok.

Oh look. Going fast. Big surprise.

We back tracked about halfway through the turn and then I gathered my reins and myself and turned him around. I had a fairly good hold of him and we went on our way. He was pulling pretty hard but I still had him. All I remember is going into a turn and all of the sudden I was put into the rail. Do you know what a racehorse does when they get the cue to go to the rail? They work (GO FAST). And Rothy was like YESSSSSS and off he went.

Rothstein looking like a bad ass last year.

I felt the energy zap out of my body in 0.2 seconds. I tried to pull him up but I had absolutely nothing. There were two tards goofing around on babies on the inside rail as I came down the stretch. All I could do was yell "INSIDE! INSIIIIIIDE!!!!" Fortunately, they got out of the way in time because I would have plowed right through them. I think I yelled INSIDE one more time, even though I had already passed them. As I came down the back stretch, the outrider asked if I needed help and I promptly said "yes please". We made another lap around the track. I couldn't believe how tired my body was. My horse was super tired too. Fortunately, the trainer wasn't mad. Well, at least not at me. But everybody was pissed at the guy who dropped me into the rail.

I could have died asshole, thanks.

Not getting runoff with Baby. 

So, there you have it. I got runoff with on a racehorse, which usually isn't a problem, until my body feels like it is going to just collapse and there are tards dinking around on the rail. Good news is, now I am not that scared while hauling ass when I am not supposed to be.

Mowing down geese is fun!

Smiles!