So we brought it down to Texas after we got settled in... At the first meet and greet, I proved that yes, I could barely saddle a horse correctly and do basic grooming chores. She told me to ride him around the pasture. So I did.
Once, twice, around the perimeter (I was actually checking fence, it's a habit) and we stumbled on a cluster of yearling calves that were just brought into the pasture.
Katy bar the door. I felt like a 2 year old on the old mechanical horse in front of the 5 and dime store. Head going one way, arse going another, it was a miracle I stayed on the horse.
When things settled down, there was one single calf in the corner of the pasture.
We went back to the barn and I asked what the [redacted] just happened?
She said "Forgot to tell you, I trained him as a cutting horse when we were young".
Thanks, lady. ;). It was an interesting ride, and the horse did every bit of the work, even with me flailing around on top.
/johnny
LOL. That’s a funny story. I have some good ones from when I was a kid - including the one where the saddle rolled under the horse while galloping up a hill.
Me and my friend were ok, but the hooves landed a little too close to the head for comfort - know what I mean?LOL.
Watching a good cutting horse work is a true pleasure - they are really smart & cow ‘savvy’. Being on one when you’re not a cutting horse rider ... well, you did a great job to stay on!
My first pony (Twinkle ... loved that name) had been trained as a barrel racer. She was dead quiet & mannerly (never kicked or bit, trailer loaded like a dream) until somebody got on her and then you had better know what you were doing because she was ready to go! I used to take her to our church picnics for the little kids to ride. She was gentle and great with little kids (smaller the better) as long as you were leading her. I always left her bridle at home & just had a halter on her and a small, child-sized western saddle so they had something to hold on to.
Anyway, we had this obnoxious guy in the congregation (he’s always done everything bigger & better than everyone else) and he came up to me at one picnic and proceeded to tell me about his childhood pony “Billy” and all the adventures they had (he was quite the ‘cowboy’, it seems). Then, to my utter shock and surprise, he grabbed the lead rope out of my hand, leaped into the saddle ... and before I could react, Twinkle was off! Of course, he had NO control - I think he had expected her to just stand there.
She galloped around the house and disappeared briefly, then reappeared on the other side, still at a dead gallop as she came weaving back through the people on blankets and in lawn chairs in top barrel running form, and ended up at the line of food tables, grabbing food as she worked her way down the potluck dishes, etc. The ladies behind the table were screaming and Mr. Cowboy looked like an idiot hanging on - he had both arms wrapped around her neck by that point. Twink’s previous owner fed her vanilla wafers, potato chips, hard candy, and a piece of toast on occasion (a practice I stopped when I got her) so when she saw the food, she was getting herself some and she really didn’t much care what it was!
I finally managed to snag her lead rope and got the situation under control. Mr. Cowboy staggered off (I’d swear his complexion was a light shade of grayish-green) while the rest of us got a good laugh. Twinkle was none the worse for wear and was back to her quiet, gentle self as soon as he was out of the saddle. I did have to clean her up - wiped a good bit of potato salad off of her lips and she also managed to get quite a few potato chips (of course!) and destroyed a pan of brownies, too. :-)