Sat. Misc.

Serious blogging tomorrow. News around here restricted to Mr. Nob taking another dive. Falling off horse in terms of distance of the fall is somewhat analogous to football at times.

While at trainer Tom Pryor's place in Pleasant Hill in 1987 watching 2 yr. old JB gallop that was to be my first purchase, the rider fell right off. He dusted up, walked over to us, and I noted to him "that seems dangerous. r u getting back on, I quizzed? " The young lad's reply stuck with me through the years: "if you ride horses you will fall."

The other one on that subject that's stayed with me involves ancient jock Terry McGee getting dislodged off of my Groovin' Wind down on the backside of Blue Ribbon in 2000 when the track was closed due to rain. To McGee's credit he took a lot of bucking before he finally decided to jump. I asked him why he had waited so long to get off. McGee replied: "when something happens, you've got about 2 seconds, so I was ok there for a while."

Mr. Nob, with our idiot, unfortunately rarely has 2 seconds, although on Thurs. eve he did. The way Rodney gallops, and even trots, the tall rider sits right over the top of his head. Since horse motion starts on the front end, when Rod tilts so does Nob. The blow by blow of the latest calamity follows with the football connection:

1. In getting ready Nob decides we'd do so little tonight we'll skip putting on the football pants with hip and coccyx pads. Mistake.
2. The trot gallop goes well despite 15 deer running back and forth out of the tree line seeming pissed that we were disturbing them. Rodney is unflapped.
3. After 15 min walk back to the barn. Get to mounting stand. Nob stated the thought going through his head, as he brought the horse to a halt to dismount: not much of a workout, but at least we're back on.
4. Momentary completely unexpected horse panic at the mounting stand. This is what happened in Terry McGee's 2 seconds: Horse wheels to the right. Nob unseated and suspended to the left tries to right himself with his right leg, but the horse turns right a little more and with gravity winning pulling down Nob's carcass that is suspended in the air, Nob decides his choice is to pull himself back up by the reins and--should the horse turn as a result of the pull--risk falling on his head and getting entangled in the reins or to just complete a comfortable fall landing on his backside.

Nob chose the latter, wisely probably. Nice fall, if I do say so. The going on age 65 yr. skeleton can still take a thud. No serious harm done this time. Nob lands on his left hip without the football padding, and apparently also cracking a lower left rib. Only hurts a little.

Horse in this w/o was still nodding slightly at the trot, limping again Fri. morning in deep mud, but Sat. morning ok, and will get back on this eve.