Ears Back

Reno, he was a hell of a horse. Heart of a giant, but fear of a little kid. Reno was massive 16.5 hands. He was a handful.

I think Reno was 4 and we were riding down a fence one time (he loved to jack people on a fence). I'm keeping him off the wire and all of a sudden he stops....cold. Both front feet in front of him, dead cold stop. "what's up boy?"

Reno was always very attentive, but this time he was focused on...something. In seconds his lip curled and his ears came flat back against his neck.

"UH OHHHHHH!!!"

He didn't move (at first). He was solid, like a statue. Just rigid. Didn't even sound like he was breathing. (worst possible thing for Reno). I dug in, just waiting for him to "rodeo"....I couldn't see it, but he could, and he was rigid like a concrete monument. I could feel his chest swell, his front quarters were solid like iron. He was quivering.

His lack of movement was scaring me, he was just fixed. I figured I was about to be on a Space Shuttle lauch!!

"Back up, Reno...BACK UP!!, boy!!" .... I've got his chin up next to his chest...."BACK UP, boy...BACK UP!!. Reno's dancin', getting ready to rear, not liking the bit pulled back so hard.

And then it happened. A huge swarm of yellow jackets came out of a hole in front of him. A bunch flew up his nose, I got stung about 20 times and it was ... rodeo ON!

Reno didn't like to throw me (for some damn reason), but he liked to run...and run he would. Fastest damn horse I've ever known.

Reno's idea of safety was running, and he'd run for 5 miles before you could get a bit to slow him down. He'd spit blood (from a bit) before he'd stop running. Walked a couple miles back to the corrals that day. Damn horse had his head on my shoulder most of the way. Dunno why. He was a good boy.

Fear and rage are almost inseparable in horses. Trust is everything.

They have to know, no matter what, you will never hurt them. You will always do the right thing for them. The have to KNOW it. It has to be the ONLY thing they know. Then you have a true ride.

It takes years and years to train a human, to work with a horse like this. It's a rare thing, when it does work. You don't train a horse, you train a human.

And when that horse looks at you with his/her ears, that expressive moment, you don't stare into their face. You just see.

It's like cattle, you never look them in the eye (it's a challenge), you just 'understand'.

When there's no one else around to ask questions to, no one else as far as you can see, you have to figure S# out on your own.

Ears back is a bad thing. Always.

I dunno why I write this S#.

It's all a part of life, moments I've lived, but it seems so boring reading it.

Sorry for the inconvenience .

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
I dunno why I write this S#.

But I told you--

You have the soul of a poet. A writer writes. You're a damn good one too

I love the intimacy and deep self understanding of your writing. You are very gifted.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Hope all is well in you and your partner's battle.

Great stories that you produce !
Having grown up with thoroughbreds with the odd quarterhorse and arab thrown in .. I was interested in this story in particular. A little disappointed at the bleeding from the mouth due to some harsh reinsmanship part though.

Cheers

Thought it was going to be a rattle snake. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few while riding up in Cle Elum. Green horse meeting rattlesnake + my fear of snakes = bad combination.

First time it happened one of the older guys (I was pretty young like 12) killed the snake, cut off the head, jammed a stick in it's mouth and chucked the head down the hill. Threw the snake in his saddlebag and taught me how to skin it when we got back. It was pretty fun. Put the skin in a jar filled up with some green liquid (can't recall what it was) and after a few weeks I stretched it and tacked it onto a board. Had it a long time and always wanted to do something with it. Went to get it from the garage 5 years later and the skin had gotten wrecked somehow within the last few weeks.

I remember a few horses like Reno growing up. Always loved to bust some knees. Almost always got a warning from an owner or trainer beforehand, and always thought it was comical how they thought they were so sneaky!

I would have said F it and let him have his head, hate bees/wasps and snakes.

Man, now I'm missing horses while drinking. Don't really know any of the people I used to, maybe I could go on a trail ride *eyeroll*.

a reply to: Domo1

There is always "Pony Club" mate ...

a reply to: Timely

Well, he didn't actually spit blood, at least not with me, but his mouth was that hard...he easily could have. You learned with Reno that if you ever let him get his head all the way out, you better just hang on...cuz he wasn't stopping, not until the next county or two. That boy just loved to run.

I eventually got him to where he'd stop or slow up on a voice command, but I don't think that horse ever even felt a bit in his mouth...at all, ever. Not even a square bit.

The young gal who had owned him before I got him rode him on barrels (western US Grand Champ) since he was old enough to go under a saddle. That horse's mouth was solid steel. She sold him to a gal who used to work for my dad. She was an older lady and got him as a pet more than anything. She was scared to death of riding him (she did once or twice). He was WAY too much horse for this gal. That's how Reno and I first met. She'd wash, brush and feed him...and I just had to ride him. I was the only person he'd let ride him, for some dang reason. Maybe he just knew I was just as crazy as he was. I dunno, but that was Reno.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

So did you lose Reno? That is what i take from this great story.
If so you have my sympathy mate, sounds like one amazing animal to have the privilege and skill to ride!!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Sounds like a great horse with a big heart !
Some like to use a hackamore with a hard mouthed horse, I feel they can be cruel ...

Enjoy your stories FCD !