Kids,Horses,and the Stallion

Early on in the adventures of Fletcher Creek riding Stables,  a bunch of the kids were sitting on the fence as I explained what was needed that day.  As of yet I didn't even know all their names but they were mostly young girls. As I spoke I heard a definite clearing of the throat and a very audible "huckkk-tooey" typical of an old drunk in east end Calgary.  I ignored the sound preferring to think I had not heard this.  But there it came again! Finally I asked who had done that.  One of the taller girls put up her hand.  Sounding like my Mother I said,"doncha know girls don't do that?"  spitting like that is still something I find disgusting and I was surprised to hear it among these young girls. The girl in question was certainly not worried and simply replied "I had somethin' in my throat".  This was how I met Bobbi W. and she soon became a great help to me indeed.  But for the most part I enjoyed my "Crew" of kids and don't think i could have run the stables without them.  They asked for no pay and their lessons were free whenever I could accomodate them.
   Lessons of course were a part of the stables. How could one ride without them?  It is possible of course to go for a ride without lessons but you are mostly just sitting there as baggage for the horse to pack around.  I wanted "my kids" to be better than that and I was a hard taskmaster I think.  The funny thing was....I myself had never had a lesson!  I had learned the hard way, fom the horses themselves.  I did read a lot, but it would be many years before I actively persued better horsemanship.  I would eventually become a bonafide Level I Western Coach.  I had however taught in Alberta at Twin Bridges and woudl teach for many years, even after I no longer rode myself.
    Some of my horses were not up to the level I needed for non-riders.  One was Sirocco and the other was the beautiful Sandy.


Add caption



I had seen in alberta how these horses did not in the end pull their weight or bring in enough money to warrant keeping them.  I advertised Sandy and she sold to a young girl in Creston.  Although the girl was not an experienced rider, her parents asurred me she would be in training for some time with the horse.  I later heard she did well and was showing Sandy in equestrian events on a regular basis.  I had promised not to separate Sandy and her mother Gyp but it was much better for them to go their own separate ways.  Each horse was allowed a better life without being "herd-bound" and not wanting to be separated from each other.  Sirocco on the other hand never did sell and stayed in the herd to the end.  He was usuable if the rider was aware he could be a problem and for themost part he was content to go along with others and even went in a few parades.

    One adventure we had that I could have done without, concerned the Arabian Stallion, Bedowi.  In the first planning stages, I had asked what would be done with the stud in order not to have any problems.  Irma replied that he would be locked up, but on this day they had put him out in the second pasture.  Our ride that day was out to Mirror Lake along the highway, in order to accustom all horses to traffic.  We were to get more than I bargained for!  I observed the excitement of the stallion as we rode along the highway towards the rock cut, but hoped he would remain in the pasture.  Not so! Once in the rock cut and guiding my charges, I turned to see him pounding down the highway towards us!  What to do?  I had heard of stallions breaking riders backs when they attempted to breed a mare someone was riding and my first thought was to save the kids.  I stopped everyone and ordered them to dismount and hang onto their horses reins- hard!  (David would later say he thought it was just a drill) In no time at all the Stallion was among us and I told the kids to lead their horses home, get in a corral and stay there!For a time chaos seemed to reign.  One kid lost their horse, but got it again and it soon became obvious the stud was after my mount- Sandy!  Well I certainly did not want that! But it was fortunate that she was the one he was after.  This enabled the kids to get away, while I battled with Bedowi.  There was a great deal of screaming going on both from the stallion and my mare.  He would rear and fall down and I hoped I could jump on his head and grab him as he was wearing a halter.   All this time, I was trying trying to hang  onto my mare, as traffic piled up on both sides of the highway. No help would be coming from the drivers' as their eyes were all bugged out as they watched the scenario happening before them.  At one point I had pulled off my belt and lashed out at the stallion, I remember the buckle coming off and the metal sound of it bouncing along the ashphalt.  Finally, the stallion fell, in all his thrashings about and I caught the halter.  To this day I don't know how I did it with one hand, but I managed to tie up the mares reins and take off her lead-shank to put on Bedowi and lead him home.  I could only hope the mare would follow me and stay off the highway.  She represented $1000.00 and I didn't want to see this pretty mare damaged by a car or anything for that matter.  The walk back to the farm seemed endless.  How could it be taking so long when I could see it??  At the stop-sign I met a male neighbor who owned the farm above.  I knew him to be strong but could only hope he knew enough about horses to not let go of the stallion.  I guess the kids had stopped him in his truck to come and help me.  I went back for Sandy who had followed nicely along on the shoulder of the road-how good is that!  The kids took her and I put the Stallion in the barn.  I was shaking and more than a little upset.  My shoulder and arm ached from hanging on so hard and I had barely been able to relinquish the lead-shank to the neighbor.  At that moment Irma arrived and said simply "I didn't even know he was out" Lucky for all of us I was beyond speaking and never said a word, or I would still be harping on.

   After that, we decided to build a stud pen and approached Irma with the idea.  She was in favor and possibly paid for the lumber needed.  I do know we started digging holes for posts almost the day after the "Stallion Incident".

I have never been a great measurer and out fence started an 5'6" and suddenly got to 6'6".  No matter it would hold him.  the kids were most enthused and at the end of the day asked if they could come back after supper! Oh my, my days were getting longer.  But we did return and I picked up some hot-dogs and marshmellows and we later had a nice little time around the fire.  Slowly we were melding into a tight-knit group and felt we were now tempered by fire and hard work.  A few days later the stud-fence was completed and we had no more problems.  Except for once when they turned himout for exercise.  The following morning I found my good old Scout horse up on the highway and more than one of the others packing scrapes from his teeth and hooves.  After that he was definitely kept contained.