So, I have been sick for almost two weeks…Nasty sinus infection that just went down hill, even with early anitibiotics…and then had a sales manager in town last week, so I didn’t have time to ride. My horses did get a hunt in last wednesday and a couple hacks by my trainer kept them sane…but they get out everyday, so I wasn’t too worried about fitness.
Anyway, I’m finally feeling up to par on Saturday to ride. A friend joins me to ride my mare and we go out on a 1.5 hour hack. It was fun and horses were well behaved. On the way back to the barn, one of the hunt members had brought out his horse drawn sleigh…and for the first time since I purchased my Thoroughbred 5 years ago…he wigged out. it was pretty funny. all of the sudden the bells, long whip and monster chasing the horse was too much for him to handle. he’s been around carriages with no problem, but this was too much…and he can run backwards about as fast as forwards LOL. It took some effort and finesse to get him by…I had to dismount since my friend dismounted and was afraid I’d run over her…but we all lived…he went from 17 hh to 19 hh though!
the next day we hunted on the farm where I board and also had a 10 minute hack north to what we call “north farm”. I usually don’t consider it on of the harder fixtures, so I wasn’t too worried. OMG!
We were going on 20 to 30 minute full gallops…twisting through the woods and fields…non-stop…I wanted to die! the entire hunt was that way. barely any trotting… and, oreilly was full of it and wanted to be first…we were just a couple horses behind the Feild master, but that wasn’t good enough for him. he was having fun over the jumps and jumping everything huge (so unlike him, he’s usually mild mannered)… he was so fresh…even by the end that I was exhausted…my asthma even kicked in. Usually i can just sit there and hold on to mane if i get tired and oreilly would stay where I wanted. oooohh noooo, he decided whoa was not in his vocabulary…UGH:lol:
I thought I was just out of shape from being sick, but the staff all said it was a grueling ride and that they were amazed I was still on knowing I wasn’t 100% LOL…
oh, and it was one of the staff who had the sleigh out…he know’s I haven’t been a cropper yet and is threatening to take the sleigh bells out when I least expect it…
and Oreilly…well, he was pleased as punch with himself after the hunt and just wanted to be loved on…I, on the other hand, had to be held up! fortunately we had a field in at the barn and nice hot soup, venison sausage and “snow plow” hot beverages revived me!
