Learning

Learning 

 Water puddles on the grass.

  

Day 32:

Arriving later in the afternoon due to preschool (yay!  I have a few hours to clean and shop in the morning without a mini-me undoing my work) several other people were already at the ranch riding or having finished riding.  Being a warm day, we were hosing off their horses after their rides.  This left lots of puddles in the grass.  Last I worked on Opal walking through puddles, she wasn't exactly 100% on board with it, so it was a perfect opportunity to try again.  With a pocket full of carrots and her halter we tackled the puddles.  There was one difference this time, she didn't even stop to look at them, just followed me right along.  'Sure Mom, I'll get my feet wet, no big deal.'  

 Water isn't as scary as I thought it was.

We also tacked up for a ride during a lesson I was giving one of my riders, Angie.  Her Dad was watering down the arena when I entered.  I walked Opal over to the water, made her walk through the spray a few times.  Finally I walked Opal over to the hose and let her explore it.  She was having a very good time with the water.

Water play.

We walked around the arena for a bit before I dismounted and had her stand with me while the lesson finished.  She's getting better about standing with nothing being asked of her.  

Day 33:

With 3 days being ridden last week and Opal being a star, she earned a day of just grazing and having fun with her pasture mates turned out Sunday.  On my way home I noticed smoke on the mountain about 15 miles from the ranch.  Well, that fire had a lot of fuel and quickly took off.  Some 3,000 acres later its nearly contained.  Since we had room for some animals at the ranch and we were out of the fire and smoke's paths, several of us spent the early part of the week making preparations to receive evacuated horses if needed.  It never came to that and the fire is nearly out now.  We didn't have to deal with the smoke much either, except for a little bit yesterday due to the wind.  

Yesterday, September 10, was day 33 of training for Opal.  We didn't accomplish much due to a little situation that happened.  We started out showing Opal my daughter's new clubhouse for out at the barn.  Opal was more than curious, but didn't care too much about what was going on inside it.  She loves kids.

 Hey there kid, what are you doing?

We've all been told to be aware of our surroundings when working with horses.  Keep your eyes up and ears open.  This is one of those times I wasn't thinking about where I was, but where I was going.  

I was going to my tack room to get Opal's halter so we could ride.  I stopped by Opal, who was next to the round pen, and gave her some pats as I was walking by.  I walked away after a few moments petting her over.  I had her on my right, round pen on my right.  Next I heard the sound of thundering hooves and just as I looked behind me to see what was going on, Opal was on top of me being chased away but another horse that was turned out.  I hit the ground and covered my head knowing 1,200 pounds was just behind me.  I saw a flash of Opal's hooves up in the air as she reared up over me and then turned on her haunches to run the opposite way away from me.  Aside from a headache yesterday I walked away unharmed.

Now before anyone gets a chance to jump all over the horses know this: 

1) my bad for putting myself in a situation where there was no room for me to get away. 

2) I'm Opal's security, but in running from this other horse she wasn't watching where I was but watching who was chasing her and heading in my direction, and she threw on the breaks to get away form me and not harm me.  This is something you can not teach a horse, either they will avoid hurting you when things go bad, or they won't....she did.  

3)  I willingly take these risks (and more) working horses, especially young ones, and I will continue to do so.

Now, in the past I've been harmlessly teased about lounging with a helmet, walking around the ranch with one on while not riding, tacking up with it on my head, ect.  Usually its just me leaving it on my head between rides.  I'll tell you now the first thought in my head after I got up was 'the one time I didn't get my helmet out yet'.  My helmet has saved this brain of mine more times than I care to count, so I'll keep on riding with it....and wearing it around the ranch.....and lounging with it.