Recuperating............Sort of............. A Little Ride Interference.....

Part 1

I still have not posted details of the accident that happened here a few weeks back. Instead I disclosed more general information; there had been an incident and Dave and a horse were injured. I am still not ready to post details, however, it is important to reference that occurrence because it affected my husband's confidence both with the horses, and in general, leaving Dave unsure of things he once took for granted.

In fairness to man and horse alike, this accident was a fluke. It was not the fault of any of the involved parties. If anyone is to blame, it is Mother Nature for the instincts she has built into her creatures. We can expect our animals to overcome those instincts with training when they are working for us but when they are loose that's a little much to expect.

Dave knows that in his head but his heart has not caught up yet. Nor does he get the distinction between things done by a loose horse and those done working. My husband was as traumatized by the events of the last year as I. The final blow of that wreck was more than even his wide shoulders could bear. I just didn't know how much until after I actually got myself back up on that horse with my husband there to moniter my safety.

Once I was actually on my horse, not only was Dave concerned for my safety because of my condition, his feelings were compounded by the insecurities of that wreck. The knowledge Legs was one of the horses involved didn't make matters any easier.

With me on Legs, riding in the yard and another horse playing in the front paddock, the man's imagination went wild. He got focused on dangers that didn't exist , convinced I was at risk. I was barely on my horse when Dave began barking orders at me about where I could go and what I could do, not recognizing the horse's protective mode. Suddenly I found myself dealing with my husband's fear instead of being able to expend what energy I could muster on riding.

From the moment I turned my horse I realized how much we take for granted the strength it takes to balance when we ride. In my weakened condition I found I needed much more concentration to maintain position in the saddle. I also found multi tasking was a high energy activity. It took about everything I had to maintain my balance and get my feel for my horse back. I couldn't do that and deal with Dave's fear but his constant chatter was breaking my concentration.


I had to stop my horse to explain to Dave his fears of stallion behavior were unfounded and to please, please let me ride in peace. My husband's directions to keep me safe were actually putting me at risk.
Without his co-operation, I either needed to get off my horse or go someplace else to ride if I wanted to be safe.

I had promised myself when I did finally get to ride that we would just walk. I figured between letting the horse stretch his back walking out while reaching for ground and a little bending that would be enough for me. Now, actually being on my horse, I wasn't willing to relinquish my seat that easily but the fear I could still be in harm's way had Dave by the throat.

Even after explaining to the man, my horse was totally committed to my safety, it soon became clear my husband wasn't going to relinquish his distorted perception of the situation. After a couple of trips up and down the drive I headed my horse out to the field to excape Dave's interference. Nothing was going to stop me from riding and that included Dave's fears.

To be continued....................... A Change in Location.......