Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Ghosts of Horses Past in Salem Part 3



Part 1

I found the night watchman out behind the darkened show horse barns. When I flagged him down, he looked at me like I was some kind of nut. He had no idea what "savaging a mare" meant. I had to break my terminology down into layman terms to get him to understand.

Once I got it through to him what the Arabian horses were doing, I could see he was immediately overwhelmed. He wanted to call the show manage but I insisted I need his help now. I instructed him to come with me so we could access the situations. Then we'd decide what to do.

Running across the floor of the Pavilion, I could still hear the horses screaming. At this point the sound of those two voices gave me some reassurance. There were two voices telling me they were both still alive. I was grateful for that. I sure hope we could do something to keep them that way.

As we came up to the stalls, both horses crashed at the stall fronts. The portable barn shook like it might even collapse. The mare was coming for help and the stallion was lunging at the walls as if attacking us too. He didn't want anyone or anything to interfere with his plans for this mare.

As the portable barn shook, without thinking or talking to me, the security guard unlatched one of the stall doors. No sooner had he clicked that latch and both horses burst through the opening. The force threw the watchman backwards and the horses were free, galloping loose on the fairgrounds.

The guard recovered his balance and went in hot pursuit of the horses. I remembering looking at him running after them wondering what he thought he was going to do. There was no way he was going to catch them like that.

I also remember thinking what in the h*ll were we going to do. Before I followed him, I grabbed a couple of halters with lead ropes. There was no way we were going to get things under control without those.

At first the horses ran out of the Pavilion and away from the barns but something turned them and brought them racing back into the building. They raced down one aisle into a dead end only to turn and run back out again. I don't remember how many times they zig-zagged through that building before I even caught up with the guard who thought he could catch them chasing after them that way.

It was like a scene out of some horror movie.The whole time the horses were racing like the devil himself was after them with their flight instinct turned on full force. They were beyond thinking running totally off of their instincts. Herd dynamics kept them together to fend off this unseen foe.

The stallion would be in the lead with the mare following despite the fact that moments before he had been trying to kill her. If the mare did get in front of the stallion he was still trying to attack the mare but that didn't stop her from wanting to be with him.

Even with her life in jeopardy from that stallion, the mare's instincts still told her when she was that frightened to stay with her herd............and that stallion was her herd. He was her killer and her savior all rolled into one. Getting these two horses separated wasn't going to be easy.

As I heard the horses slipping and falling as they raced across the asphalt, my mind began to form a plan. I knew we had to get the horses contained somewhere. I caught up with the guard and told him what we needed to do.

To be continued.......

Part 4

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15 comments:

  1. Oh dear, what's going to happen here?? I really hope it has a happy ending because after the build up you're giving us I think I might just cry. =S

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  2. ACKKKK!!! You're killing me with suspense!

    P.S. Who's the horse in this post?

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  3. YIKES! And what did the owners of these horses have to say?

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  4. Dang here we go again... You are so good at leaving us hanging... I'm with the others, I really hope you answer all those questions.

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  5. There is something really
    wrong with you
    get help!!!!

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  6. Isn't it surprising that the mare would choose to stay with her attacker, because of a strong herd instinct. Hope it all works out.

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  7. Yikes! I can't stand the suspence!!! I'm going to go suck my thumb until I know what happens!!!!!Hope they both survive!

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  8. Nooooooo...........I can't wait any longer! The suspense is killing me!!!!

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  9. Cliff hangers. I swear you are the queen!!!

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  10. I read part one and two as well and gosh this made me glued to my seat.

    I'm waiting impatiently to hear the rest..

    Question though, shouldn't there be seperate stalls for stallions? Or not?

    Poor mare :(

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  11. Man, can't stand the suspense!!!

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  12. Well at least he's not attacking her anymore. But that could change in a second. Unfortunately both burst out of the stall and escaped, instead of just one, or just the mare. Looking to reading the rest!

    The horse pictured looks like Phadra Rose. She's very gorgeous in this picture. I love her coloring! and her mane and tail! and I love her tail coloring! is she considered a gray mare? she looks black and white with gray dappling. I guess that would just be called a dappled gray though.. Well whatever her coloring, it's gorgeous and she has a beautiful build. I'd love to come see your horses! They are so beautiful. I'd love to someday buy a couple, at least one. But I'd also want my own horse ranch like yours, to own horses like yours. Of that quality.

    You know I was shocked when my trainer said my 20 year old gelding was worth $3500-4000 because of how well he is trained, and the fact that he remembers his training even though when I bought him, he hadn't worked for 2-3 years. My jaw just about dropped to the floor when she said that lol! I couldn't believe it when I paid $900 for all his tack and him for $900. Unfortunately he's not a mare so he can't have any babies, cause I'd love it if he was a mare and I could have a foal from him :) If he was a mare and his foal was anything like him, I'd be very happy, haha.

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  13. MIKAEL YOU ARE KILLING ME!!!!!!

    Oh boy another anxious day of worrying. This turned into a dreadful mess. Were there no other people around camping on the grounds? The commotion must have been loud on top of the fact that I am sure all the horses in the barn were getting upset by this time.

    I keep saying to myself "patience is a virtue possess it if you can seldom in a woman, never in a man). Sigh

    Hectic day I am still wanting to call you just havent had the time, every time I want to do something on the list, something else more urgent comes up. (((Hugs)))


    Lori

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  14. Just right clicked the photo and saw that it's Faith.

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  15. I'm mean I "hovered" over the enlarged version of the photo :)

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