Crampy horses!

  The foot adventure

The receptionist at the x-ray department of the university hospital said she was too busy to book an appointment for me, but lately my influence skills have reached spectacular levels! When she saw my folder on her computer, she offered to arrange an emergency scan, so, after a short wait, there I was!

The cute operator started taking my x-rays. When he moved my foot to the side, oh, my God, what a pain! While I was waiting for him to confirm that his scan was clear enough, I could hear talking in the room, in front of the computer. They had spotted something, obviously. “Is anything wrong”, I asked when he walked back into the room. “We are not allowed to provide any information, really. But, if I were you, I would make sure to visit my GP this afternoon, to let them know that the scan has been done”, he replied. This wasn’t a good sign, so, back to the GP, trying to explain the puzzled receptionist while I had been sent there by the x-ray department right then, with the results still undelivered.

Finally, I managed to see the GP. He started checking different spots on my foot. OMG, it was painful! He concluded that probably I had a fraction on my little toe and the array supporting my toes was, well, not an array any more!

Naughty Tyson!

I was excited last Thursday to hear from Julie that I would be on Tyson at the lesson. Don’t ask me how I manage to volunteer and ride with a hurt foot, I don’t know really! So there we go, after a few rounds, Tyson was there, happy to contribute to my training with his body! And, as always, once he started, he could not stop! Plus, he knew the exercises better than me! “Start cantering when you reach the second corner”, said Judy. Tyson is a clever horse and a gentleman, he knew I wanted to learn how to canter. So, off he went, as soon as we began the exercise! And I couldn’t stop him, he was just impatient! Indeed, Tyson has a lovely pace, and his cantering is absolutely beautiful!

The lesson would be perfect, just like any other lesson at which I would be on Tyson’s back. But Tyson decided to ruin it! Her kept biting Reeno, a 15-year old stallion who doesn’t bother. What the heck, Tyson’s bites appeared a good motive for Reeno! But if only it was just that. He decided to claim his leadership status on the school! So, while we were waiting for that exercise, Tyson started turning his head, his neck completely bended on the left, looked at me and then, suddenly, turned against Charles -another stallion- bit his neck and rose his body to confront his surprised buddy, before I knew it! It was clearly my fault, despite Judy trying to persuade me that it wasn’t. I should  have been on alert, instead of patting and praising him all the time. Riders are responsible for the behaviour of the horse that they ride. After knowing that I wasn’t happy, Tyson carried on with the lesson like a gentleman again, not bothering with his ego anymore.

The lesson finished, and I began leading Tyson out of the school, where I would untack and wash him. And then, the battle began! Tyson would not stop trying to bite me. Although I was holding him by the reins quite closely, he was strong enough to pass his mouth under them It appeared that the stick I was holding was making him nervous, so I hid it  behind my back. The girls who were volunteering on that day helped me with his untacking and walked behind Tyson on our way to the field. But there was one more challenge to come; Tyson would not give me the bridle, he would turn his head the other way. Urgh! When we sorted him out and he did us the favour to give up that bridle, I finally was free to go and Tyson was looking at me while I was turning my back, making me forgive him.

What have your experience been with a bossy horse? I would love to know!