Thanks everyone for your concern and get well messages for Miss Terry. She had a rough night Monday night, but was feeling quite a bit better by yesterday. Hopefully today will find her back to normal.
A couple of days ago I posted a blog about me driving son-in-law Scott’s tractor and said that I should put the tractor on a trailer and take it with us. Apparently there are no original ideas left. Yesterday, blog reader Cheryl Keefe sent me this photo she took of a motorhome pulling a tractor.
Speaking of Scott, they got a couple of horses last week, and when he got home from work yesterday he decided it was time to try riding Pixie. And it was kind of like the title of my tractor blog, what could possibly go wrong? Pixie had not been ridden in about six months, Scott knows about as much about horses as I do about tractors, and he was riding her bareback. Yeah, that’s going to work out real well.
They started out in the round exercise corral and things were okay. Doesn’t Scott look like he knows what he’s doing?
I didn’t say he looked smart, only that he looked like he knew what he was doing.
Well, as it turns out, you have to be smarter than the horse. Scott isn’t. While Pixie had no problem with him sitting on her, she didn’t want to go anywhere. So she didn’t. She just stood there and no amount of urging by Scott was going to get her to move. So Tiffany took her by the lead and walked her out of the corral and around part of the property. That was fine with Pixie, but as soon as Tiffany let her go she stopped and wouldn’t move. Scott nudged her with his heels, clucked at her, slapped her butt and still she wouldn’t budge.
And then she moved!
Is that not the greatest expression you’ve ever seen? I know that expression well. I’ve worn it myself many times. Pixie is a gentle horse and she never bucked once, but she did manage to shuck Scott off three times. Twice she took a few steps and then just kind of skipped and he fell off. Once she just walked under a tree and let the branches do the job for her. Eventually Pixie got tired and went back to the corral to tell their other horse all about the new game she had invented, Dump the Dummy.
It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means. It’s time to kick off a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook version of Birdsongs by my friend Jason Deas. It’s the first book in Jason’s excellent Benny James mystery series, a fast-paced tale centered on former FBI agent Benny James, who hoped to retire to a slower paced lifestyle on a houseboat but finds himself drawn into a murder investigation. All you have to do is click on the Free Drawing link and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.
Thought For The Day – Sometimes I wrestle with my inner demons. Other times we just hang out and eat junk food together.
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What a great action shot! Were there any injuries other than to his ego? Have the girls tried to ride Pixie?
No brain, no pain, Judy. Scott is fine. It will be a while before the girls are allowed on her.
LOVE that picture of Scott!!! He hit the ground 3 times and got back on 3 times? You may be right about him not being all that smart!! LOL But I give him an A for effort. I’m glad to see how much fun you and Miss Terry are having with Tiffany and her family after all of the hard times you’ve had lately.
So … does Scott think he’s smarter than a horse ?
Tell your SIL to take great care when dealing with horses. While it can be lots of fun it can also be dangerous. A proper saddle will help, and I know it’s not cool, but a helmet is a good idea. His daughters should not ride without a helmet. We no longer have horses- we just rent them if we get the urge to ride when out west (lots cheaper that way as well as a fraction of the work). With that said we did have great rides up into the Rockies.
that pic of your son in law is priceless!
ouch, poor guy–but poor pixie!
I know it’s hard to believe, but that string hackamore can be quite brutal in the wrong (or just uneducated) hands. You can tell by her ears that she is unhappy with the situation, but what a saint and a trooper she is—she looks to be an excellent first horse for beginners.
hope the girls are getting qualified instruction, for their and the horses’ sakes.
4H and Pony Club are great for kids, if you need some assistance let me know and I’ll be happy to help.
great picture of Scott, he was brave to ride bare back to start with he gets a A for trying. Glad he was not hurt, well his ego may for a day or two. Glad Terry is feeling better.
Your horse story reminded me of when I was placed up high on a racing horse. When we passed some low hanging branches I leaned in close to his neck to avoid getting scraped off…but not knowing that was his signal to begin the race. It was an interesting (and harrowing) ride through the woods.
My Grampie got us kids a horse when I was 14…he saved her from the glue factory he said. She was gentle as a lamb with us kids…but put an adult on her back? Better be good at getting your leg pulled up side saddle, as she would either try to scrape them off on trees, or simply go gimpy in the leg and sometimes go clear to the ground. Funny horse…lived another 20 years or so. Mostly unridden…living among my dad’s cows quite happily. She always told on them if they got out of the fence too…whinnying up and down the pasture…never leaving with them…just telling on them. Helped my dad out a lot that way…