Copyright 2007. Oh, the most humiliating of humiliations happened last Saturday. What did they say on Seinfeld, the lawyer with Kramer, “this was the most public of my humiliations....” Thank god no one was around to witness it! (Although, now I am telling you all - basically the world.) I own Beasley. He is a 5-year-old PMU I adopted when he was 18 months old. He is a TB/Percheron/QH cross with loads of personality. And, I have just bought a new horse trailer. I have never had a trailer. I practice and practice with it. And, Beasley and I go everywhere or at least, try to. So one day, I took Beasley to Orange County Park. Orange County Park is a local park that has two riding arenas that we are allowed to trailer in and use. So I decided to be a serious horse person and would lunge Beasley that day... with side reins ... and try to look like I know what I’m doing... We lunge for 5 minutes until I tire of spinning around in circles and become dizzy. Then I decided to ride. First, let me tell you I'm out of shape. I am the one that needs the “Master Mounting Block” to get on, no 2-step block for me, I need the 3 stepper to hoist myself up. Of course, do I bring it? Noooo! Anyway, I walk Beasley by the trailer to get on, I could not get on. Then we were by the picnic tables, still could not get on. Then I tried the fence, still no. It was like the Keystone Cops with just one person going from object to object trying...struggling... to get on with this horse standing there patiently while this person tried to claw their way into the saddle. Thank god no one was looking or watching. So anyway I gave up and decided it was time to go...(It wasn't Beasley that was moving around or anything, I just couldn't find a mounting thing high enough.) (I have since learned to use my brain and bring the “Master Mounting Block” with me when I travel.) Back to the story. Like usual after all my efforts, I had brushes spread all over; lunge lines, whips, bridles, blankets, purple totes, side reins. All were spread all over the ground. So I started to gathering up all my stuff. Beasley, at this point, was not used to being tied. So I was leading him while I picked up everything off the ground. My arms were loaded with stuff when - Oh.My.Gosh - Beasley gets loose! Really what happened was, as I was carrying so many of Beasley's accoutrements, I basically just dropped the lead rope as I haphazardly balanced brushes. bridles and lunge lines. Anyway, off he went, first at a trot and then galloping all over. Tail high in the air, prancing... THen tossing his head and bucking mightily! At this time, he was wearing these big goofy shipping boots. He proceeded to totally rip them apart and while bucking, they were flung everywhere. $140 dollars worth of flung everywhere...Almost beyond repair. Then, while he was galloping all over, a car went by and they must have alerted the police who then came by. But by then I had caught Beasley because he stepped on his lead rope and stopped to graze. As the police car drove by, I put my arm over Beasley while he grazed. I tried to look like all was in control but it was not. The police left. What they didn’t notice was the long trail of ripped boots, crumpled blankets, tossed brushes, general accoutrements dropped in my panic when he got loose and the incredibly deep hoofprints literally criss crossing all over. The park looked like a war zone. Then, at this point, I am exhausted. I try to get Beasley on the trailer. He would not go. Absolutely would not go. He planted his feet and there was no way I was getting him near that thing. And, he has been loading like a champ! I had to place an emergency call to Vince Felty (our local natural horse trainer for those of you out of the area) to come and help me get him in. Then, I ran around and picked up all the broken equipment that was strewn all over and hid it before Vince showed up. That would have been too embarrassing if he saw all this ripped and broken stuff all over the ground. Let alone the pattern of torn turf from the deep hoof prints. Then, while I was waiting for Vince, I decided to loosely tie Beasley to the trailer (he usually ties pretty well). Well, wouldn’t you know it, he then freaked out, pulled back and broke his halter. So I tie that with baling twine while I continue to wait for Vince. (I had carefully hid all the other broken stuff but there was no getting past the baling-twine-held-together halter to show the disasterous day I had...) Anyway, Vince came and got Beasley on the trailer and I was able to get home. What a day! As it turns out, there had been a bee in the trailer that caused all this “I don’t want to go in the trailer” nonsense.... (Sounds fishy, but I Iike the bee excuse better than my own ineptitude!) JUNE V. EVERS is a 40-year plus horse person who readily admits to humilation from her horses when confronted with it. She adopted a Premarin baby at 18 months, named Beasley, which she is training to do....hmm, I do not know what but he is going to be good at it. He is currently 9 years old. June is also an author of eight horse books: The Original Book of Horse Treats, The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse, Anyone Can Draw Horses, Horse Lover’s Birthday Book, The Wonderful Life of Lola, The Squeamish Person’s Guide to Pulling Your Horse’s Mane, Mazes & Connect the Dots Volume 1 Horses and The Horse of My Dreams. She owns Horse Hollow Press. When not working, she is trail riding all over or attending clinics with Beasley. www.horsehollowpress.com |
