Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Shikos Shadrack II

When Shad was young I used to take him for walks. I didn't have a horse to pony him off of, so we would go for walks. Most of the walks were pretty uneventful...some were borderline scary. The first time a walk went bad, we were walking down a short stretch of curvy paved road, to get to the woods. There was a drop off, down into the trees. Shad was a yearling. An older beat up green truck was coming up the hill toward us. The truck slowed down, I thought they were being polite. As the truck got abreast of us...the driver honked the horn and gunned the engine. Scared the crap out of both of us. Shad jumped sideways and off the embankment we went. Steep with small trees. We got stopped, and had to half crawl/scramble up the embankment.

Well, I'm pissed. Scared and pissed. I take Shad home, put him up. I head into the house, and I'm rifling through the kitchen. The owner comes in and asks what's going on. I tell her the story. Then I tell her I'm looking for sugar, I'm going to go find this truck and put sugar in his gas tank. She kind of cocks her head, and says, "Why don't you use Karo syrup, it should have the same effect and there will be no tell tale signs of sugar granules." (Breeder is old enough to be by mom). I head out Karo Syrup in hand on the green truck search. I find what I'm pretty sure is the truck. I start to have second thoughts...like what if this really isn't the truck?

I head back to the house. She's waiting for me. "Did you find the truck?" I nod. "Did you put the Karo in the gas tank." I reply, "No, I was worried I could have the wrong truck." She starts to laugh at me. And tells me, she figured by the time I found the truck I would have come to my senses, whether it was the right truck or not. She put the Karo back in the cupboard.

Another time we were almost back to the house. Shad decided to have a fit and fall in it. He started leaping around on the paved road two blocks from the house. Has a big enough fit, he falls down. Scares, me. So, I'm cussing at him...checking him over to make sure he's okay. This guy is standing in his front yard watching this. He is smoking a pipe, has a close cut beard and glasses, and is looking down his nose at us. He says to me, "You know he's just being an animal." All superior, like I shouldn't be upset. So, I walk up to him, leading Shad and hand him the lead line and say, "Then you deal with him." The guy is now holding the very end of the rope, looking shocked and sort of panicked. Shad I swear can smell fresh meat. Puffs himself up, all archy looks this guy dead in the eye...and blows/snorts in his face. The guy looked like he was going to wet himself. I grabbed the lead line back and say, "Yeah, that's what I thought." Shad and I headed back off down the road. Shad is very pleased with himself...I tell him, "You are such a good boy." Ah, a partner in crime. How good does it get?

24 comments:

Sherry Sikstrom said...

How did I miss that you had this blog? wow! I would have been pissed! on both occasions not sure I would thought of sugar in the tank though(lol) Shad sounds like quite the character.

horspoor said...

He really was. Once we got it together we were a really good team.

GoLightly said...

Had a fit, through himself in.

Snerk!!!

Shadrack, rings memory bells.

Thanks:)

horspoor said...

He fit his name GL. He'd stand in the fire for what he believed. Most of the time a great quality, other times....you wanted to kill him.

blueheron said...

Ah, Shad. He was the first Arab I met who didn't run around with his back inverted and his head in the air, when you rode him. First time I saw him round on the lunge, it took my breath away. I had no idea...

A couple times he came and stayed with me, for a couple weeks, to get a break from the lesson routine. We just cruised the trails and stuff. Anyway, he'd show up, and all the horses that lived behind my house would be so happy. I could almost hear them: "Oh, it's Shad! Shad's here. Did you see? Shad's here!. Hey, Shad!" lol.

horspoor said...

Yeah, I don't know what it was about him with other horses. He was universally liked by other horses. Weird. Remember the horses arguing amongst each other, chasing other horses away from him. He's mine, he's my best friend you go away.

I could put him in any herd of horses, and he just got along. No fuss, no adjustment period. Just odd. I used to joke and call him the Arman Hammer of the horse world, a member of all herds.

nccatnip said...

Pics of the man, HP?????

horspoor said...

I don't think I have any digital pics of him. I'll have to see what I can find.

You know who he really looked like. Blueheron pointed it out to me one day...is Taez. Very similiar in size and shape etc..

horspoor said...

I of course think Shad as prettier. lol

blueheron said...

I don't have any pics of Shad, either. I have pics of Shanatez, who is a probable sibling. spitting image, in many ways, though Shad is much flashier. I'll see if I can get one of her for my avatar. Stuart scanned a bunch of photos for me the last time he was here....

Nicely dun said...

LOL
"here, use Karo instead"
thats awesome.

I like.

blueheron said...

Member of all herds. Love it. :)

One of the things about him...you had to earn it with him. But once you had earned it, it was cool. I mean, lunging him. omg. I thought I had turned into a complete imbecile who had never lunged a horse in my life! I could hear him saying, "No, that's not right. You can do better than that. Give me a break!" He wouldn't just give it up, you had to be correct and right. And then, boom, wow.

horspoor said...

If I can figure out how to scan pictures on my printer to my computer I should be able to get some pics of Shad up.

GoLightly said...

14th.

For luck!

blueheron said...

That's right, you do have a scanner on your printer....
What's the name of your printer?

GoLightly said...

BH,I don't think HP has got around to giving her printer a name yet..

:)

Heeeeere, Printer!
Good boy!

horspoor said...

Sparky. My printer is named Sparky.

GoLightly said...

Short for Spartacus?

Is that his barn name?
:)

horspoor said...

Yes his name is Spartacus, he wants to free himself and all the other slaves. I caught him whispering with the my son's Ipod. I think they're on for 2012.

nccatnip said...

You guys are weird.

GoLightly said...

Well, still waiting for pictures from ol' sparky the printer.
(cough, cough, choke, hack)

Oh, sorry, did I disturb you?
Where the HECK is part three? I'll settle for version 2.5.

No pressure.
reeely.

NCC, what, you don't tie your computer up at night? I always bed mine down a bit, but always keep him tied when I'm sleeping.
To a plug.
weird. humpfh.
Gotta do something while we wait for the next installment..
How do you control a raging horse torrent, HP?
I know, I know.
VERY carefully:)
scritches to Top and the bunch:)

blueheron said...

I heard a rumor that HP learned the commands for her printer/scanner. Sit, Heel, Stay, Roll Over, sleep.
We can expect pictures any month, now...

horspoor said...

I have to now find my pictures. Blueheron will understand what this could entail. lol

blueheron said...

You'll notice I said "any month now..." lol.
Patience is the operative word here. :)
GL, maybe you should build the fire, but not light it.