"I was supposed to be walking only, with the unspookable boss of the boss's event horse. He'd been on stall rest and we'd built a rapport during all the laser treatments and handwalking, so I knew he'd be safe."
He was also a measley 15.3, and after the giants Jill had been riding for the very tall boss, she felt fine about wearing sunglasses out on a hack instead of her hat. Members of the High Performance Committee had shown up that day, and she wanted to make good impressions.
She had been grateful for the chance to turn Buddy around to face the tractor in front of them. The boss had bestowed this honour, "I know how much you like working with him on the ground."
They made fun of her around there, for working with Buddy, with her helment on. But he was dangerous, and powerful, and intentionally kicked OUT at you. He had also run her over, knocked her to the ground and dragged her towards the barn. Wearing some safety gear was the least she could do to protect herself was the way Jill looked at it. She didn't have medical benefits but she wasn't refusing to work with the animal! Wearing the helmet certainly increased her confidence and gave Buddy's ESP the correct message that she was not giving up...
Anyway, that day, during the exhilerating/relaxing and unusually helmet-free hack, she went flying. That is, after about 30 calm and relaxing walk minutes in the Florida sun, Elvis took a couple of tiny trot steps and leapt with all his might, up and then forward. An eternity later, as his front feet were about to hit the ground, and Jill was pitched a little forward in her saddle, he added a tremendous buck. What an athlete!
Jill could see the ground coming a long time before she felt it. "I almost stayed on" she said, after hitting the dirt and making eye contact with her still mounted trail buddy, as Elvis backed up in a scramble, dragging her through the grass by the rein still clenched in her right fist. Jill was amazed to be conscious and she didn't have the wind knocked out of her!
She had been grateful for the chance to turn Buddy around to face the tractor in front of them. The boss had bestowed this honour, "I know how much you like working with him on the ground."
They made fun of her around there, for working with Buddy, with her helment on. But he was dangerous, and powerful, and intentionally kicked OUT at you. He had also run her over, knocked her to the ground and dragged her towards the barn. Wearing some safety gear was the least she could do to protect herself was the way Jill looked at it. She didn't have medical benefits but she wasn't refusing to work with the animal! Wearing the helmet certainly increased her confidence and gave Buddy's ESP the correct message that she was not giving up...
Anyway, that day, during the exhilerating/relaxing and unusually helmet-free hack, she went flying. That is, after about 30 calm and relaxing walk minutes in the Florida sun, Elvis took a couple of tiny trot steps and leapt with all his might, up and then forward. An eternity later, as his front feet were about to hit the ground, and Jill was pitched a little forward in her saddle, he added a tremendous buck. What an athlete!
Jill could see the ground coming a long time before she felt it. "I almost stayed on" she said, after hitting the dirt and making eye contact with her still mounted trail buddy, as Elvis backed up in a scramble, dragging her through the grass by the rein still clenched in her right fist. Jill was amazed to be conscious and she didn't have the wind knocked out of her!
Robin said, "I saw. Now LET GO" firmly and calmly. Despite the fact nobody wanted that particular horse on the loose, a working student/employee getting pulled around was not healthy either. She would say later, in a terrified voice, "it was amazing. All four feet were off the ground at the same time. For a long time!" and rhyming off the daily allowable/aka recommended advil doses.
Jill could laugh about it, because the saving grace was that he caught her totally off guard. "That's why I wasn't hurt at all. I was totally not expecting it and totally relaxed! But thank goodness I didn’t land on my head. I am going to learn from the flying lesson with Elvis and never go out without my helmet ever again! You never know when you will go flying through the air!"
She would remain in Ontario the next winter and write three helmet promoting features for three different Horse Magazines. And, Jill would be comforted to eventually learn that the last 5 working students before her had been dragged by Buddy and refused to have anything to do with him afterwards. While she became known as the Nervous Nellie for dealing with him with her helmet on!
She would remain in Ontario the next winter and write three helmet promoting features for three different Horse Magazines. And, Jill would be comforted to eventually learn that the last 5 working students before her had been dragged by Buddy and refused to have anything to do with him afterwards. While she became known as the Nervous Nellie for dealing with him with her helmet on!
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