[RC] The worst of training days and a telepathic question...(long) - Sharon Hinshaw
1st part of the saga....Today was one "heck" of a
training day. We are in the SE near Asheville, NC and ride frequently in the
Bent Creek park area. Great place to train! There were three of us there today
having a wonderful time. We had a cold front move through so it was cool
and breezy and we were making the most of it. About 8-9 miles into the ride and
really up into nowhere, on single track with mountain on one side, no where to
go, and drop off on the other side, again no where to go; my horse passed over
and disturbed a yellow jacket nest that was residing in the ground ..the middle
horse suddenly was in full panic mode, bucking like crazy, my horse is getting
stung and he is bucking like crazy and the third horse got the heck out of
dodge. The middle horse bucks off the rider and she gets stepped on about three
times and she also lands near the nest. Some how we get the rider up and we all
get about 1/2 mile away and we regroup. While checking injuries and how many bee
stings we all have, the middle rider has about 15 stings, both arms have been
stepped on but not broken and her lower back also is OK..she suddenly starts
wheezing and having difficulty breathing. Face is swelling and getting hives all
over. Somehow we have cell service, very unusual, call 911 and have EMS meet us
as near to the trail head as we can get. We keep her in the saddle and haul butt
meeting EMS in an ATV. They take her on to the local hospital while we pony out
her horse. she is fine after IV fluids, Benedryl and steroids.
2nd part of the saga...We get back to our
trailers, check the horses again...they seem to be fine other than the welts,
heart rates are fine, untack and let them graze some before loading when we
realize that one of the vehicles has been broken into! Window broken out
and purse stolen, money,credit cards and cell phone...What else is going
to happen! ? This has always been a safe place. So
call goes out to the sheriff and hurry up and wait on
them.
3rd part of the saga and telepathic question...of
course now the horse whose rider is in the ER has had issues in the past with
entering a trailer. Had a bad accident once and still sometimes has trouble
getting in. So of course we can't get him into the trailer. We try everything
and an hour later I'm at my wits end. And then I remembered a thread on
ride camp about how a horse communicates. So I took him a little away from the
trailer but still lined up straight, stood to the side of his face and looked
him in the eye, talked very quietly to him about home, all the while picturing
it in my mind, the white fence, his other pasture buddies, the green pasture and
then pictured him getting on the trailer to go there. I was absolutely
astonished as I led him in and he went right on like the past hour never
happened. That was so bizarre but I had several witnesses. So my
question..did he understand finally what I wanted of him with my pictures or did
he finally get tired of the game and just got on. Coincidence ??? Not only did
he get on but he stood quietly while I hooked him onto the safety tie, hooked up
the butt bar and shut the door. What happened??
So all of you be careful out there!! Watch out for
bees and have a plan if you get separated, have a cell phone, it might work. We
were lucky.... it could have been so much worse and thank goodness we don't have
to deal with banana spiders as well!! Sharon and
Renegade
