I arrived last Sunday without Jo...boo... she could not come this time.
The mare was very content, out in her large field of grass.
My Stable partner Jo, had a pending project that needed her immediate attention.
SO- since it had been simply HAIL all week- around town and the country..pretty much lock down for the horse faces...they hate to be beaned with the stuff, with no place to run to for cover, we left them in their stalls with runs for most of the week. My PBO gave them breaks and grass munches when she could and the weather held off.
It was a patchy looking day at best...I called to warn mu PBO to get the hoses in ...I saw what was moving ahead of me, as I drove!
It was a patchy looking day at best...I called to warn mu PBO to get the hoses in ...I saw what was moving ahead of me, as I drove!
This day..I was hoping to get a small ride in...it had been sometime since I could, with the weather being rather foreboding.
I collected the mare from her spot in the field, she was happy and met me at the gate this time...
The other Horses had FELT the pending downpour of HAIL stones coming, and had exited to then barn already.
Sure enough, got the mare in and whoosh...hail!
Not too big, so I went back to the field to retrieve her hay net. I left the mare to contently eat her hay, she seemed unaffected.
.... and OH!!!!
Just when I was thinking , "well, you don't get wet in hail and this is not bad"...WAMMO...it really came down HARD..it really hurt..so I ran back to the barn.
The other Horses had FELT the pending downpour of HAIL stones coming, and had exited to then barn already.
Sure enough, got the mare in and whoosh...hail!
Not too big, so I went back to the field to retrieve her hay net. I left the mare to contently eat her hay, she seemed unaffected.
.... and OH!!!!
Just when I was thinking , "well, you don't get wet in hail and this is not bad"...WAMMO...it really came down HARD..it really hurt..so I ran back to the barn.
IT was soooo loud in there...the horses were in an -all-out-vigilant-stance...bobbing their heads up and down in amazement with us! That blame hail was bouncing up to their muzzles from the ground!
It was not large...but it was fast, and that made the difference in volatility!
It seemed to go on for 10 minutes ...and the lightening too...we had spooky, spooky horses, that you could not console...you could NOT hear yourself talk even!
Then finally...it let up! and the sun came out a bit and whew!
The mare went out to investigate~
And take a breather from the adrenaline factor...
So, I groomed lightly...since she had not been turned to pasture much that week, and she is all shed out (YEA!) it gives my horse elbow a break.
I saddled up and...WHAT did I hear- IN MY OWN DRIVE WAY?
??!!! @#/?+**!!!
The mare could not believe it neither could I! This is WAR!
They muddied the entrance...where mostly hooves had been in a single track.
after pretending that they could not read~
I like the ending comment, " Respect the property and enjoy your visit"
It is a privilege to ride on the thousands of Private acres..
and when I go out after motorized vehicles...burned materials(dangerious for the forest) I find along with- garbage-beer bottles/cans- shell casings from target shooting-Oil bottles..I mean, PACK IT OUT JERKS!But Rather...STAY OUT!!!
Sorry..I get very indignant about them trespassing...mostly because I do follow the rules and I
The ways they ruin a ride, I have not mentioned, and will now.
Safety for a horse back rider goes quickly AWAY...once we hear the LOUD Motors ...we are in a scramble to find and Out of the way place...or get back to a long stretch of road or trail.
MOTOR BIKES tend to look down, as they travel at at high speeds.
They do not think of anyone else that is riding LEGALLY on horseback or bicycle or hiking there.
So the Bikers or quads almost run into you. Our horse feels the distraught body stress in us, as much as I try to breath and be calm.... the horses are alert to the NOISE factor coming...they dislike them as well.
Motorized tresspassers-Us Equestrians deal with all too often- click here to see my first meeting~
I could go on about this distasteful subject but...I shall end it now, by saying that I asked my PBO to address this of her renters...or I would, and still may, call my friendly Forest manager to pay them a visit like he did my former barn owners. Warning them to keep the law of the Private property signs.
I got back from the ride..not having met up with them..but seeing evidence of them. They knocked down all my trail jumps... insert some steam from my ears here.
Wa mare was happy for the ride..it had been a week since we could go out.
She returned to her happy eating stance. IN the quiet calm of her stable.
And the birds began to perch on the tree tops next door, as well!
Meeting Jo today at the Stable Yea!!!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY ALL, Jo and I will be Mothering the horses and Charlie the cat today~
I'm with you. Quads and motor bikes don't mix with horses. It can be such a dangerous situation!
ReplyDeleteVery dangerous and completely disrespectful!
ReplyDeleteThat hail is something and that storm wall oh my gosh! Scary stuff!
Well I have nothing against dirtbikes and ATVS but if they're trespassing then that is wrong!! My dad is a dirtbiker, I ride horses, so I'm of the mind that you have to work it out. All my horses are used to ATVs and dirtbikes (I catch them with a big ole Yamaha 660, they come when they see if because they know it means food) but all that is irrelevant if they are trespassing!! Hope the hail will hold off :(
ReplyDeleteOh, I def get it! We have a terrible time with people trespassing on our land. Constantly. Just last night we had coon hunters on it AGAIN! And they know they are trespassing! They bring packs of coon dogs and guns. My dogs go crazy, the horses are terrified. The sherrifs office is probably tired of our calls!
ReplyDeleteThe last time they were here and we called the cops, the deputys asked them if they KNEW it was private. My response was,
"If you don't own it, it is not YOURS! Then the cop asked if we had our land posted! YES! All 150 acres-everywhere!
And Arabians are the biggest spooks :)
UGH!
People just have no respect sometimes!
Great post for non-horse people who don't "get it."
Happy Mothers Day to you and all your 4-legged critters!
xo, misha
Wow, I cannot believe how disrespectful people are these days with 4 wheelers and guns! That hail, we were supposed to get but thank goodness we never saw it! Hey what training questions did you have...ask away and I'll try my best to answer! Enjoyed this post Kacy, the mare looks good and content!
ReplyDeleteThat is horrible that you have to tolerate those loud machines. Nothing is worse or more dangerous. I am glad you and Wa safely returned. She is sooooo pretty in the in stall photos nibbling her hay. That hail is wild. You just live in wild country!
ReplyDeleteDarn trespassers! Can't the owner of the private property make a special entrance that blocks those on ATVs like they do around here? Horses can get in, usually by stepping over a low log, or walking at an angle or in an L-shape entrance...but ATVs cannot.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad you weren't out there when the hail started in, though. Yikes!
~Lisa
man that sucks about the ATV's , that would make me so angry I would lose my mind.
ReplyDeleteI used to baord at a place if it rained hard it was so loud you couldnt hear your self talk, I hated that! That hail storm was crazy wasnt it?
Well, My mare is really good with ATV's and MOTOR bikes...as long as they are NOT coming at her at 20-30-40- MPH!!!! We have had all of that, = some pretty dangerous/Volatile behavior. They know- they are NOT supposed to be there- so they act as if WE are the enemy...
ReplyDeleteguilty hearts and minds act that way...blame game and misbehave!
We stand for the right things for keeping forests natural and safe. I have no guilt and even pack their garbage out!
I am armed now (bear mace)so I may tell them, "if they approach with a vengeance/malice towards us...prepare for pain!"...but..Pray NEVER to meet those kinds of ill willed folks!
Oh dear, I guess this happens all over the world then...most of our tracks are public and most are not open to motorized vehicles but it doesn't stop folks on motorbikes and quads. Usually they are polite but it still scares the pants off me that they might not slow down.
ReplyDeleteMay the following week be hail free for you.
Dude and I got caught in that hail all week on our walks home! It was awful!
ReplyDeleteWe had an issue last year (still ongoing) with quads on the only public trail around for hours, the greenway. I get this call last year from the ERCA guy who controls it he is like "the horses hooves are messing up the trail" I was like "No the quads illegally on the trail are messing it up" he argued for like 15 minute there were no quads on there so I told him to show up at a certain time on the weekend and sure enough he caught the illegal quadders. They are still issues.
ReplyDeleteCrazy hail!
The bridle I use is the Nurtural bitless bridle http://www.nurturalhorse.com I have tried everything from mechanical hackmores, bosals, sidepulls and halters to other cross under (drcooks and amish made) nothing compared to the nurtural. I do not support/endorse mechanical hackamores or other bitless that use pressure on the mental nerver under the chin via curb strap/chain (I do believe they have one called the LG wheel or happy wheel or something but it is just a mechanical hackamore with a fancy design). I believe horsemanship should be based upon understanding, not pain and submission.
Trudi Thanks! Yea..so far the hail has ceased..and some sun last weekend!! YEA. Well, I will fight the good fight for where I am..I have the landowners permission to make citizen citations!
ReplyDeleteOre sunshine OH...yea, the rule benders for fun..I mean, gosh...laws are made that way!
Sydney THANKS, I went to the web page and am considering a synthetic first..than maybe a leather later...gonna miss my halter bridle though!
And -I have a proposition for you...since you research so well and are in the know. I have a pet peeve about the "knotted halters" being over used, in place of a regular one, that causes no nerve pain....will write to you after you return from the DREAMY vaca!!!