A Little Perspective
Monday night, after having a rained out ballgame, Steven hooked up the horse and buggy and saddled up L's horse, Sweetie.
Our friends, Deanie and Linda, came over and Steven thought it was a perfect time to take Deanie for a ride.
As they headed out the drive, B hit the pool and Linda and I sat and caught up.
Upon their return, B jumped out and ran to greet them.
It was then that I heard him exclaim, "YOU WERE THROWN OFF!?!"
I could only assume that he was talking to L as I rose and headed closer to find out what had happened. As I drew near, L started down playing the whole ordeal. "I just lost a stirrup and slid down the side, onto the gravel."
(I think she feared I would over react.)
(It's like she thinks she knows me or something.)
I cast a sideways glance at Steven with a look that told him that I wanted the whole story. He explained that as they had went down the hill, out of our driveway, L was going at a pretty good pace. As the horse started trotting faster, L lost a stirrup. At that moment, Sweetie started stiffening her front legs - or crow-hopping.
Since she was headed down hill, the combination of the lost stirrup and the crow-hop, she was pitched enough forward that she went ahead and somersaulted over the front of the horse, landing on the gravel, on her back.
Steven said that she never let go of the reins and that she got up, tight lipped (willing herself not to cry), and immediately got back on. Sweetie had stopped immediately.
As I was busy trying to figure out if the horse had bucked her off, or if it was just an unfortunate set of events that had been set in motion, Steven was busy expressing his admiration over our extremely "tough kids".
Two hours later I was still wondering if the horse was to be trusted.
I mean, come on, I am a mother, it is my job to be over cautious.
My concern was met with eye rolls and chastisement as I was told (over and over) "SWEETIE'S BACK FEET NEVER LEFT THE GROUND!"
Never.
Left the ground.
She. was. not. bucking.
As I tried to defend my worry, I explained to them that a person could get badly hurt, or killed, and that I couldn't, in good conscience, put her back on a horse that had bucked and that was why I needed some clarity on what had happened.
B looked at me and said, passionately, "Well! If she died at least she would die doing what she loved!"
L looked at her brother, and then at me, and then nodded in absolute agreement.
Well.
That makes it all so much better.
Thankfully Sweetie was. not. bucking.
Our friends, Deanie and Linda, came over and Steven thought it was a perfect time to take Deanie for a ride.
As they headed out the drive, B hit the pool and Linda and I sat and caught up.
Upon their return, B jumped out and ran to greet them.
It was then that I heard him exclaim, "YOU WERE THROWN OFF!?!"
I could only assume that he was talking to L as I rose and headed closer to find out what had happened. As I drew near, L started down playing the whole ordeal. "I just lost a stirrup and slid down the side, onto the gravel."
(I think she feared I would over react.)
(It's like she thinks she knows me or something.)
I cast a sideways glance at Steven with a look that told him that I wanted the whole story. He explained that as they had went down the hill, out of our driveway, L was going at a pretty good pace. As the horse started trotting faster, L lost a stirrup. At that moment, Sweetie started stiffening her front legs - or crow-hopping.
Since she was headed down hill, the combination of the lost stirrup and the crow-hop, she was pitched enough forward that she went ahead and somersaulted over the front of the horse, landing on the gravel, on her back.
Steven said that she never let go of the reins and that she got up, tight lipped (willing herself not to cry), and immediately got back on. Sweetie had stopped immediately.
As I was busy trying to figure out if the horse had bucked her off, or if it was just an unfortunate set of events that had been set in motion, Steven was busy expressing his admiration over our extremely "tough kids".
Two hours later I was still wondering if the horse was to be trusted.
I mean, come on, I am a mother, it is my job to be over cautious.
My concern was met with eye rolls and chastisement as I was told (over and over) "SWEETIE'S BACK FEET NEVER LEFT THE GROUND!"
Never.
Left the ground.
She. was. not. bucking.
As I tried to defend my worry, I explained to them that a person could get badly hurt, or killed, and that I couldn't, in good conscience, put her back on a horse that had bucked and that was why I needed some clarity on what had happened.
B looked at me and said, passionately, "Well! If she died at least she would die doing what she loved!"
L looked at her brother, and then at me, and then nodded in absolute agreement.
Well.
That makes it all so much better.
Thankfully Sweetie was. not. bucking.
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