Friday, August 12, 2011

The Story Of Stormy, Part 2

The day was calm and quiet, one of those early fall days where the leaves are just starting to change colors and the air is cool and crisp. We were headed out to the barn for the usual evening chores and to work the horses a bit. After a rather rocky beginning, Stormy had finally learned that he could trust me. I could halter and lead him to and from the paddock, saddle and bridle him, work him on the lunge line and hop on and ride with little to no problem. He seemed to have gotten over his earlier fears of well...everything. Or so I thought...


We entered the barn and said hello to some of our fellow boarders. Rose caught the sound of my voice and called out in her high pitched whinny, Stormy followed with his soft little nickers, ears pricked. I stopped and unlocked the tack box, scooping up Stormy's saddle and bridle. My sister decided she didn't feel like riding so she grabbed the lunge line and headed to Rose's stall.


Mom busied herself with measuring out the evening feed and chatting with fellow boarders...she liked to gossip and spent most of the evenings talking rather than actually working with the horses. Stormy was still showing a fear of buckets and so rather than feeding him in the corner feeder, we started feeding him out of a bucket to help him learn that a bucket could be a GOOD thing. He was doing rather well with it, he still wouldn't let you touch him with one, but he would certainly eat out of it now without much fuss.


Sister haltered Rose and lead her out to the middle of the arena to groom her, the little filly ground tied like no body's business and was happy to stand for hours as long as someone was scratching the itchies on her withers and chest! I gave Stormy a fast once over with the brush then picked his feet (another challenge we had overcome) and saddled him in his stall. I lead him out just as Sister started lunging Rose at the top end of the arena. While Stormy was never "hot" like a lot of Arabian's can be, he was certainly eager to work and he chewed his bit and licked his lips incessantly in his excitement.


I lead him around the arena a few times, he was still very green and like a lot of horses would suck in a big gulp of air as you were cinching up so I walked him first before hopping on. I halted him in an arena corner and tighted up my girth and took a look around to make sure there wasn't any surprises hiding in the barn loft....Stormy was getting better but he still didn't like motion above his head. My mother was the only person up there, still scooping grain. I noticed she had forgotten to bring down Stormy's feed bucket and so I reminded her to bring it down with her when she was finished. I adjusted my stirrup, checked my girth one last time and just as I was stepping up on my little horse...my mother leaned over the side of the loft and dropped the feed bucket practically in Stormy's face.


He pivoted like a reining horse and I scrambled to get my other leg over his back and my butt in the saddle. I missed, due to his momentum I landed BEHIND my saddle and my thumping down on his kidneys just added to his terror. I let loose his reins since I feared pulling him over and grabbed for his mane instead. I looked up and realized he was headed straight for Sister and Rose. I felt like we were moving in slow motion but in reality he had spun and covered the arena in 3 or 4 big leaping strides and I knew I had no chance of regaining my seat and pulling him up...we were on a collision course and there was no way out...

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Just An Update

Sorry I haven't posted in a while...I'm working on some stories as well as having some trials going on in my life. I'll work on getting the next post up soon, I'm sure some of you are curious to hear some more about Rose and Stormy.