I Rode ~

Our ride Route~

Tuesday - Beautiful day, but not the best of rides...  The bugs were out in Force!  I came home with large bites all around where the edge of my helmet meets my forehead!  Khari was spooking at almost Every step...  I kept her to a walk, as was alone.   Every time I tried to pick up the pace, the shying/spooking would increase even more...  Thought it would take me forever to complete my planned route with all the circling we were doing.  She's not the same horse she was & I'm not sure why.  On the way back, my friend Liz called.  I was talking to her, sun was shining through the trees, gorgeous.   At a walk, Khari suddenly violently stopped & 180'ed!  Why you ask?  A small piece of bark on the trail...  At that point my frustration rose to the boiling point!  I asked her "WHY???  WHY???" but she had no response...

Yesterday a friend stopped by, I was telling her the story of the dirt-bikes, ATV's, unexpected noises, gunshots, new remote controlled vehicle noise (Khari freaked!) that we came home to...  All originating from the "neighbors" to our north...  .   We've had to move her out of the barn.   (Butch built a small "Stable" as close to the house as we could put it...)  The way she now grabs a mouth-full of hay, dragging it out of her stable into the "open" so she can continue her vigil of these same "neighbors".  As we watched, Khari's nervousness was plain to see.  Patty said;  "She thinks there is bad ju-ju over their!"  "She looks miserable!"  Sad thing is... she does...

It's been over a year now since we started having difficulties with the "Adjoining landowners from hell..."   (The stress of which I still firmly believe contributed to Jas's final colic & her death...)  I'm starting to think that these things are what is at the root of Khari's problems.  My fine, strong mare isn't really able to relax at home any longer & has lost her confidence...