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Bold horse story- don't dump your 9 year old
stepdaughter off on an antisocial 15 year old boarder
for free baysitting-  I was getting ready to ride my
quarter horse type grade mare when Paula the young
girl came running out to the barn to ask to ride with
me- I would have said no because my mare was way too
fast and fun to ride to have a little newby whiner kid
tag along but Robbie the owner was disapearing in a
cloud of dust to run to town.  So reluctantly I agreed
she could come, not having any choice and not wanting
to tick off the lady giving me a board discount for
cleaning stalls.  Shortest route to the swimmable
relatively gator free lake was to follow the train
tracks. ( SW FL) I did it every weekend no problem-
unfortunately it was spring break and the first time I
did it on a weekday- BIG PROBLEM- another boarder
joined us -a young married girl with her very first
horse.  All of us riding along the tracks- Paula and
Debbie riding western and me riding bareback.  We were
about a half mile  to the big curve and tressle before
the lake when we heard the train whistle.  The railbed
was built up with oystershell/rock mix and steep about
20' high- Paula and Debbie freaked out and I yelled
run back to level ground and released my bold mare
Cappie to gallop straight towards the blind curve
ahead to try to get the train to at least slow down if
they didn't make it.  I beat the train to the curve
waving like maniac.  By then the railbed was at least
thirty steep feet above standing black swamp water of
unknown depth. I kept waving until the last second I
dared, pointed Cap to the drop off and in two giant
leaps we splashed down while the rain roared past. 
The water was only about belly deep and I spun her
right around and in about 5 shorter leaps we were back
on top racing along beside the last few train cars to
see if everybody was ok.  I passed Paula first, she
was crying and screaming having fallen off over
Fancy's head when he wisely choose to go down the
steep bank right where he was instead of running. The
old appy was just standing over her so I knew they
both were fine- nobody really hurt makes that much
noise. I had stopped to see Paula for a second and the
train had managed  to stop about a 1/4 mile up the
tracks.  An engineer or other worker was running back
to us hollering every cuss word I had ever heard.  I
galloped right past him to find poor Debbie holding
her right knee and trying to run down the track
sobbing Whyskie got hit!- but no, what had happened
was when the gelding saw me and Cap run one way and
Fancy going down the bank he was too chicken to follow
so he froze in place until he actually saw the train
then bolted towards home. Debbie being an absolute
beginner rider pulled back on the reins for balance
and he reared, lost his footing and rolled half way
down the left bank dumping Debbie.  He then bounced to
his feet and dashed back across the tracks in front of
the train.  He made it with about a cat whisker to
spare and was homeward bound. We were all chewed out
by the whole train crew.   They saw that Whyskie was
OK and reported he was last seen hauling his palomino
butt North as fast as he could.  Debbie and Paula
doubled up on Fancy to get back to the barn about 5
miles.  Debbie's knee looked pretty huge by the time
we got there.  She was so grateful her horse wasn't
dead or maimed she didn't even get mad.  Robbie was
waiting for us and got all insulted and said she would
NEVER ask me to take Paula riding again- like she
actually asked me in the first place, I would have
said no.  My bold mare was a flaming chestnut with
flaxen mane and multicolored tail. I bred my Joy to a
lovely, gentle black bay  straight Egyptian stallion
declining the excellent and also super gentle chestnut
one because I was afraid a red foal would remind me of
my dream horse I only owned 18 months :-(- so I get a
brilliant chestnut filly instead of the dark colt I
wanted.  God has a sense of humor and Bonnie is so
different than Cappie it hasn't been hard at all. 
Cappie,ranch raised, was a Git-ER-Done horse- do
whatever you asked when mounted but wanted to stay by
herself when at liberty- Bonnie, imprinted at birth,
nickers and neighs to me and happily trots up to my
whistle.  She is all people focused and developing a
textbook tenthorse personality.
Barbara timer trained at Tough Sucker No frills, Joy
waiting for a trim ( hurry back from FL Melissa) and
Bonnie who just discovered a new Jollyball toy


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