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[RC] [Guest] Zoom Zoom & Lost Horses - Ridecamp Moderator

Jeanne Pepper pepperja@xxxxxxxxx
This story hits so close to home.My horse"Ali" and I parted ways at Wine Country last year,3 miles from the last vet check & 14 miles from the finish line.We'd been having our typical disagreement over rate of speed and he saw his chanch while I tried to splash water on him at a stream crossing.Off he went,tail up & over his back at a full gallope.It took me an hour to walk to the vet check where folks waited on ATVs & motorcycles to search but no one spotted him and though many searched on horseback also he wasn't found and I spent the most awful nite of my horse-owning years waiting for first lite to start the search again.He was finally spotted by airplane and his whereabouts phoned in to a search party of 7 (myself on a borrowed horse finally able to search also).We rode to the area but even with all these horses and people calling his name he never came out of his hiding spot untill I actually jumped off the horse I was on and ran towards him calling his name.He was hiding on a steep hillside,under thick cover and I really feel would not have come out if I hadn't been there.He is not a herd bound horse,doesn't really care if other horses are around or not so just having other horses near by didn't make him show himself.But when he saw me he ran down that hill,whinying,and shoved his head into my chest.He didn't have a mark on him,reins still in place over his neck,so I knew he hadn't tried to roll(a favorite pastime & what had me really worried because he was wearing un-breakable biothane & nylon tack).I was SOOOO happy to see him and he appeared equally happy to see me.Could have ended so much worse.My point...they don't always act the way we think they will.I know of other lost horses who also appeared to hide from the people searching for them.I feel so sorry for Becky & Zoom Zoom.As much as we think we know them,they remain mysteries.Oh yeh,I NEVER let go of Ali's reins no matter what now!And thanks again to all of you who helped me find him.


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