Jefpainthorse
Fill in the Blank
moving last weekend. the pool cover is ON... and I am lumping patio stuff to the trailer. My horses are out in the 3 acre yard grazing.
I have a gate open and walk through it with a lawn chair. I get in the trailer... and hear "clomp clomp clomp on concrete. As I react to the noise.... I see a horses rump through a gap in the pool fence and hear a splash.
Yep... an 1100 pound horse just walked out on the pool cover and is in the water. I run back and he is in the deep end (12 ft diving bowl). He rolls a time or two and goes under the cover. At this point, if he gets lost under the cover he's a gonner. My head is multi tasking a plan in one lobe... and cannot comprehend what my eyes are seeing in the other.
I head to the truck and get a rope. Run back to the pool. His head pops out... I swing a loop and neck catch the horse. I get him pulled around facing the shallow end... and while keeping the rope snug start cutting the tarp bungees with a pocket knife.
After a little effort... the horse gets to the shallow end and he's standing in the corner, How do I get him out? Of course I've been screaming myself hoarse hoping my wife will come out... she finally does.
Now, the usually way to extract a horse from a situation like this would require a boom truck or large tractor front loader and slings... but I aint got that. At this point, the horse is belly deep in water eating grain out of my hand. I try tugging on him hoping he will rear and get his front end on the deck... Then I risk it... I get my wife to tap his ass with a buggy whip... hope he rears ... and jumps out on the deck. And he does on his second try.
New situation... 1100 pound horse on a narrow pool deck who sees daylight if he heads out the covered patio. After a little effort we get him pointed out... back into the yard. He's good except for a couple of minor cuts on his back legs... he bump the pool edge climbing out.
Me? I spend 3 hours at the ER. I have been in a lot of tight spots... but this one really got me. Hyperventilation, sobbing, tight chest and pain in the jaw. Got a EKG and they ran blood tests... no heart attack but they gave me a nice dose of sedative and a little pain killer so I took a nice nap.
Learnings.
Know where your stuff is. I always keep a rope in the same place, I didnt even think about where it was... it was there. Pocket knife? Never leave home with out it.
No matter what you seen or done... sooner or later a situation will come up that will take you out of the game. Go with it. See the doctor if you have to... but take care of your self. I can tell you folks this... that was the most helpless and scared I've ever been in my life.
Why post this is a shooting forum? Being involved in a defensive shooting has to be worse....be prepared the best you can.
I have a gate open and walk through it with a lawn chair. I get in the trailer... and hear "clomp clomp clomp on concrete. As I react to the noise.... I see a horses rump through a gap in the pool fence and hear a splash.
Yep... an 1100 pound horse just walked out on the pool cover and is in the water. I run back and he is in the deep end (12 ft diving bowl). He rolls a time or two and goes under the cover. At this point, if he gets lost under the cover he's a gonner. My head is multi tasking a plan in one lobe... and cannot comprehend what my eyes are seeing in the other.
I head to the truck and get a rope. Run back to the pool. His head pops out... I swing a loop and neck catch the horse. I get him pulled around facing the shallow end... and while keeping the rope snug start cutting the tarp bungees with a pocket knife.
After a little effort... the horse gets to the shallow end and he's standing in the corner, How do I get him out? Of course I've been screaming myself hoarse hoping my wife will come out... she finally does.
Now, the usually way to extract a horse from a situation like this would require a boom truck or large tractor front loader and slings... but I aint got that. At this point, the horse is belly deep in water eating grain out of my hand. I try tugging on him hoping he will rear and get his front end on the deck... Then I risk it... I get my wife to tap his ass with a buggy whip... hope he rears ... and jumps out on the deck. And he does on his second try.
New situation... 1100 pound horse on a narrow pool deck who sees daylight if he heads out the covered patio. After a little effort we get him pointed out... back into the yard. He's good except for a couple of minor cuts on his back legs... he bump the pool edge climbing out.
Me? I spend 3 hours at the ER. I have been in a lot of tight spots... but this one really got me. Hyperventilation, sobbing, tight chest and pain in the jaw. Got a EKG and they ran blood tests... no heart attack but they gave me a nice dose of sedative and a little pain killer so I took a nice nap.
Learnings.
Know where your stuff is. I always keep a rope in the same place, I didnt even think about where it was... it was there. Pocket knife? Never leave home with out it.
No matter what you seen or done... sooner or later a situation will come up that will take you out of the game. Go with it. See the doctor if you have to... but take care of your self. I can tell you folks this... that was the most helpless and scared I've ever been in my life.
Why post this is a shooting forum? Being involved in a defensive shooting has to be worse....be prepared the best you can.
