Baby Boomer Dreams - Dandy's Story Chapter 4

Part 1

I think I rode the horse in that round pen for a month before I finally got the nerve to take him inside to the arena. It wasn't that he did anything that told me we needed to stay in the round pen, it was totally me and my fear. The confines of that sixty foot round pen seemed much safer to me than that huge indoor arena.

I finally did muster my courage and head towards the indoor arena. I think it was more the threat of the weather changing than me feeling comfortable. But regardless the day came that I took the horse into the arena to ride.

Now, I've always had this kind of deal with my horses. I don't longe them to death if they don't give me a hard time. Even at the start I only put the horse on the longe line long enough to kind of take its temperature. If the horse seems quiet and soft we just do a few laps each direction and then I get on.

After I've been riding them for a while, I rarely if ever longe. I've known too many good show horses whose careers have come to an end from hocks blown out by too many hours on the end of a longe. I know some trainers don't believe this is a real threat but I have to go with what I've seen. Horses spending an hour on the longe line at nationals trying to them tired seems to go hand and hand with arthritic hocks.

This particular arena has some quirks that make it tough for young horses. It's a dark building with a low metal roof and heavy metal doors that tend to creak and pop with the wind. In addition there are a few cats that seem to pick the most inopportune time to jump onto the rail or chase a mouse through the seats. Many a horse has wigged out in that place so the first order of business was putting Dandy on the longe to see how he dealt with this new strange place.

Dandy took to the arena like he took to everything else. Despite the fact he was the only horse in there when we started Dandy longed like he always does, looking at me like he's bored and a bit put out. There was no indication that he was concerned about being inside.

Once I got on the horse, it was more of the same. Dandy did everything I asked. I started off by just walking him around the perimeter with the flexing and bending exercises we started off every ride. The horse didn't act like he cared about much of anything except doing his job.

Soon a couple of quarter horse riders joined us in the arena. Dandy took the addition of two strange horses in stride as well. I was actually beginning to relax when all of a sudden storming through the gate came a spotted huge trotting pinto english pleasure horse with chains around its pasterns cutting straight across our path. The rider was bouncing. The horse was blowing. The chains were clanking. It sounded like a darn freight train coming straight at us.

Poor Dandy thought he was dead. His eyes bulged. He sucked in his breath and wheeled around. The horse was at the other end of the arena before I could even gather my reins up enough to stop him. The horse was absolutely terrified and the threat was not going away.

I grabbed my inside rein and pulled the horse down into a small circle until he finally came to a stop. His eyes were still bulged, his nostrils flared and his heart was pounding just as fast as mine. AND that crazy trotting horse was making another lap around the arena and heading our way.

My mind raced looking for some solution to this mess. There was no way I could safely get off this horse, let along get him out of the arena. Instead I guided Dandy to the center of the arena and there I told him "Whoa!" I asked my horse to stand quietly in the center while that demon horse streaked around the perimeter and that's exactly what he did.

I have to say if I could have gotten my hands on that rider, I would have strangled her. She had shown no concern or regard for anyone but herself. She rode that horse around the ring like she owned the place. Even later when confronted with the situation, she only laughed like it was all a big joke. I doubt she would see it the same way had she been the one on the green horse.

Poor Dandy was trembling so badly the two quarter horse riders could see him shaking from their vantage point on the rail. I could feel his heart pounding between my legs. They couldn't believe the horse stopped for me, let alone stood there all that time until the other horse finally left. And believe me it was no short or quiet ride by the time that monster horse was gone my poor baby horse was a lathered sweaty mess.

I gave him a few minutes to relax. Then I asked the horse to go back to the rail. He needed to cool out and relax. It seemed the best thing to do was to just keep walking him until he was finally settled. The horse did it because I asked him to but it was clear that he was reluctant at best. This experience had not been the best was to start off riding inside arenas. There was no way of knowing how much the horse might be scarred.

To be continued...........

Part 5

If Dandy had had his way, I know we would have made a quick exit from that arena, so I thought this picture of him leaving with Aidol best suited this post since I have no pictures from this time.



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