This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I had an eventful trail ride this week!!
I went with another friend who has a fjord and our trainer who rode 3 year old Netta (WHR Tonetta) and I rode Tone' My horses have never been up close to a Llama, and I know that other horses can be scared of them. This is what happened. The neighbors very sweet friendly Llama got out and was in the ranch next door (We didn't know this of course). We were on our leisurely ride. This was Netta's first trail ride with a rider and not being ponied. When out of nowwhere behind a rock on the hill above us the LARGE SCARY Fjord Killing (These are Tone's words now) Llama, came at a dead run at her. When I saw the Llama coming, I quickly got off my horse and my trainer took Netta around the other corner back the way we came, she had been a little behind us so she had time to do this before Netta saw the Llama, I didn't. I tried to hold Tone' but the Llama thought she needed sniffing and Tone took off like a rocket, down the hill jumping rocks and sage brush and never looked back for about a mile. I prayed the whole way, that the bridle and reins would stay over her head and that she wouldn't get hurt. She didn't get hurt at all. We found her doing laps in a lower pasture, she slowly calmed down as she heard me calling and talking to her on my way down the hill. The saddle had slipped to the side and my lunch was gone out of the saddle bag, but that was it. We took the saddle off, put it back on and continued down and decided the river was a safer place to play and the girls had so much fun playing in the river. Tone was fine the rest of the day. But this horse has never spooked at anything in all the years I have had her, not even a moose. The What IF's just about killed me that day. What if I had been in a cart? What if I hadnt gotten off, could I have controlled her? Well you know how the rest of the What If's go I have located a Llama to borrow, but what is the safest way to introduce them. I don't want them going thru my fences. I do have a wooden large corral. My friend that was with me, had borrowed the same Llama and her horse wasnt happy, but didn't run off. Netta tried to take off a little when Tone did but my trainer was able to turn her in a circle and she instantly stopped. What a good girl!! Any ideas would be great, Signed, Llama traumatized in Montana Michele Noonan
