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Re: [RC] Snakes - desertrydr1I have a couple of snake stories. My anglo-arab mare (lost her Sept. 2007 at 13) used to point out snakes as we cruised along. She would do a kind of a half-spook, where she just pointed at it with her nose while the rest of her body moved about a half step away from it. The first time I took her out on the trails she stepped right over one. She never did spook at them, mostly because we were mostly by them before I realized they were there (to go back to the notion that it's the rider who causes the spook by tensing up).The second story doesn't involve a horse. One time my riding partner and I were out and had ridden up to an old homestead where we often stop for a bit and give the horses a break. I decided I had to pee, so I went over in some waist-high grass and did the deed. As I started to pull up by pants, I heard the dreaded rattle-rattle. It sounded like it was right under my feet, but of course I couldn't see anything because of the grass. so I said my snake prayer "Mr. Snaek, if you'll just give me a sec, I'll get out of your way" The snake god must have been watching out for me, because Mr. Snake decided I could go on my way. I told my friend that she probably wanted to find a different spot to pee, because of Mr. Snake. We went on about our ride, no problem. That night I laid in bed in a cold sweat thinking of how it could have ended, me trying to explain why I had a snakebite on my arse, wondering if my friend could have made it back down to the trailer with 2 horses, then come back up to get me before I died, nightmare stuff! I really don't mind rattle snakes, as long as they mind their own business. In fact, I had a boa in high school for about 3 years, and a garter snake for 4 years, about 5 years ago. They are neat animals, and eat a lot of things I wouldn't like to have for pets. jeri
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