My Scary Ride today...

[All4Grace]

To make a long story short. Gracie and I came inches from having a life threatening accident while coming home from the river bed trails. Gracie suddenly spun around and back up into oncoming traffic. THANK GOODNESS the big red truck coming at us wasn't going that fast as he was able to brake and swerve around us.

We had just crossed out of the river beds and were heading home, we had to cross one more street to get onto the bridle path to home. We were calmly walking waiting for the road to clear so we could cross, I have light contact on her mouth and light contact with my legs, we were both tired as we explored new trails today.

I have NO idea why she did this, my sister, said she looked to be just strolling along and just swung her butt into the road and started backing up. O.o It took what seemed like FOREVER to get her to walk forward and she just kept backing even after the truck narrowly missed us.

As soon as we got onto the bridle path she did the same thing, suddenly tried to spin and starting backing up. So I made her back up until we hit the fence. I circled her a few times as I had no horse under me. I didn't have her attention at all and that is scary when your riding along a busy road.

I finally got her mind back and pushed her into a trot, we did circles, backed up, trotted in frame and finally she stopped fighting me.

The only thing I can think of is a charro was riding with us on his GORGEOUS QH stallion. This stallion was very very calm and didn't even bat a lash at Gracie, a VERY well trained boy. We encounter A LOT of stallions where I live and she always looks and sometimes has tried to follow them but she has never acted like this before. After I got her brain back the charro rode along side us on the other side of the fence which gave me a chance to teach Gracie she can behave even with a stallion around her. After 10mins of this I finally had my mare back with me and the charro cantered off. Gracie was excellent the rest of the ride.

Gracie scared the snot out of me today. My sister was pale when she caught up to us. Thankfully, I didn't panic. I somehow manged to keep my cool and focus on getting her off the road.

Friends,
I am not lying when I say that is the scariest experience I have ever had on horseback and I have fallen down hills, been thrown into trees and even got launched 10ft in the air (ok it was maybe 6 but it felt like 10) and none of that compares to seeing a big red truck come within inches of hitting you and your beloved horse.

Could this have been prevented? I dunno, I still don't know why she did it, was it my fault or hers or what.. I dunno. I'm just happy to be sitting here in one piece!
*sigh*
I need a bubble bath now!

[Equine_Woman]

Oh man!! I knew a horse once that lost her mind when she saw men running across a field. . . you just never know what will set a horse off and you hope they have enough training that you can get them back to you quickly and safely!! Glad you guys weren't hurt!!! Yikes!!

[Fork]

That's terrifying! :(

Glad you guys are okay. It seems more like something that's never really happened before, right?

[ownedby7horses]

Wow, scarey. I'm sure glad you guys are ok and I can imagine how terrifying that would have been. What an experience.

[Country Girl 43]

UGH!! Dallas did that to me one day. We had crossed the road and were heading for the trail path, but we had to go over the horse gate first. He did NOT want to step over it and every time I lined him up he would back up in to the street. Once he wouldn't stop backing up and a truck was coming towards us. Thank goodness he slowed down so I could try to get Dallas out of the road.

I finally ended up getting off him and sending him over the gate. I was so pissed off! :mad:

[JackieB]

That is so incredibly scary. Thank goodness for a safe outcome.

[lacyloo]

WOW ! Glad both of you are okay.
I had a similar scare a few months ago.I decided to check the mail while on Farah and We have done this plenty of times...Well as I reached in to grab the mail,Farah's hackmore caught our inlaws mail box lid and tossed her head back and THREW that mail box across the road. She started going running backwards into the road.Luckily the car that was coming had enough time to slam on breaks.It was one of the scariest freak accidents Iv ever experienced.

[RayLa]

oh my goodness, thats terrifying!!! Im so happy both of you are ok!!!

[lovesfortune]

Bubble bath sounds like a good idea! How scary! Thank goodness the man in the truck was able to stop!

[oursarge]

That is so scary, my nightmare. I am glad the outcome was a good one.

[BlessingInDisguise]

Oh my gosh, if it had been me I woulda hadta changed my britches after that episode! I believe everyone has an angel, and yours was with you yesterday;) I'm glad the two of you are ok.

[Tatesgram]

Whoa, glad both of you are ok. What a scary experience. I'm glad all of you had considerate drivers or who knows what the outcome could have been. I've had people blow their horns at me while riding off the side of the road. What were they thinking :(.

[Gypsy Rose]

Yikes! That's scary! Glad everything turned out all right.

[MyMia]

That is so scary! I hate riding along roads just in case something happens like that. Sometimes drivers are nice, but there are times they're idiots. I'm so glad you were okay, though!

Way back when, I was riding a horse that would all of a sudden stop and back up, almost panicked. The only thing we could think of is the bit got out of place somehow and pinched him, or his teeth needed to be done. I switched bits and his teeth were floated and he never did it again (to my knowledge, anyway). Could she have had something like that?

So glad you're both okay!

[All4Grace]

Way back when, I was riding a horse that would all of a sudden stop and back up, almost panicked. The only thing we could think of is the bit got out of place somehow and pinched him, or his teeth needed to be done. I switched bits and his teeth were floated and he never did it again (to my knowledge, anyway). Could she have had something like that?

So glad you're both okay!

I dunno, she had her teeth checked not to long ago and she is good on that, we had been riding for a few hours before with no bad behavior, she was fantastic the whole ride up until it was time to go home. Actually, Hazel was the one that was acting up much of the ride, it seems Grace and Hazel have switched trail riding personalities. Gracie has gotten calmer and Hazel more hyped up. I did check to see if her bit was still over her tongue and she has slipped her tongue over before but she was fine tack wise.

She has backed up randomly before but it has always been when I ask her to stand when she doesn't want to, I wasn't asking anything of her at the time of her spin out.

*I am grateful we live in a horse savvy community, 80% of the time the drivers slow down and give horses room when we're on the street and there are almost always someone on the street. Bain St. is high traffic both in cars and horses so most drivers take caution and thankfully the man driving the truck was someone who knew to slow down around horses.

I want to say she just was acting up because we were riding with a stallion and he was behind us. She likes to keep an eye on the boys at all times. In fact before we crossed the busy intersection, the stallion owner was waiting with us. Gracie wasn't standing quietly and she asked if she was a mare, I said yes and he respectfully backed his stallion up. While Grace proceeded to back her butt into the corner of the fence. I guess she was afraid the big bad stallion would jump her from behind. :rolleyes:

But I can't be sure that is why she spun. If I ever get the kids done with school work today I am going to take Gracie out again. My neighbor might join me on Ginger and we'll take a short ride just around the community. No riverbeds today as I have to work Hazel and Vicor as well and there is not enough time to do all three and go to the riverbeds.

[WashingtonBay]

I guess she was afraid the big bad stallion would jump her from behind. :rolleyes:

Well.... have you seen a 'horse date' lately? Do you blame her? :D

I suspect too, it was the presence of the stallion that got her worked up. Just another one of those things that should get better with more exposure to other horses. It sounds like the stallion owner was helpful and that's golden in terms of opportunity.

I don't recommend tangling with traffic... I'm glad you came out OK and and still on top :)

[Vegashorselady]

OMG! I'm so glad you two came out of that ok. Horses and cars just aren't a good mix.

I was just talking to someone here that had a young teen riding one of her lesson horses around the neighborhood, they were four blocks away from the main road and the horse spooked at something that jumped out of a bush and took off running, ran into the road and right into a car! The horse fractured it's leg but it's going to be ok and the girl was fine, thank goodness. But, all of this is making me rethink riding to close to roads anymore!

[IrisGreen]

I'm glad your ok and everything turned out fine. I also think it had to do with the stallion. You have to be careful, some mares will back up and kick a stallion or back up to flirt with one, either way they can be the one to provoke a situation. Most people think it's the stallion that gets out of hand but it can also be the other way around. Girls are no angles either;)

[Buckpoco]

Wow, what a frightening experience. Thank God the truck driver didn't fly right past you...whew! In my older age I've gotten so that I hate to ride on roads! My horse spooks at trucks and it's very scary. So glad everyone is OK.

[Palogal]

Yikes! Sounds like a nasty heat cycle! Glad you're ok.

[luckydoublesranch]

Oh boy!!! I'm so glad to hear you are both OK.

[Arrow]

I'm glad that you're o.k.! Who knows what your horse sensed--you just never know!

[All4Grace]

thanks everyone!

I haven't been able to take her back out since as we've been getting high winds for two days. *sigh*


I have decided it was her just taking advantage of mom letting her on loose rein and she tried to go see the boy. I have to admit he was a stunner. Jet back with sharp white points, very very well cared for I mean this boy was shiny! :D We encounter A LOT of stallions as out her the charros very very very rarely geld. :mad: but she get's better and better around them all the time. I think she just thought she could away with going to visit. :rolleyes:

[SuperSTB]

Well- the truck had plenty of time to stop and wait until Grace was corrected- he did continually creep forward which didn't help you in the least.

She pulled this stunt because of the stallion. Just like she did when that kid was showing off his palomino stud doing the whole horse dancing and prancing crap the charros love to do. Remember Gracie threw a small hissy and proceeded to show off herself :)

[WashingtonBay]

doing the whole horse dancing and prancing crap the charros love to do. Remember Gracie threw a small hissy and proceeded to show off herself :)

Apparently Gracie likes it too :)

[palomino]

GLad you are ok!!

[JetLagaside]

Yikes, glad it all worked out ok, I can see some interesting training sessions coming up ;)

[XshadowfoxX]

I dont know WHY she did that but MAN I would have been crying scared if I were you.