Dirt diving

Hey there fellow diver! I feel your pain, I got my Mercedes on March 1st, and didn't part company with her until the beginning of August. I was just starting to think, around the end of July, that the first fall (off of her, I couldn't count how many times I've fallen over the years) had to happen sooner or later. Sure enough, I've bit the dust (or water) 3 times since then.

Fall #1 Loping down a dirt road in the dark no lights, she tripped in a hole, fell down and sent me flying. I was sore the next few days, she was fine. Lesson learned- I'm an idiot for loping down a dirt road in the dark without any lights (no offense to the 100 milers, we're just not ready for that yet)

Fall #2 Got her stomping around chest deep in the ocean (first time for both of us). She shyed at a big wave, it caught us, she trips or whatever, end over end we go. I, of course, dove off as soon as I realized we were both going through the rinse cycle. Result- She got thoroughly soaked which seemed to improve the skin problems she'd been having, I got cooled off, but I did ruin my cell phone that was in my saddle bag. Luckily, she didn't let the tumble affect her view of the water...she got right back in. Does that make her really stupid or really smart?

Fall #3 Was playing with friends this weekend at the local rodeo arena. Had her racking around the barrels (to the amusement of my barrel racing friends). On the straightaway from the third barrel I allowed her to pick up a very sloooooow lope. My friends are watching and laughing at our "controlled" barrel run. So...being a ham, I lean way up and forward in the saddle, exagerating a jockey position. At the same time I (start) to yell out "Hooooo-Hoo" Well...in hindsight is that the poor mare (who's not used to idiots getting into funny positions and yelling on her back) must have thought I was saing "whoa". Did I mention she's really good about vocal commands? You can imagine what happened next. She slams on the brakes and I do my lawn dart impersonation in the sand. All I can say is that in all of the incidents (especiially #1 and #3) I am glad I wear a helmet. In fact, I had just an hour earlier tried to explain their virtues to my trail riding buddies (who are too cool to wear them) After plowing the arena with my head, they did say, "Wow! It really is a good thing you were wearing a helmet!" I then tried to explain that I had planned the whole thing just to give them an example of the importance of helmets.

They didnt buy it.

Patti F (if I landed on my head, why does my butt hurt?)

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