My Behind Almost Hit the Ground!!!

Yep that's right. I ALMOST fell off, big time! Rewind here a minute and I will tell the whole story. So I went to the barn Wednesday to ride and since I still haven't oiled my saddle (it's sitting at home waiting patiently :) ) I put my bareback pad on to ride. In the mornings at the barn there is generally not too much going on rider wise. The kids are in school, most the adults are working. Just the staff is usually there feeding etc. So I went to ride in the practice arena. If you look at my previous post about riding in there and mirroring the far end of the arena is Duck's most unconfident place. Ok having said that we played on the ground for awhile mostly fun stuff like practicing leading from the mane etc. This day when I got up on the fence I didn't even ask her over yet and she lined up sideways perfectly for me to get on. I still need help getting on, I can't do it anymore from the ground but that is another story. So we went riding off and mind you the last time I rode her in this arena was when we did the mirroring. Well I felt like I was on a DIFFERENT horse. I mean seriously. She was calm, her whole body was relaxed and I felt more in tune with her than almost any other time. 

Then this!!! We are riding around in the bareback pad, in our halter with the savvy string for a rein having a dandy time just walking. So another boarder that I talk to comes up with another guy. He is coming to look at this truck parked next to the "scary" end of the arena. I am chatting away and he starts the truck. Duck is totally fine. No tension, nothing in fact she's just trying to get nibs of grass. And then suddenly the guy completely floors the gas pedal for this already loud Diesel engine (which Duck is still fine) and then in a split second the engine sputters out and then WHAM! It ROARS back to life and Duck totally spooks! She took off so fast I was almost off her the first stride. I'm not sure if she was hopping but I remember looking down to my left (the side I would have fallen off of) just ready to let go and fall when she suddenly stopped. If she had gone one more step I'd of been off! I quickly righted myself and of course NOW she is tense. So we spent the next few minutes walking within her comfort zone of this engine (which instead of 3 feet is now 12 feet). UGH! 

I guess I was just stupid for having her that close to it in the first place. The guy obviously knew NOTHING about horses and apologized as did the boarder. 

See with Kira I would have never been that close to an engine, period. She was scared to death of them. Sure she got used to most but as loud as that engine was I don't think she'd of gone near it in the first place!

So then our confidence is shattered, again.. I decided not to ride her back to her barn. Good thing too. She was still on some adrenaline because barn staff sent her flying again when he came ripping around a corner from the hayshed at full tilt. Good thing I was on the ground. And hopefully this isn't going to be a new hurdle with now "scary" engine noises or even just that end of the arena, again! I will soon find out when I ride again!