Story by Jim Creek

On another note I have a new tale to tell.....

So there I was...wait let me start from the beginning. My wife had bought me a Belgian horse. A beauty named Bob. I had no driving gear so we used him as a riding horse. He has been in parades and several trail rides. All in all a vary laid-back horse. We started buying gear to get him in to driving. That is a whole other story as there is a lot to learn before taking money to the driving horse store. After several months we had a fitting harness, color, and a sled. I followed my instructors' (Loren) words carefully and practice first on the ground then with the sled. Bob did everything I asked. So onto the next step, the forcart. Fist time out I hit a tree (on Lorens side) and then clipped a fence. The tree went ok, the fence spooked Bob and after a little hio-silver we were off. All of a sudden I had 300 foot of reins in my lap. I gathered them up as fast as I could and pulled bob to a stop. So I needed a few months more practice in the cart.

Forward now a few months....

So there I was.. Hooked up to Bob on my new buckboard wagon. We had 4 seats on it, so first time out we filled them with happy people. We went out on a path I had been on several times in the forcart. The trip takes about 50 min and boy was it smooth. Laren the trainer even stuck a tin can in the spokes to test Bob's nerve. The ride was perfect. So I turned around (to see if I could in a small area) to pick up the next load of passengers.

This next round I was going to have to cut short, as there was a big storm moving in. So I was taking a sort of round-the-block trip. We started up a dirt road and everyone was watching some kids play football with their two horses. Yes we do that out here when there are not enough players. But next we noticed that the gate was open and two of the players (the horses) were headed out to see Bob. Well I had just put Bob into a trot and when the two horses approached he went into full run. I remembered my trainin...never get Bob into a run. So here is where the story really starts, Bob did not know he was never supposed to run with the wagon. We were full throttle now and I remembered the road ends with a short drop off 15 to 20 feet onto some rocks. Bob is not listening to me anymore and the brakes were out, whoops I mean there are no brakes on a buckboard. Now all those cowboy movies flashed before me. No one survives if we pass the (DEAD) end of the road. Just then GOD stepped in and the horse made a fast left turn. I am holding the rail across my daughters' lap and leaning into the turn. There is no road left at this point so we are headed for the easement. This is a 10-foot-wide path (mostly) with fence posts and barbed wire on each side. By now I am standing on the front board and pulling as best I can on the reins. Bob is showing no sings of stopping, or even slowing, I think he might even be going faster. I missed most of the passing scenery as I am watching Bob's head. About this time I am really wishin' I had on gloves. The reins just seemed to grab more flesh as I pulled them towards me. Bob was still not changing his mind. I then remembered that some drivin' horses run faster against the pull of the bit, so I give some rains back. Well that must not a been the ticket, cause even though I thought it impossible he went faster. Now I am outta learned stuff to try. I started thinking what would I do ifen I was on a horse... Ah ha broken arrow. Good thinking I thought, except for the fence post flying by us on both sides. So I tried pulling a little to the left, and then a little to the right, it was working he was slowing down. By the time we came out on the next road he was walkin'..... and then we stopped. All the passengers were ok, praise GOD for a safe E ticket ride. I dropped off my passengers and managed to find one more brave soul to go out again. This time just a short down and back the road for me and Bob to make up.

We walked back to survey our ride. Hmmm I don't remember that tree in the easement. Neither did anyone else. We measured Bob's foot prints, 5 + feet between each hoof print. We even left the ground a few times as witnessed by the absent wagon tracks. And lastly that weaving stunt, there were marks on the fence to attest to how close we got.

What did I learn, do not trot a wagon and horse past an unknown, And never trot towards a DEAD end.

Bob and passenger were all ok, the wagon suffered a little, and we broke one strap.

---------------------------------

And the story from the back seat as written by Richard Kennady

So there I was at a nice family BBQ for Jen's younger brother's birthday.

The family had gathered and the table was set. Everyone sat down and had a

nice heartfelt meal. We all did the usual stuff; tell jokes, beat on

younger siblings and sing karaoke. All in all it was a nice easy going

relaxing day.

Then Jen's dad decided to hook the horse up to the buggy and take everyone

for little rides. Now this horse is not your average horse. Its a Belgium,

so take the average horse and multiply that by 2 and that's how huge this

horse is. I stood in the driveway and watched as different loads of people

took short rides, and when they returned they told us how nice it was. So

my easy-going, fun-loving self decided that I should try one of these rides

out, not knowing what that ride entailed.

Jen's brother, sister, and I got on the buggy with her dad and set out on

our journey. We started out with the horse just walking then slowly got him

up to a trot. It was a nice, smooth ride and everyone was enjoying

themselves. We rounded the block and began to trot again, just as we got

alongside a yard that had horses running around free.

Just then the horse made a bee-line straight towards us at full gallup, but

no big deal right -- the gate should be closed and they'll not get anywhere

close to us,

right................................................................

Wrong, they ran directly at us at full speed. Which in turn spooked our

horse, who then decided to take off at full speed directly towards a cliff.

Now I know you are thinking "yeah right a cliff," but indeed it was. Now

keep in mind that at a trot this horse is moving at 9 mph, so at a full run

it is over 20, which is very fast when you are on a little wooden buggy.

Just before we reached the cliff, the horse decided to make an immediate

right turn into a little passage way between two properties. The buggy

fishtails around the corner and almost tips over. We barely make the corner

and are now traveling down this very narrow path with only a foot of

clearance on each side. But it's not a nice smooth path, it is totally off

road. The thought to jump off and save my own skin came into mind, then

when I looked, the fencing on both sides of me are barbwire. So I can't

jump off and my only option is to try to ride it out. About half way down

the path, the fencing on my right changed into a wooden fence, with post

sticking out begging to rip off one of our little wooden wheels and kill us

all.

We made it to the other side of the field and finally reached another road,

where Jen's dad was finally able to get the horse back under control. We

all sat there and tried to swallow the fine meal we had all just eaten back

down.

A little while later we went back to look at that so called cliff, because

nobody else believed that it was a cliff at all. But low and behold it was

a cliff, with a 30ft. drop and the bottom was covered in large river rock.

So yeah, we would have died. We walked along the narrow path and where the

wheels actually had hit that wooden fence right before a post. We measured

the distance between each of the horse's steps and it was over 5ft of

separation. At another part you could see where the buggy was airborn and

when the wheels contacted the ground again, it left a burnout.

So needless to say it was a very exciting night that hopefully won't be

repeated ever again.