Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Teaching Experience

What life lessons have you had to learn the hard way?

The hard way means to learn through experience or making mistakes.

Well I rode hunters and jumpers which on a whole are usually tall horses. If your short 5 foot 3 inches and your riding a 17 hand horse, don't fall off. It's a long way down.

On a cross county course during a one day event I was riding a broad tall chestnut. He was unusually afraid of water jumps. On the approach to a wide muddy creek crossing I kept his head turned until we launched. When I turned his attention to the landing side of the creek we were in mid air. The gelding looked down, freaked, and did some kind of double take. He jolted upward while starring down at the flowing water below him. I was unseated.

Rules said if the rider touches ground they are disqualified. So, we ended up on the creek edge and went up the bank with me hanging under the horses neck. I was dangling with my arms and legs wrapped securely on his neck. Don't worry I only weighted about 89 pounds. He stopped at the top. My weight caused him to reconsider moving forward. I very carefully grabbed handful's of mane, let my legs dangle in air, swung and climbed my way back into the saddle. This was all within sight of the jump judges. One of who stated while I was reorganizing myself, "I've never seen anything like that in my life." We galloped on. I'm pretty sure I heard laughter as I left the creek behind.

At home a water hole was built and the horse was schooled regularly on it. He learned to jump over adequately but never wanted to walk through it. School your horses on water before the event.