Jacqueline P Vincent

Arriving at Wednesday unscathed, after experiencing three possible calamities, I consider myself fortunate.

The first happened on Sunday, I decided to continue with my young horse’s training in the outdoor arena which is little more than a weedy sand area surrounded by crooked posts but it sounds good. A few exercises in hand and practice mounting in a calm manner, nothing too difficult. A few walking along the edges of the weedy arena in a straight line. A bit more difficult for a mare who likes to observe a flapping tent or Pancha, the farm’s dog, laying in the field or listen to a noisy tractor as it passes. Her next task, I asked her to execute a large circle and a change of rein, this proved too much, and for the next few minutes she decided the tent flapped too much and bucked her way around the perimeter, much to the amusement of two bystanders. I stayed on, stirrups long gone and the saddle skewed, until she decided that okay she will carry on with the circle and she would change rein. Once she’d made the decision to work with me we had a successful session. Fall averted and no injuries.

The second happened on the Monday, Antonio asked me to ride out with him. I rode my youngster, Golosina the same horse as above, and we went for a short walk off-road, along lanes, down to the church about four kms not too strenuous. Golosina, in pole position, led the ride there and most of the way back, not a comfy leisurely ride, far more interested in the frogs croaking, the bales of hay in the fields and snacking. She relaxed on our last leg, a narrow lane with high banks each side. Two ginormous tractors roared along the main road at the top and with squealing tyres turned into our narrow lane.There was nowhere to go, we were trapped. They didn’t slow, with no room to pass, Antonio’s horse clambered up the eight foot high bank and bolted across the field. Golosina refused to go alongside the tractor, they revved their engines and spewed black smoke from their exhausts. I turned her to find an escape spot further back along the bank and the tractors tailed us. We jumped up a lower bank onto a field, Antonio was on the floor and his horse nearby staring at the tractors as they hurtled down the lane. We arrived back at the farm, shaken and angry, it could have been so much worse.

Third close shave happened the following day, returning from the farm during a ferocious thunderstorm my car was struct by lightening. That sounds dramatic, it wasn’t. I saw a lightening strike in my peripheral vision, a bang of thunder overhead and an orange glow around the windows of my car. I think what struck me was a tiny lightening ray. It felt very weird though, sort of hot. There wasn’t any damage and I carried on home.

A very strange week when circumstances beyond my control affected my life and any one of them could have had dire consequences. I’m grateful to be alive and unscathed.

Photo by Jordan Heinrichs on Unsplash