What that chemical in the brain that makes women forget the pain of child birth?

[Corky]

Because I think that chemical is active in my brain after hunting. All I remember from our Spring season Opening Meet yesterday (in Canada we have a spring season) was how amazing BitchyMare was when I finally let her have a gallop, how beautifully she listened, never pulled on me and generally did everything I asked. I have already, not 24 hours later, forgotten most of the rearing, launching and occassional levitation that we did. She was just so lovely to ride (and to stop) that I really did enjoy riding her. We even popped a log and she did it like a seasoned pro. She is a total green bean, less then 6 months total riding in her entire life, despite being 7 this spring. I enjoy bringing along young hunt horses, so I’ve ridden lots of first-timers and I can’t think I’ve ever had one so rideable despite being kept in the nose-bleed section of the second field (we started off hill topping, the nose-bleed section was the upgrade!) and yet she would punctuate our checks with the odd hop to start, then a very respectable lipizzan impression later on.

Isn’t it amazing how our brains can over-ride some details and give you such warm, fuzzy memories of something that was far from warm and fuzzy? Ah, I may never have kids, but I think I understand why women go through the pain of child birth more then once. I’m taking BitchyMare out again next meet

[Beverley]

Wine.

[Hippolyta]

Oxytocin. Also responsible for bonding & milk let down. Do you want to nurse a fox?

[phoebetrainer]

Its also adrenelin!!! Know EXACTLY what you mean. I hunted a horse for some one once (I used to hunt “professionally” - starting horses and hunting them to make good hunters). The horse was a complete lunatic the first time I took her out. Dangerous - to me, not to other horses. Tolerated only because it was a small field and I was well known, and people knew what I could do with a horse. I had to get her owner to pony my home because I could not get her safely away from the other horses.
I have to keep reminding myself of that first ride, because the rides I remember were the later ones when she jumped and galloped and pulled up and stood quietly, went from field to whip and back again. I remember one hunt when I and another whip needed to go around a growth of trees. We had to jump backward through the field who were coming towards us in huge numbers. She sailed over those fences. I still get a high just thinking about it:):D.

[wateryglen]

hmmmmmmm…

Hmmmm…lemme think here…narcotics?! the pre-hunt stirrup cup?
the flask in your pocket with the amnesia-inducing pain killer in it?!!
The post hunt beer? The cumulative concussions from this past and other seasons? I dunno but it happens to ME a lot!!
Foxhunters are kin to fishermen I think; it’s always a good day and the fish (jump) was thiiiiisssss big!!! (arms outstretched!) or gigantic!!
There is no bad day out hunting.

[Corky]

Yes, the flask may have assisted my selective memory. Glad to know I’m not the only one who finds this happens

[Tamara_in_TN]

morphine and wine and the epidural

Tamara

[Lady_Eboshi]

Without a doubt, I have jumped some objects behind a hard-running pack of hounds that I COULD not have jumped “in cold blood” had someone been standing there offering me a briefcase crammed with $100,000 CASH on the other side.

This is something very primal and mysterious . . .

[Wellspotted]

Leaping Powder.

[wateryglen]

Yep!

Lady Eboshi speaks the truth - primal and mysterious!
But never underestimate the power of Percocet!
One time, the day before I was having major surgery, I was feeling very brave (and had P on board!) and kinda like…this may be the last time I’ll get to ride forevernever…etc. (ok so I CAN be a drama queen!) So I took my fieldhunter out and schooled ALL the nearby hunts jumps…ALL of them, alone!! . I had permission but had never jumped most of them. I was possessed! We had wings!!! Weeeeeeee!! I laughed, he bucked, was full of energy doing this, galloping around, jumping coops/walls/verticals,anything!! It was magical. I’d NEVER done that even in the hunt field.
Surgery went super. Was back hunting that fall. 20+ yrs. ago.
Percocet makes you…brave!! (or stupid, depending on your point of view!!)

[merrygoround]

No! No! No! It’s just plain foolishness!

[Foxtrot_s]

Whatever it is, sure nice to have! Uber-woman inspires horse!