Pulling back-Funny Story!

[Debbie Whaley <djwhale@bendnet.com>]

Most times, a panicked, halter-pulling horse is an uncomfortable thing to
watch at the very least, sometimes its terrifying.  One image that is
stored in my memory and still makes me laugh, though, involved a horse
pulling back while tied to a very flexible tree.  

I was at a barrel race at our local fairgrounds, and watched a young girl
tie her haltered horse to a tall, thin evergreen tree.  The tree was about
15 feet tall and maybe 18 inches in diameter-there was a long row of them
planted along a fence around the concession stand.  The horse was tied at
eye level and had about three feet of slack in the rope.  The girl walked
away.  The horse stood for several minutes, then suddenly lunged backwards,
pulling with all it's might.  The tree kind of whipped over, bonked the
horse on the head, then rebounded back, pulling the horse back to it's
original position.  The tree was still kind of swaying and the horse stood
for a few seconds, then pulled back again!  The tree bonked the horse on
the head again, not quite as hard this time as the horse hadn't pulled back
as fast.  When the tree snapped back-the horse went back with it.  This
time the horse stood still-he sure wasn't going to try that again!   About
ten minutes later, the girl came back,  untied her horse and led him away,
totally unaware of what had happened.  Maybe we should all plant a few of
those trees, huh??

Debbie Whaley in Sunny Central Oregon  (with Shah and Ray, who each
finished their first 50's this year!) 



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