Unexpected Dismounts

Michael told me this morning that this was the third in as many years. All unexpected, all necessitating a complete stop to hunting 😒 and all a complete bummer. And always "could have been worse"! So I am camped on the first floor ( in front of liquor cabinet 😀) and 6 days into recovery and off the narcotics, so I can drink soon!

Not that I drink much. I was worried I would die of an overdose as the EMT's kept spraying Fentanyl up my nose in the ambulance . Definitely helped with the pain but as a lightweight I was groggily afraid it would be too much. It wasn't. Last Sunday, on a beautiful morning at a nearby foxhunting fixture, my horse scrambled to save himself in an unstable crossing. New trail, below an old drainage pond, it looked fine, but in a blink of an eye it went from OK to disaster.  As I watched his shoulders get above my helmet and I was now behind the saddle, I opted to bail off as he continued to struggle up the bank. Felt my left ankle go 90 degrees to the left and knew it was bad. I don't know if I landed badly or maybe he kicked my ankle as he made it finally up the bank. Horse took off and I howled.  Afraid he would come back immediately, and run over me sprawled in the trickling stream, I thought maybe I should start crawling out! Luckily, a young apprentice whip was with me this day and he radioed for help and rescue began. My wonderful husband arrived on scene to literally carry me out of the stream and the gracious landowner friend arrived with the 4-wheeler to get me up to the ambulance. Several friends were very helpful with all of this and I am deeply grateful to all. My horse was found and all arrived home to barn. I went to ER.

As I had noticed blood dripping out of my left riding boot, I suspected it was a bad break. I told the very young, very nice EMT's to NOT take off my boot as it was holding my leg together. They looked undecided, saying they should stop the bleeding, while I said DO NOT TOUCH MY BOOT.  I have learned from others injuries and knew that I needed the boot to stay until we were in the ER and ready to stabilize leg.  This was the point the Fentanyl started helping.  I realize that one never remembers the ambulance drive. I asked Mike if we had lights on and went past cars. He laughed and said yes.

Had surgery Sunday night, screws and plates etc. Hard cast. Non-weight bearing. Saw the nice ( I think) surgeon briefly who said no walking, no weight-bearing for 6 weeks then reevaluate.  Maybe a shoe by January. At least this is what I remember. Pain drugs tend to make me foggy. This brings me to the picture in front of liquor cabinet because I really want a glass of wine! So trying hard to get by on Tylenol, I hope to have a glass tonight! I have driven my wonderful husband crazy by doing logistics, which is what I do when stressed. Made him clean the windows, dust the furniture, polish the table ( because people will see my house). I miss feeding my horses, I miss feeling their breath on my cheek, I miss riding, I even miss mucking stalls!  Thank you to all who helped. Thank you for all the cards and food and well-wishes. It takes friends for sure !!

A fun February hunt, in between ice storms!

Between ice storms we managed to get out on Wednesday. Almost a staff hunt, there were no more than 5 or 6 field members. Our huntsman, who also trains the occasional Maryland Hunt Cup horse, asked me to take one of the steeplechasers along with me as outside whip. No problem, my horse today was OK with company, so off we went, up the ridge path, keeping the hounds on our right.  We were at Patuxent River Park today which really helped with footing as it had been frozen and muddy. In the woods it wasn't too bad so we were able to trot along on the left side of the ravine. Very muddy in some spots but we were all glad to be able to get out at all. The hounds were a little far to my right so I had to keep stopping to listen but I generally knew the huntsman's pace so just kept trotting parallel. We passed Dead Man's Pond and moved across the field heading to the horse farm crossing. I could hear the horn faintly and kept going towards Knox's. We have had good luck here recently in an area that logged this summer. It is a mess of timbered debris but there are fox! Sure enough the whip behind me Tally-Ho'ed a red fox moving west towards the creek with hounds starting to speak. I told Caroline ( the girl on the steeplechaser) that we were  moving up the hillside to the west hoping to keep the fox in country if he ran towards us.  The hound music was fading so I knew the fox was circling to the south and waited,  knowing he might just make the circle complete. We moved back down and and wouldn't you know it, the fox circled and then hung a right crossing the hill where we had been standing. The huntsman asked if I was still up there and I had to tell him I had moved down and was going to stay quiet hoping to not turn him out of country. Good move! We waited watching hounds on the hill to our left and then, out popped Charles James, right in front of us, heading north. A beautiful big red with hounds about 50 feet behind him. One of our young entry from last year, Xman was right on the line, head down, showing the way. Thus began a run that turned out to be about 15 miles according to one whip. Perhaps a visiting dog fox, or one leading us away from a vixen, whichever, this guy put on some afterburners and took off. The hounds sounded magnificent, all on and running for glory. He circled briefly in the logged area and then our road whip, Mark, announced on the radio that he had just crossed Croom Airport Rd and was heading north. 

The huntsman sent me to the west briefly, galloping along the road. As I approached Croom Acres Rd, another smaller dark red fox dashed across the road right in front of me. I briefly wondered where the heck this one was going as he was running right behind a pack of hounds!  Who knows, maybe it was the vixen?  I checked at Croom Acres RD, listening as I heard Mark say they had turned right towards the Nike base. Now, I don't believe there is a missile base in Croom, MD. We all use landmark names that have funny stories that go with them, unfortunately I do not remember why this is called the Nike base, I just know where it is!  Doing a 180, I reversed and started a long gallop back down Croom Airport Rd. I could hear the hounds on my left and knew they were making much better time than we were so I kept up the gallop and headed straight east. 

 I knew Mark was on the left watching Mt. Calvert RD, the Patuxent River was straight ahead about 2 or 3 miles through the park. Jason, the huntsman, was still on my left so I knew to keep bending right. I also knew there was no way through the big ravine that extended past the Nike station except on the right paralleling Park Headquarters Rd. From years past I knew the quickest way to the river was around the station and find the long path on the right of the big ravine. Our huntsman was trying to stay with hounds as they chased through the woods.  I knew he was going to get caught by the ravine, so I was flat out on the path keeping the sound of hounds to my left. Every once in a while I shouted to Caroline asking if all was Ok. She said yes and kept up. That Hunt Cup horse was going to get his workout today! Later she said she actually had to put leg on the 'chaser for the first time to keep up!  I was proud of my guy and glad for all the muddy, mucky gallops we had been doing to stay fit. It would have been brutal without a fit horse. The huntsman and Mark kept telling me the hounds were heading to the river and just south of Mt. Calvert Rd.  There are some small farms and houses at the river so I was trying to get there fast. We made it to the last gravel road along the river running north and south just as the hounds could be seen in some paddocks along the ravine by the River. Mark is trying to keep them from crossing Mt. Calvert Rd and I'm trying to get eyes on and see if I need to try to stop them. As I watch them crossing back and forth in a paddock to my left I see a man, assuming the landowner, running flat out from a barn towards his house, with the pack of hounds right behind! My heart is pounding and I am hoping he is not running scared of them. At this point I'm yelling, trying to call them.  Jason, the huntsman is blowing and calling and Mark is saying they are behind chickenwire in an alpaca farm !!  Sounded a little dicey but everything was OK. The hounds were slowly coming in to the horn. The fox had obviously completely thrown them off by going through the barn and paddocks. The land owner was apparently OK, said everything was fine. I am thinking maybe he was running to secure a farm dog or something. Just glad hounds were all on and excitement was positive. There were donkeys and minis and alpacas all wide-eyed but cool!

It had been an awesome run after one very fine fox that gave us one of the best hunts of the season. All hounds on and some young puppies had a great day learning what it was all about.  We decided to hack back and people, horse and hounds were happy and tired. Now it is icy and snowy again and we are sidelined until a melt.

 

Summertime and the feelin' is easy...

 The two new boys, Frank and Danny, have been wonderful. They have been the easiest Thoroughbreds I have ever transitioned from the track. Both are leading trail rides, jumping 2'6" coops, going thru ditches, water....amazing. Sometimes they need a lead but I am so happy with both of them. They are best friends and seem happy with life on the farm. I keep the routine the same, going out for 20 minutes after morning feed. Sometimes just a walk-about, sometimes a gallop around the back corn field, which is now shoulder high! I am really happy they have been easy because the grandkids keep me busy a couple days a week. I love them and I love looking at the world thru their eyes.

ditches conquered...on to bigger jumps

My friend and fellow whipper-in loved Preacher and was looking to have her first Thoroughbred. He fit the bill perfectly and as I had two more youngsters to work with, Preacher went to a new home. They are both happy I am told!! He was as uncomplicated as a Thoroughbred comes, I may miss him!
Danny, the pretty chestnut, conquered his fear of a ditch and we have crossed many muddy ones at this point. He is a little bit lazy which is not a bad thing in a young Thoroughbred. I have ridden out with the mare and my daughter's horse. He is happy as long as they are in sight, only hurrying a little to catch up when they disappear. Only Thoroughbred I have ever had that actually has a Western pleasure "lope". He will make a show horse if not a foxhunter.
Frank, the old soul is wonderful. Does whatever you ask with absolutely no drama, he is priceless. I could not be happier with these guys and am having fun. I might go take a few lessons!!

it's the ditch, not the puddle.....

My three newbies have been doing really well. Preacher looks like a new horse, starting to dapple. I love a true mahogany bay that dapples, they just look rich, like fine wood. He is always calm and has no drama. Likes to jump and he is a pleasure. It is a good thing that I really don't have much to say about him, he has done everything right . A friend really wants him so I may not have three newbies after all. Frank, the big plain dark brown, is an old soul. I know he is five but truly, he acts like an old horse. As calm as Preacher, he has done everything that Preacher has. Jumped the same 2'3" bales and logs, goes through the water and ditches, doesn't spook when the deer bounce out. He has a very long stride which is a pleasure to ride. I think he will be a lovely whip horse. Just have to get them all past cows, which I do not have on the farm!
Danny Boy, the pretty chestnut 4 year old that was gelded three weeks ago is doing well. He is definitely a year younger than the other two, still hollers for his friends when he can't see them. Actually he hollers when he can see them, he is just young and enthusiastic. Nobody hollers back. But Bob, his "girlfriend", will nicker occasionally in reassurance. Love the old guy. Danny Boy has gone out alone around the big fields, he even followed my mare, who stayed well in front, but he behaved just fine. However he doesn't like ditches! He's ok in the mud and puddles, which I have plenty of, has crossed the wooden bridge, has jumped the logs. He even is happy
to just plow through the woods like a whip horse. But ditches are a no go. I think he can't understand the up and down of it.   He refused to follow me when I dismounted and tried to lead him through ( this is a a small ditch with a tiny stream of water in it), he refused to follow his buddies through. He was not unruly, just immovable. We had to go through the swamp to catch up and he was fine with that! So yesterday I cleared a path through the woods to a flat tiny stream crossing, probably muddy after yesterday's rain, which puts us on the far side of a ditch that goes back to the barn, which is visible. I am hoping this works. I may get hubby to lead Bob, old faithful, and I may just lead Danny with a chain on his nose. This is pretty standard racetrack persuasion.   I will let you know if it works. Wish me luck.

3 fence rails later....

Remember what I said about horses going through the fence ...! Here is horse number 3, the Brad Pitt of the bunch. 4 years old and stunning, his name is Danny Boy ( Jockey Club name was Lettersfromdublin) so we made it Irish somewhat. He lost his manhood a week ago, but he does not realize this yet. So we have let him live in small paddock with Michael's old retired foxhunter, Bob. Bob is the best babysitter, long suffering and kind, mostly. He looked at the new studly fellow and then back at me, as if to say, Really!!! But all was well until I had the bright idea to let the other 2 new geldings as close as a fence rail apart. There had been a small aisle between, but I thought Danny might remember his stablemate and be OK. Well, in the space of one day with Bob he had made him his b***h and was not going to let any one else come near. It took about 30 secs for a body slam along the fence and the 3 rails went flying , splintered in 6 pieces. Old Bob thought this was his jailbreak and took off with the other 2 geldings, Frank and Preacher, who were justifiably terrified. Bob said "follow me" and took off across the pasture. Danny Boy didn't really understand what he had done and did not immediately plunge through the gap in the fence, because there were broken rails. He just screamed and ran around like stallions do who have just had someone steal their babe! My daughter and I looked on in horror. I yelled at her to put her horse away and I would fix fence hopefully before the colt found the gap. I managed one rail from another section to put across and then grabbed Danny Boy to put in stall. Sarh was having a problem with her horse who did not want to go in stall and thereby miss all the excitement, so she was yelling at me or him, not sure. I grabbed a leadrope and went to get Bob, who was blissfully eating with the other 2 new QUIET boys. He reluctantly returned with me to keep Danny Boy happy.
So I am now rethinking both the time and the way to introduce a recently gelded boy to the other 2.    I want to keep them all together because it is easier to bring three in and ride them all. By the way I have ridden them all and they all have been great. More on that next time.

Happiness is 3 new horses and a new truck!

My husband tells me he misses my blog writing. I miss Cookie McClung's funny stories in the Chronicle of the Horse. She was irreplaceable but there are funny stories everywhere with horses, so I am going to "chronicle" taking three new Thoroughbreds off the track and turning them into foxhunters.
This idea sprung from the fact that my best,   gold-standard whip horse, Red, is turning 19 this season and I needed to start bringing a new one along. I was down to 6 horses, having retired from breeding TB horses for the racetrack (which meant I sold them as yearlings at the big auctions). No more foaling monitors! I actually slept from March to May. No more crazy yearlings! It was great but ... and this will resonant with horse crazy people... I had 9 stalls!
I told a few people I was looking for a horse off the track, because that's all I can afford. I love those ads that say " low five figures". Are they kidding! Who spends 10 grand on a horse that can run through a fence the first day, who always pulls shoes the day after farrier is here, and the vet knows by name. I think "high three figures" is too much, but realize the seller has bills too!

At the end of hunt season my friend Bart told me about a little gelding he had that would be perfect! I liked the gelding part but the "little" part is a suspicious word for horse people. But I went to look and was horrified. This poor guy had the worst skin disease I had ever seen, actually second worst, as the other horse he had was even more pitiful. I could tell there was a nice frame under that skin, he was five, and he really needed a new home. So, new horse number one, Preacher, came home that day. He was maybe 15.2 and in really poor condition. I needed my head examined. But he jumped... did a little course of fences, chipped in on one and did it in three strides the next go round. That was with me and I am not a show rider, so he aimed to please. I liked that.

Word gets around when you say you are looking for a horse, even a cheap one, especially on the racetrack. Horse number two turned out to be tall, dark and handsome, but his name was Frankenstein. That's him in photo. Just didn't want to be a racehorse anymore, he is five and I thought he was great. Calling him Frank! Horse number three was his stablemate and had an owner that had had enough. Same trainer called and said "Want another?" Only problem, he still had his "doodahs", as my farrier says. When I told them no-one would take a 4 year old stud colt to their farm, the owner agreed to cut him and now there were three!  Oh, the new truck is a beautiful 2014 Silverado 2500, same as old one just newer.  Wish I could do this with horses. the ad would read: " Wanted- same model as wonderful, seasoned old gelding but newer with fewer miles!"  So the adventure continues.