I Bit the Dust on Monday, February 18, 2008

I was near the end of a near perfect ride, when I bit the dust off Andi. Mom and I left for a trail ride this morning. Her horse had ants in his pants, so we took the wash trail which has deeper sand, hoping it would slow him down some. But the sand is not as deep in the winter because of the moisture in winter. Mom was getting pissed at her horse which was making him worse, and Andi was being his perfect Andi self, so I told mom to park her horse behind Andi. We rode like that off and on (mostly on) for 4 1/2 miles. A couple of times, Andi shook and Fireman would bump into him. Andi was OK with that. Boy, was I ever proud of Andi.

We were within a mile from home, and mom came out from behind us, and sure enough, Fireman started prancy dancy towards home, so she put him back behind Andi. I **think** Fireman pinned his ears, or lunged at Andi (don't know for sure because I was looking ahead and he had been fine). Anyway, Andi shot forward like a rocket, and when I one-reined him,I got off balance, and hit the dirt (well, sand in my case). I sat there in the sand and watched my Andi Pandi head for home as fast as his legs could carry him. Then mom got off Fireman before he decided he needed to join Andi. As soon as we rounded the corner for home, I saw a car in front of my house and people coming down the driveway. My neighbor had put Andi in my corral, then was coming to look for us. I thanked them, and I'm OK, but I have a very sore shoulder where I landed first. At least it is my left shoulder and I'm right handed. Poor Andi was scared and jumpy when I got him out of the corral, so we did some easy clicker work like getting next to the mounting block and trailer loading before I put him up. Other than the rocket boost, Andi was a very good boy and acted like the old been there, done that horse. That's why I am pretty sure Fireman did something towards Andi that last time he got behind him. He has been knownto pin his ears at Andi before. I think I just was expecting too much of my green boy, even tho he is99.9% of the time the perfect horse.



Oh, and I decided he has Tina Turner hair going down the trail!