In this scary horse story the author tells about his first riding experience on a race horse. The story depicts how his Thoroughbred horse taught him how to maintain balance and communication that are really needed while riding a horse.

The Ride On My Thoroughbred  | A Scary Horse Story

By: Rose Foreman

I made the mistake with my very first horse. I overfed him, thinking I was loving him. We rode all the time, and he was really getting fit. He started to run off with me, and I started to get nervous about taking him out on the trail, so, I sold him. The new owner had no problems, and I couldn’t figure why. I was in my early 20’s, and had him so pumped up with grain, he had energy to burn. Since then I have seen this same behavior in too many owners.

Then, I bought my first Thoroughbred, who was off the track. I loved him at first sight. He was beautiful, and I knew I could make him look even better.

I worked him daily, to just keep him calm. I did not want a repeat of my past experiences.
We worked like a hunter, quietly jumping an in-and out of solid fences, only 18′ apart, 3′6″ and 3″9″, without missing a step. A friend watched from the sidelines on his palomino.
We went for a trail-ride this sunny day in the spring. We walked on the cut-out roadbed, by the new community college. My friend walked up onto the side of the road, about two foot higher than the cut out road bed. He turned to me, and said, “Let’s see what he can do”. Of course, I said NO! My horse was really going great, and I did not need to sprint or gallop. He was doing just fine.

Of course he started to prod me, “Oh come on, let him run, it would be good for him”. After five minutes of saying ‘no’, I got curious.

I had never sat on a racehorse, and I bet it was a real thrill, so I decided I would give it a try.
All I did, was to squeeze his sides, lean forward, and make a kiss sound, and he took off from a stand still. He was so quick, I had to hold the mane. Once we were running, I felt like we were traveling on glass. The wind, and the smoothness of his strides. I felt like I was on an ice-boat. I was awestruck!
Then, I looked ahead. This roadbed, came to an end, at the road where cars were traveling right and left. I realized I had to stop my horse.

I picked up the reins to quietly slow him down. There was no response other than that ’speed’. I realized I better stop him, before I got to that road crossing. I started to put my feet forward, and I began to pull my horse to a stop, but again, no response, still running full out! I tried to turn him to get off that road-bed, but he wouldn’t turn.

His neck muscles were like a railroad track. His neck was like steel, it wouldn’t bend. I had to do something, and do it fast, the road was getting close, and fast. I put two hands on the right rein, and leaned back, with all my body weight. Slowly, the horse began to turn, and not too soon. We were about 75-100 feet from that road, and he was still running strong. I kept that hold on him, for my life, I thought. I kept trying to turn him onto a circle. I was afraid to let his head go, because we would be OFF,–to the races again.

This horse was solid! Running as strong as he could, and I somehow managed to keep turning him. We circled in huge circles that would have covered two city blocks, in this huge field.
I circled until I had him in a small enough circle, that I got him dizzy, and he stopped -slamming all four feet hard on the ground, with a huge ‘SNORT and BLOW’. I got off him faster than ever, and tried to hold him in a small circle. I couldn’t believe this was the same horse. He was almost terror stricken, but it was with excitement!

I tried to calm him, but really just held on to him, keeping him in a tight circle, as I slowly walked with him in that circle. I knew I would loose him, if he decided to take off without me.
My heart was beating so hard. I knew I had a near miss. Then, here comes my ’so-called’ friend! He just went “Phew! Boy, can he run!” I told him that if he did anything other than walk I would ‘kill him’, and that wasn’t funny. It was not worth the thrill. I walked beside this horse until he settled a alittle. I figured it would be okay when we got to the trails in the woods.

I could finally mount, and made it clear, that we would not even jog ONE STEP! As we approached the woods, I saw that the road bed next to the trail was pushed into the entrance to the trail. We had to walk along the woods edge to find a place to get onto the trail again. Believe me, I knew to not bend forward at all. I quietly walked over a very small roll of dirt. I stayed straight up, knowing better. There was a small branch with a fine twig, that would hit me right in the eye. I ONLY took my hand to lift that twig, and I did NOT lower my head more than two inches.

My horse took that as a signal to take off again, right into the woods, full out! I dodged trees, and twigs and branches, and tried to turn him back on the trail, as I could not fight the trees, and my horse too.
I somehow got him back onto the trail. I tried to stop him. Again, his neck was like railroad tracks. The trees were going past so fast, I just resolved myself to going the distance, hoping he would tire out, sooner or later.

Then it happened! Up ahead, a near dead pine tree had previously fallen across the trail. I was in real trouble! I knew I had no place for a dismount. The trees were too close on the left and right, as we flew past them. That tree was coming up fast! It was covered with broken branches and some branches with needles. I had no time to think, so I just sat low, with my feet forward, and my elbows down, my head off to the side. I hung on to his mane to save myself from being whipped off when and if he swiftly turned.
I didn’t know if he would jump that tree (it would have been over 6 foot high), or if he would just slam on the brakes and finally stop. I knew he could also slam to a stop, and quickly turn, either left or right, so I just layed there, and tried to just stay locked on him, no matter what he did.
BAM! We HIT!
The next thing I knew, I was sitting on my butt on the ground! My knees were propped. I saw my horse running with the stirrups flipping all around. I thought, “well, there goes my new saddle” I was so glad to be off.
What happened? He DUCKED! The tree knocked me off! My horse just stopped for a split second, then went UNDER that tree.

My head HIT THAT TREE, –HARD! That was the BAM I heard.
I sat there numb! Something was running down my face. I looked to the ground, and saw blood splats, as large or larger than a silver dollar. Splat! Splat!
I put my hand to my head, and felt this warm wet. My entire face was now covered with blood.
I looked at my forearm. It was cut about eight inches, from front to inside. There was yellow puffy stuff. That was ‘fat’. I was amazed!

I sat there numb, and in near dis-belief, but my horse was gone, and I was sitting there covered with blood.
My (X) friend, finally caught up with me. He quickly dismounted. I showed him my arm, to show him that ‘fat’. He shrugged, and said, “cover that thing up”. He took his shirt off and wrapped it around my arm. He helped me to my feet, and we walked back on the trail, and found a car passing. They saw me, and helped get me to the nearest doctor, where I had a concussion, 150 stitches, and I was out of work for six weeks!
My horse ran, I was told, for 45 minutes. He ran through the campus, right up behind four students, who heard him, and they dove right and left, as the horse ran right through them, down that sidewalk.
My horse ran, until he couldn’t run anymore. A state trooper grabbed him, and someone got him back to the stable, while I was getting patched up.

The rest of this story is also difficult. My horse was traumatized for a long time. My nerves were bad, and I learned to ride him anyway, without letting him go faster than a canter. He really got rough, and I had to really ride my best. He taught me balance, and communication, when things were really bad. I eventually had to put him down, fearing he would hurt someone. He tried many times to hurt me, by kicking at my head. Such a bad ending to what should have been wonderful, and all because I ‘listened’ to someone ‘prodding me’ to do what I knew better, to not do.

Rose Foreman