Run, Bolt, Bail, Walk

Well it finally happened and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

For a long time, I have had an irrational fear of Luba bolting and me falling off and killing myself. Let's just say two out of three ain't bad.

While Charlotte was at voltige this afternoon, I decided to go for a Forced Road Run with Luba the Trickster.

We met two kids on bikes who were happy to pet their very first horse. Then we met another Nancy, working in her garden. Her 10 year old daughter is horse crazy, so she and her little brother came out in their jammies to fawn over Luba. Then the neighbour from the farm next door went by on a bicycle, admiring "real horsepower".  Chatted with the HOTS neighbours who also have Arabians. Interrupted Garfield who was hunting in the grass. Luba was a real ambassador for the equine community and we did some marketing for Horses of the Sun and the sport of endurance riding.

It is soooo much easier to run when you have a partner who keeps a steady pace. Love running with Luba. Thought of Colette as we ran by the Mars United Church Cemetary. Colette is not dead, but played a dead person in Act 3 of Our Town, playing at the Winchester Town Hall for three more shows next weekend, April 27, 28 and 29.

We went barefoot today, as Luba has a minor case of scratches on the back of her right fetlock. I didn't want to take a chance of irritating it with Renegades. Her feet are being buffed every day in the sand ring and the gravel road was good conditioning too. Did a quick maintenance trim before we went out.

Got back to the farm and fed Luba beetpulp and part of her supper while I tacked her up for a tiptoe through the farm trails. We were both very mellow, so I decided to ride her off the sidepull.

We got down the laneway, almost to the end of the paddock when I realized I had forgotten to pick out her feet after all that gravel. So I turned her around to go back. Just then, something spooked her and we were off! For a second, I tried my one rein stop. That was going nowhere off the sidepull. The next thing I know, we were in full gallop down the laneway. At this point I was just hanging on. She careened over towards the paddock and made a sharp turn right to avoid running through the page wire fence. As we neared the paddock gate and my trailer she slowed to a canter, so I prepared to stop and get off. But Luba had other ideas. She deftly swung left and began to pick up speed running along the short side of the paddock. This old gal had had enough. I picked my spot and rolled off over her front right shoulder, landed on my feet facing her, still holding the reins, and then fell backwards and whacked my head on the ground. My baba would have referred to this manouevre as falling "ass over teakettle". Luba seemed surprised to see me on the ground.

I picked myself up, dusted myself off, picked out Luba's feet and headed to the trails in the back 40. 

We walked around the dryer spots for 45 minutes or so. Saw lots of birds, including this lovely teal blue one, a big heron, one with a yellow body and black wings. The furry sumach branches reminded me of deer antlers. Didn't take too many pictures, as I thought it was best to have both hands on the wheel.

Got back just as Charlotte's volige class was ending.  Luba was none the worse for wear, although she has the beginnings of a small girth rub from Friday's lunge line lesson, when we had to change belly bands to get the right good fit. The gallop took the scab off.

So, in the end, the whole bolting episode didn't end up being as bad as I imagined it might be. Uwe offered some good advice to bear in mind for next time. Only the first few strides are really a "flight" response. So he suggests riding it out instead of trying to stop her. Start by guiding her in a direction of your choosing (like AWAY from the page wire fence :)). Sit deep and bring her from gallop to canter. When she finally slows to a trot, ask her to canter again! But this time, on my cue and at my speed and direction.  This is another example of Sonja's mantra, "Work with what the horse is giving you".

I certainly did not have the presence of mind to consider this strategy today, but I will meditate on it, so that it might be available to me next time.

For tonight, it is red wine, Ibuprophin, ice and early to bed. The good news is that my fear of Luba bolting is no longer irrational, and I am not dead yet!