Life................and Trailer Loading

Yesterday, I took the first load of my Arabian horses back to the other barn. I decided instead of taking the same horses back that I'd picked up last week, I mix things up a bit.

Bey Aana, whom Lindsay loves, is broke but not broke enough for Lindsay to ride. I've been talking about getting some miles put on this mare for a while but it never seems to quite get done. Since Rachel needs something to ride to build up her strength, it just seemed like a good idea to let Rachel put those miles on Bey Aana. That way I can focus my energy in starting the young horses.

Now it's been about 9 years or so since Bey Aana came to live with us and that's the last time the mare had been ridden. It's also the last, and only time the mare has been in a horse trailer. Don't ask me why but I made the decision to have Bey Aana be the last of the 3 horses that I loaded onto my 3 horse slant load trailer.

Normally when I load an inexperienced horse into that last slot, I have someone stand outside to close the door as soon as the horse gets inside. Once the door is closed, I tie the horse in place. Then and only then do I slip out a crack in the door.

Neither of the other two mares, Faith and Rose, have much experience riding in the trailer either. However, last evening both of them went right in as asked and stood quietly. Even Bey Aana only hesitated for a moment before getting into the trailer. However, the mare only put her front feet in. Then she stood there thinking for a bit.

Finally the Arabian horse moved on in and the door behind her closed.............or so I thought. I tied the mare using a bungy type trailer tie. Just as I was finished removing the lead rope, the mare went flying backwards out through the door that had not been closed as directed.

The rubber of the bungy tie stretched as the mare pulled back. It wrapped around the back of my head and underneath my ear pinning me up against the wall of the horse trailer. The mare was flailing around outside the horse trailer fighting against the tie increasing the pressure against my head.

I desperately tried to free myself using my fingers to get underneath the thick rubber cord to stretch it enough for me to get free. However, the mare had it stretched as tight as it would go and I couldn't get enough play to get loose........all the while praying that thing didn't break and take out one of my eyes.

Fortunately, Dave came back and pushed the mare forward. That allowed me to get enough leverage underneath the trailer tie to loosen it's grip and free myself so I could flea from the trailer.

I'm lucky that all I have to show for this wreck is a lump on my head and a fierce headache. But I didn't post last night because of that headache and I'm not up to much more than just doing this quick post to let you know what's interferred with the posts on the open house. Hopefully, I'll feel up to resuming them tomorrow.