I went to a big "foal watch" party and ride yesterday. It was a bigger party than ride. My friend Sylvia's mare "Bob" is now officially two days overdue. Everyone stared at her all afternoon while we bar b qued. It was like watching paint dry. I took teev so Bob could stare at him from the stall since he always seems to get her going. But nothing. Then we had the ride, about ten of us, a brief ride since sylvia didnt want to go too far so it was mainly on the road past everyones houses, a clay road. Sylvia was on her mare "Willie" who is real laid back and so is Teev, and there were some hyped up horses. But one lady I have only ridden with now and then and never really talked to.. she lives in the neighborhood too, and her horse was just acting HORRIBLE because it wanted to go home and as we rode past her driveway the horse just flipped out wanting to head up the drive. But the lady said "you guys go on, I have a terrible headache, but I want to work with her on this before I let her go in" so we tried to offer help but she said no, go on, we went on. I thought since she had a headache she would just go put that mare up. But we went back to sylvias and sat watching Bob watching us out her stall door and we could see that woman riding that mare up and down the road. She would get it far away and when she turned it for the house it would bolt on her, crow hop, jig, buck a time or two. We were all like oh man, she is gonna get dumped. She would get down and lead the mare from the house and the mare would whirl and spin and crow hop.
but then in about a half hour she was on the mare and riding her and the mare would act up at the drive so she would take her back out. Then in an hour the mare was acting pretty ok but at the drive would head toss and argue. Then in an hour and a half the mare was completely soft, riding up and down the road. THEN the lady let her go home. I for one was very impressed! She came back to the party and said the mare has been doing that for two years and they have been letting her get away with it and it was getting worse and worse to the point where she was thinking she was gonna sell her. But that day she decided no, she was gonna work thru it. It was really inspirational! with a headache no less! maybe Bob will have her baby today. It is a mule foal and one man said it takes 20 days longer for mules, that you have to allow time for the ears to grow :) Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
