Every Stick's A Snake..

I just saw my first snake for the season.   It's warm today, it's not quite summer, but there it was, as the lovely Freelance and I returned from a workout this morning.  I hate snakes!  Specially brown ones!!!  They are mean!!!!

I was leading Freelance back from the indoor arena, chattering away to her (as one does) and not really paying all that much attention, when something caught my eye.  "Oh, why is that stick moving???  Oh no, that's not a stick!!"  The snake wasn't huge, but it was crossing the road about 10 metres in front of us.  I stopped, probably uttered a four letter word, and waited.  I don't think Freelance had seen it yet.  Then the snake turned around and crossed back the way it had come, back across the road.  Pretty sure the mare has seen it by now.  "I'm frightened" I whisper to Freelance.   "So am I" she whispers back.  We wait until the snake had finished crossing (stupid thing, why on earth did you cross then turn around and come back again!!!!!), then we make our move.  I'm trying to set a good example as we walk by, like not running across the roads with your kids, and not run, but it was a pretty quick walk!!!!!

Like I said, I hate snakes!  And yes, after that, every stick was a snake, and I was more sympathetic towards the pathetically jumpy manner that Freelance had carried on with while we rode up the same road to the arena an hour earlier.  No wonder she was jumpy going past those trees!  Bloody things!  I'm also have a little evaluation of how things operate with the kids now, particularly the little extra body I inherit on certain cays, as kids and snakes do NOT mix.  There might have to be a little bit of extra 'please wait in the car while I feed the mare'.  Bloody things!

So today I have survived a snake, a really tremendous set of shies that the mare threw in up in the arena (there is an enormous monster that has taken up residence in the top corner, I hope you realise), and feel much better than I did when I set off this morning.  Riding is v. good for clearing your head and making things feel a bit better again.

This is the lovely Freelance, by the way.









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