Ginn
Well-Known Member
Lets start with the ugly and then I'll explain the bad and the good!!
My face, cleaned up and de-blooded 3 hours post incident!!
And my back, which seriously hurts, is swollen and is changing colour by the hour.
As I'm off on holiday in less than a week I think I'm going to have some seriously unattractive photos this year
So the good, took Tilly on her first proper woods hack today, somewhere totally new, with my friend and her greenish horse. While Tilly has been through woods before, they weren't like these which went on for miles and miles with loads to look at. She was exceptionally well behaved for the first half, nice and relaxed, as was friends horse. Got up to the top, had a little trot along the road to get to the woods on the other side and had to walk through a big, open corn field. Both horses again were foot perfect.
Started to work our way down through the woods on the other side and all was going just fine and we were just discussing how lovely the ride was and how we'd have to make an effort to go through the woods more often.
Then the bad! We encounted a woman walking in the woods with a mahoosive pushchair (which neither horse had encountered before) and 4 totally out of control dogs. Friends horse (who was leading) froze so we shouted ahead to ask the lady if she could put her dogs on leads. She refused, maintained they'd stay under control (if that was what she called control then I don't know what no control would look like). Horses still refused to budge so we suggested she walked towards us but popped onto the lower path abouth 20 ft away so we could go infront safely. Again she refused as she "wasn't going that way". We asked for her to atleast keep the dogs out of her way to which she responded "its ok, they won't chase the horses, they're used to them as we keep ours at home" at which point we calmly point out that we are both on novice horses who were clearly frightened and were having problems so would really appreciate it if she would put them on a lead - no she just stands there in the middle of the path, with pushchair and does nothing with her dogs still bouncing around - all 4 of them!!!
By this point Herbie is trying to back up so I suggest I try going infront, get Till's about 10 ft infront and just as I'm ducking to go under a branch she froze, and caught me out spinning round to run back to herbie who still was not going forwards. Sue tries again with Herb's with no luck so I give it another go with Till's, and the woman and her dogs does nothing but decides to inform us "oh I do have another dog somewhere but I doubt he'll get in your way, he'll probably stay in the bushes. Just as I'm making some feel progress forward with Till's said dog leap out just feet away right into her path and both horses freaked, big time!!
Now the track where we were wasn't very wide, certainly not wide enough for two horses and there were a lot of low branches that were fairly substantial - ok to negotiate at walk or even a steady trot but definately not gallop!! By now Herbie is going full pelt with blind panic with Tilly alongside. Sue and Herbie were on the edge of a fairly steep drop and I was up against the trees and didn't stand a chance of actually pulling up as I couldn't even sit up. At one point Sue was lying across Tilly's neck as she swerved to avoid colliding with a tree and I am getting smacked with Twigs and can't see a thing. Then suddenly I realise we are heading straigh for a very substantial branch that was level with my shoulders! How I stayed on and didn't end up more hurt is a mystery but the whole time all I could think of was the busy main road we were running towards. Next thing I know the branch has caught me full on on the face and I my head is now on my horses bum with the cantle of the saddle digging into my back!!
Anyways, sat back up, kicked on to get infront in a desperate attempt to avoid further accident, and once I was able to sit up, see where I was going and take a few gentle pulls Tilly came back to me and proceeded to act as a buffer for Herbie. Lept straight off (no idea why but it seemed like a good idea at the time), checked T over and I'm not sure whose legs were shaking more. Stood with the horses for about 10 mins until we'd all started to relax and then lead them back along the road for a bit and took a different path home, which was slightly wooded but more open and both horses were very good and quietly walked back almost on the buckle.
Herbie lost a shoe, I lost my hat silk, both ponies needed washing off but suffered no obvious damage and thank god I'd really booted her up as although she is a little more windgally compared to normal and I had to cut away a large chunk of frog that she'd ripped off she seemed absolutely fine tonight.
I'm just fuming over the complete lack of consideration and help of that stupid woman, especially when I consider how badly hurt either one of us or the horses could have been. Thinking about it makes me feel physically sick and I can honestly say I have never been so scared sat on a horse in my life - the amount of thoughts that run through you head in such a short period of time is amazing.
Eeek, sorry for the essay, choccies for those who made it to the end!!
My face, cleaned up and de-blooded 3 hours post incident!!
And my back, which seriously hurts, is swollen and is changing colour by the hour.
As I'm off on holiday in less than a week I think I'm going to have some seriously unattractive photos this year
So the good, took Tilly on her first proper woods hack today, somewhere totally new, with my friend and her greenish horse. While Tilly has been through woods before, they weren't like these which went on for miles and miles with loads to look at. She was exceptionally well behaved for the first half, nice and relaxed, as was friends horse. Got up to the top, had a little trot along the road to get to the woods on the other side and had to walk through a big, open corn field. Both horses again were foot perfect.
Started to work our way down through the woods on the other side and all was going just fine and we were just discussing how lovely the ride was and how we'd have to make an effort to go through the woods more often.
Then the bad! We encounted a woman walking in the woods with a mahoosive pushchair (which neither horse had encountered before) and 4 totally out of control dogs. Friends horse (who was leading) froze so we shouted ahead to ask the lady if she could put her dogs on leads. She refused, maintained they'd stay under control (if that was what she called control then I don't know what no control would look like). Horses still refused to budge so we suggested she walked towards us but popped onto the lower path abouth 20 ft away so we could go infront safely. Again she refused as she "wasn't going that way". We asked for her to atleast keep the dogs out of her way to which she responded "its ok, they won't chase the horses, they're used to them as we keep ours at home" at which point we calmly point out that we are both on novice horses who were clearly frightened and were having problems so would really appreciate it if she would put them on a lead - no she just stands there in the middle of the path, with pushchair and does nothing with her dogs still bouncing around - all 4 of them!!!
Now the track where we were wasn't very wide, certainly not wide enough for two horses and there were a lot of low branches that were fairly substantial - ok to negotiate at walk or even a steady trot but definately not gallop!! By now Herbie is going full pelt with blind panic with Tilly alongside. Sue and Herbie were on the edge of a fairly steep drop and I was up against the trees and didn't stand a chance of actually pulling up as I couldn't even sit up. At one point Sue was lying across Tilly's neck as she swerved to avoid colliding with a tree and I am getting smacked with Twigs and can't see a thing. Then suddenly I realise we are heading straigh for a very substantial branch that was level with my shoulders! How I stayed on and didn't end up more hurt is a mystery but the whole time all I could think of was the busy main road we were running towards. Next thing I know the branch has caught me full on on the face and I my head is now on my horses bum with the cantle of the saddle digging into my back!!
Anyways, sat back up, kicked on to get infront in a desperate attempt to avoid further accident, and once I was able to sit up, see where I was going and take a few gentle pulls Tilly came back to me and proceeded to act as a buffer for Herbie. Lept straight off (no idea why but it seemed like a good idea at the time), checked T over and I'm not sure whose legs were shaking more. Stood with the horses for about 10 mins until we'd all started to relax and then lead them back along the road for a bit and took a different path home, which was slightly wooded but more open and both horses were very good and quietly walked back almost on the buckle.
Herbie lost a shoe, I lost my hat silk, both ponies needed washing off but suffered no obvious damage and thank god I'd really booted her up as although she is a little more windgally compared to normal and I had to cut away a large chunk of frog that she'd ripped off she seemed absolutely fine tonight.
I'm just fuming over the complete lack of consideration and help of that stupid woman, especially when I consider how badly hurt either one of us or the horses could have been. Thinking about it makes me feel physically sick and I can honestly say I have never been so scared sat on a horse in my life - the amount of thoughts that run through you head in such a short period of time is amazing.
Eeek, sorry for the essay, choccies for those who made it to the end!!
