Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I Do My Own Stunts...


Yep, I got bucked off tonight...but, let us go back to the beginning.

I saddled Kenya up, and went through the usual round penning exercises. Before long I was in the saddle. I was working without a helper today, making the transition to taking cues from the rider. At The sequence of events to motivate the horse forward is as follows: Apply leg pressure, by squeezing the horse's sides with the calves, cluck, and then pop her on the rump with the leather popper on the end of the reins. Within minutes, she was moving off at a walk from leg pressure and the cluck. Satisfied with this, I felt that it was time to proceed to the trot. So, at the walk, squeeze, cluck, spank...bucking.

Bucking???? I don't remember that being part of the video!

According to those who witnessed the event, her skills as a bucking horse are very respectable. All four feet off the ground, back legs nearly vertical as they reached skyward. From my vantage point, I suddenly found myself looking at the ground underneath Kenya's head. This alternated with views form the horizontal, for what seemed an eternity. I tried to pull her head around, but I was completely unseated by this time, and having difficulty getting any leverage.

The whole event took perhaps five seconds to unfold, but from my viewpoint seemed like five minutes. Oddly enough I was calm through all of this. Those watching told me that I never uttered a sound. At first I was confident that I would recover, and all would be well. After the third time looking facing the dirt, I was well over her neck. It was at this point that I came to the realization that I was no longer sitting in a saddle, but, rather, and ejection seat.

Now I'm in the air, ass over tea kettle. Performing the age old "tuck and roll", I landed with a thud, ending up on my back. Not knowing where Kenya was, I immediately leapt to my feet. She was now standing calmly. I had to walk it off, but I knew at this point was that it was absolutely imperative that I get back on her. I calmly walked up to her, and got back in the saddle. I proceeded to walk and trot without further difficulty, even using the popper. I did have Mrs. BR come in and assist me with some of the maneuvers that she wasn't responding to as well as I'd like.

After about another 20 minutes, we called it a night. Despite getting bucked off, I chalked this up as a successful ride.

Mrs. BR told me that she was glad that "you didn't scream like a girl". I'm not quite sure how to take that.

I'm going to be really sore, tomorrow.

9 comments:

Christina RN LMT said...

Video?

*ducks for cover*

Buck said...

Mrs. BR told me that she was glad that "you didn't scream like a girl". I'm not quite sure how to take that.

Heh. You're the only one who could possibly intuit the meaning behind THAT comment, BR. I ain't gonna touch it with a ten-foot pole, except to say it made me grin. A lot.

I hope you're not TOO sore today. Learning experiences can leave ya that way at times.

Liz said...

I'll side with Buck on leaving any marital comments alone, except to say that it did make me laugh :) !

Hope walking (yours) went ok today - very descriptive in the telling and loved the graphic and title!

Onward, eh?

Anonymous said...

Oh shoot, left my comment on the previous post. I feel like an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Color me tweaked, but that's one of the funniest things I've ever read. I'm glad you're not hurt, but you described that wonderful precision, Buckskin.

Bravo!

Bag Blog said...

Once you find out that the rider who got bucked off is okay, it is so funny. I came off one our colts while running and bucking. I might could have ridden it out, but I tried that "pull the head to the side" trick. While bucking, it seemed to just put me in launch position. The next thing I knew it was my hands, my butt my feet, my hands my butt, my feet.
When I came to a stop and got my breath and could talk I said, "I rolled." My next words were, "kick him." Instead, I got back on him and rode him down the mountain.

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

Christina: Sadly, no video this time. I would actually have liked to be able to see what this disaster looked like. At one point I was head down, feet up, not on the horse.

Ann & Buck: I have no idea what she is referring to by that comment. That is my story, I'm sticking to it.

Daphne: Glad you enjoyed the story. Like Lou said, once you realize that the rider is ok, getting bucked off is pretty funny. Once I got my wind back, I laughed about it.

Lou: Like you, I never had a chance. At first I thought "I can ride through this". Several microseconds later, it wasn't if, but when I was going to land in the dirt. Getting back on is the most important thing, after survival, of course.

Surprisingly, the only part of me that hurts today is my right butt cheek. Go figure.

Anonymous said...

I am sure you DO know what I mean! LOL

Michelle H. said...

I did gasp to hear you got bucked off, then laughed at the description. Glad everything is right as rain with you, and that you continued with riding without getting ruffled by it.