Adrenaline Junkie
I judge people who like doing really crazy shit to get their jollies.
Human beings will stop at nothing to get their heart pumping. Maybe they watch scary movies, or go to haunted houses. Sometimes they need to go big and really scare the crap out of themselves by bungee jumping off a bridge or leaping out of a plane. And then there are the weirdos/hardcores who bang in public places or do heroin. I'm pretty risk averse (I work for a freakin' insurance company) so all of this seems utterly abhorrent to me.
But I'm starting to think I'm worse than all of them.
We're officially in Week 3 of pony rehab and it's been interesting. Runkle is definitely feeling better, and also feeling ring sour from being stuck in the indoor and his stall for months. I have to walk the fine line of Dorm to keep him from totally losing his shit and breaking all his legs. But if I give him too much he turns into a mule and won't move.
Tuesday night he was being a nappy little pony about the trot and I knew we were going to have it out. Once I really pushed that button he was going to give it to me but I didn't see any way around it. So I double checked my crash vest (which I've been wearing for every ride), shortened my reins, and booted him in the side to ask him to trot.
He exploded.
He squealed like a wild mustang, did four enormous bucks and then begrudgingly picked up a trot.
It was then that I realized I might be less sane than a person who does heroin and jumps out of a plane and eats ghost peppers. At the same time.
I wouldn't say rehabbing a five year old Thoroughbred on three months of stall rest exactly gives me 'jollies'. But that almost makes it worse -- at least the people who ride roller coasters enjoy the roller coaster. They don't say "Oh Jesus, I have to ride this roller coaster tonight I hope the safety protocols have been checked recently but if not at least I'm wearing my Road ID, so when they find my dead body they'll have a phone number to call to tell someone to feed my cats".
The long and short of it is, Runkle is rehabbing and he feels great. Almost... too great.
Human beings will stop at nothing to get their heart pumping. Maybe they watch scary movies, or go to haunted houses. Sometimes they need to go big and really scare the crap out of themselves by bungee jumping off a bridge or leaping out of a plane. And then there are the weirdos/hardcores who bang in public places or do heroin. I'm pretty risk averse (I work for a freakin' insurance company) so all of this seems utterly abhorrent to me.
 |
| No. |
We're officially in Week 3 of pony rehab and it's been interesting. Runkle is definitely feeling better, and also feeling ring sour from being stuck in the indoor and his stall for months. I have to walk the fine line of Dorm to keep him from totally losing his shit and breaking all his legs. But if I give him too much he turns into a mule and won't move.
Tuesday night he was being a nappy little pony about the trot and I knew we were going to have it out. Once I really pushed that button he was going to give it to me but I didn't see any way around it. So I double checked my crash vest (which I've been wearing for every ride), shortened my reins, and booted him in the side to ask him to trot.
He exploded.
 |
| Artist's Dramatization. |
It was then that I realized I might be less sane than a person who does heroin and jumps out of a plane and eats ghost peppers. At the same time.
I wouldn't say rehabbing a five year old Thoroughbred on three months of stall rest exactly gives me 'jollies'. But that almost makes it worse -- at least the people who ride roller coasters enjoy the roller coaster. They don't say "Oh Jesus, I have to ride this roller coaster tonight I hope the safety protocols have been checked recently but if not at least I'm wearing my Road ID, so when they find my dead body they'll have a phone number to call to tell someone to feed my cats".
The long and short of it is, Runkle is rehabbing and he feels great. Almost... too great.
I once told a friend that sailing made me nervous because it was unpredictable. He just gave me a look which spoke volumes....
ReplyDeleteI chuckled out loud at this. I can only imagine...
DeleteHa! My dad sails & rides motorbikes & he's always thought mum & I were crazy for riding unpredictable horses :)
DeleteI refuse to ride rollercoasters and I'm afraid of heights, but running XC and foxhunting never bothered me. Go figure?
ReplyDeleteHAH go figure. way safer :P
DeleteOh man I was chuckling and nodding along the entire time I was reading this! I am the same - I will NOT do any kind of X-TREME sport or activity, omg drugs are bad no, I am not a fan of risky behaviors, just no no no no.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, daily, I climb aboard a thousand-pound flight animal with a mind of its own that doesn't always particularly want to do what I want to do. For fun. Also fun = riding said animal at high rates of speed and flinging ourselves over solid obstacles. Which, let's be real also kind of terrifies me but I DO IT ANYWAY.
Horse people are effin' nuts.
I feel that way about competing - I always feel really nervous and like I might be sick and I continue doing it (and doing it, and doing it...)
DeleteHere is the thing for me. Other sports depend on my athletic ability. Riding depends on me keep my ass seated. I'm much better at that than staying on my feet.
ReplyDeleteomg i feel you on that. I used to play floor hockey and my teammates were like why are you CONSTANTLY on the ground dont you ride horses?? doesn't that require balance??
DeleteRehabbing frisky horses is just not fun. I was lucky in that Nilla was well behaved for rehab. It was so boring, I'd play sudoku on my phone while walking around. Dijon, on the other hand, was a nut ball; always trying to bolt and run around.
ReplyDeleteHAH i wish i could play sudoku on my phone!! it's boring because usually nothing happens but there's always a small chance everything will go to hell so I have to sit there at the ready for nothing.
DeleteI've been listening to lots of christmas music though.
Lol yup. You crazy. And I TOTALLY approve haha
ReplyDeleteyeah well you also crazy (and i ALSO approve.. i cant have friends who are more sane than me.....)
DeleteI absolutely hate rollercoasters.
ReplyDeleteI hate rehabbing horses. HATE. IT. Be safe.
ReplyDelete