Bushwhacked!

Bushwacked!

My neighbor, Tyler, and I ride horses for hours almost every afternoon when he gets home from school.  I take turns riding Ladd and my sister’s horse, Dolly.  We ride all over our ranch and even in surrounding pastures and woods with permission of course.

Last Saturday I was riding Dolly and Tyler was riding the horse that he is getting paid to train.  We rode into the pasture with my PawPaw’s cattle herd.  We rode up a dam and Dolly turned to the right.  She began running.  She ran through bushes and under tree limbs.

I did not have time to react.  I was only worried about staying on the saddle.  I hung on for dear life as limbs and leaves began hitting me.  They stung my face, but I kept my eyes closed.

It happened so fast that I did not have time to think.  I heard myself thinking, “Pull back.  Make her stop.  She can’t run away with me.”  I immediately pulled back on the reins and said, “Whoa!” in a calm, but commanding voice.  She responded instantly.

I looked around me and realized that we had only traveled about 10 feet.  Man, time sure passes slowly when your adrenaline kicks in.  Everything had been in slow motion.

Tyler encouraged me.  He praised me for taking back control.  He praised me for staying on Dolly.  He also persuaded me to ride back to the barn and tie Dolly to a patience post.  Then we walked home together.  I wanted to make sure that my eye was okay.

When I walked in the door, my mom immediately saw my eye.  “What happened to you?” she asked.  She thought Tyler and I had gotten into a fist fight.  I laughed and said with a smile, “I was bushwhacked!”

Tyler and I stayed for lunch and told the story.  Then we walked back to the barn, untied our horses, let them get a drink of water, and rode out again.  Dolly did fine the second time out.

Neither one of us know why she bolted.  I guess she was tired and wanted to go home.  Maybe the patience post was what she needed after all.  She sure behaved that afternoon.