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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Weekly Visits

The best I can manage is a once Weekly visit to Nevel.  The days are too short and it is Dark when I get off from work.

Primarily the visits consists of Apples, Carrots, feed and Dressing Changes...with a brushing and maybe a Tail wash thrown in for good measure after a good race around the Arena.
Now the grass in the lane is Greening, we are restarting our "Grass Walks."

Today, I turned Nevel loose in the Arena...He ran, and ran and ran and jumped over the jumps and bucked and carried on.  Being kept in a paddock by himself is not good for his activity level.  He had been turned out with Drummer and they raced all around playing hide and seek in the trees, but T was afraid Nevel would rip his leg back open so he was once again banned to paddock life.

After his Arena run today, we did a Grass Walk and then headed for the "BIG WOOD"  He was well behaved and we meandered down and across Sewer Road to the High Meadow Road.  Past the junk piles we went, past the 6 + Million Dollar houses and on and on towards Folsom Lake.
This is the last calm moment of the day...
 They say it is a Mile and a half to the Lake...but when Nevel started behaving like a maniac, whinnying, dragging and half rearing, I decided it was MUCH longer than the lake.  But we did make it halfway down the steep hill to the Lake Bottom when I noticed how dry the lake was.  I could not even see any water...and Nevel was SO dragging me back up the hill.

At one point I slipped in the gulley and found myself staring up at Nevel high above me-I was literally hanging on to his lead rope to keep myself upright.  Thankfully he did not take off on me...but I would not have minded if he had dragged me out at that point!

We Circled, he drug me, we circled, he drug me....my heart was racing and I couldn't find a decent tree to tie him to so I could rest.  Whinney, drag, circle, whinny draggggg circle...ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? he wouldn't even STOP to eat GRASS !!!!

Then he got ugly on me...tired of circling and in an open meadowy place he decide to haul off with laid back ears, shook his head, reared up and then tried to take off on me....I hung on for dear life and yelled for him to WOAH!!!!!

Thankfully he did as I jerked his lead rope hard.  He was getting prancer and madder by the moment...drag, circle, push me in the ditch, circle drag...push me in the bushes....AGHAAAAA

A woman on her horse appeared...her horse was prancing in place as she asked if she could help me...I said I needed help, but from the looks of her sweaty prancing horse...she would not be my Angel of Mercy....

So we kept going....Circle, drag, circle drag, half rear, shake head..."hhhhmmm maybe I will bite her arm since she won't give me a snack attitude!"  BAD BAD BAD NEVEL...I was too exhausted to even be mad!

I thought he would slow down at the parking area...or even after we crossed the street...but NOOOOO
Whinny whinny whinny at horses in their pens....stomp around, shake head...NOT EVEN eat his FAVORITE grass by the Mossy Rock!!!!!

Ok...DRAGGGGGGG me up the hill he did...Mind you...this WAS on foot.  I was not on his back.
As far as I am concerned that 3 mile round trip was REALLY FIVE MILES with all of our circling!
Surely it was!

I tied him up and let him stand at the barn while I rested.  When I fed him I reapplied his bandage only to find myself  dizzy blacking out.  I plopped quickly on a rock and immediately regained my senses!  Good grief!  I think I over did it a bit?   I just got over a 5 day respiratory illness.... crazy me!

So here is...All lovey dovy back in his Paddock looking for SNACKS!!!!!



5 comments:

Lei said...

Do I need to come up there and give Nevel a Come to Jesus meeting? If I did it with Mitch ... and he was the ultimate dragger ...

falconfeathers said...

Oh wow...that sounds great....!

I would say Nevel is slightly "horse companion" sour?

falconfeathers said...

Lei...do you have any advice? : )

irish horse said...

I bet your arms are longer than before! I hate the pulling when walking. Maybe a walk alone was just too much to ask right now. Maybe a shorter walk, or a walk with a buddy.

For me I sometimes take a dressage whip, mainly to reinforce the "stay out of my space" aspect. Flailing with a lead rope only works when they aren't too pushy.

I'd be happy to go on a walk with you one weekend, Major is a pretty good influence, no silly stuff when walking.

feather light said...

Yah...I really took Nevel TOO far...but he was doing SO well...I should have known better...oh well..we survived...Ands yes...I will take company anytime.

I am going to start riding NEvel again in the arena...I am not real sure about the stability of that right hind hoof...but we shall see! Another long healing process!