Ridecamp: [RC] Cadillac/Jeep - Part 4

So, the last episode ended with me dragging my fat ass up out of the
dirt.  I felt fine.  No aches or pains, just a lot of dirt.  I picked up
my saddle pads and walked over to Caddie.  As I was beginning to remove
her saddle I began to see black spots before my eyes.  Uh oh.  My ears
began to ring a little.  Even bigger uh oh.  I remember Braveheart asking
me if I was OK and replying, but I don't remember if I replied with "No"
or "I'm seeing spots".  I remember Trailmaster telling me to go sit under
the shade, but it's like I couldn't answer him.  He repeated the order
and touched me.  That made me say, "What?"  I know what he said, but I'll
be damned if I could react to it.  And before we go any farther, my head
never touched the ground.  I was having a "too much sun" moment. 
Trailmaster guided me to the shade.  

As I understand it Trailmaster threw Caddie's reins to Braveheart jumped
off and gave TB's reins to her too.  He came to my rescue while
Braveheart got down and dirty with Caddie and told her to behave herself
standing there next to TB.  To the best of my knowledge she never made a
peep.  I vaguely remember watching Trailmaster grab some of my water from
my saddle and bring it to me.  I took a swallow and then poured it over
my head.  Trailmaster came back with his own water and poured the entire
bottle over my head, neck and shoulders.  God, that felt good.  I drank
some more water and sort of watched as Trailmaster moved my saddle up
Caddie's neck, put the saddle pad back on and move the saddle back.  Like
a wave, all of a sudden I felt better.  As quickly as I felt bad, I felt
good again.  I got up and went to Caddie, adjusted a strap, checked my
cinch (!), walked over to a fallen tree and got aboard.  I still had the
water in my hand, and Braveheart said I should have put that away first. 
Trailmaster said I should have checked my cinch.  Both Braveheart and I
assured him that I had checked the cinch (I think the poor man was
totally annoyed with me by this time).  We went down the trail with
chides for my negligence coming from both directions (I was in the middle
again).  You should have brought a sponge, you should have doused
yourself with the hose, why didn't you bring any food, drink more water,
jump in the river, check your cinch, and on and on and on.  All well
deserved I might add.  I'm guilty as charged.  No excuses.  I know I'm
susceptible to over heating, I knew we were going to be out for a long
time, I knew the weather was heating up, and I didn't take any of the
precautions that I normally take.  Fat ass Chickenshit F---ed up big
time.  My apologies to Trailmaster and Braveheart for screwing the day
up, and my deepest, sincerest thank yous for the quick action taken to
help me through my "hour of need".

It was getting late, and Gesa was coming to the barn to work on
Rubberband and Jeep.  We wouldn't have time to stop at In and Out.  No
problem.  I felt fine now that I was wet.  A nice breeze was cooling me
down, my saddle was tightly cinched, and my horse was in the walking
mode.  Caddie knew we were headed back towards home and she kicked it
into medium gear.  She was now walking right behind TB.  A couple of
times she was a little too close and I asked her to back up a couple of
feet.  She'd maintain the distance for a few feet then trot to catch up. 
When she finally got the drift that I didn't want her walking with her
nose up TB's butt she backed off, but just a little.  She wanted to be in
the lead, but since I had no idea where to go she had to be satisfied
with the middle position.  We passed back under the Van Buren Bridge onto
familiar territory.  Down the trail we went.  Everything's looking A-OK
for the race.

We turned to cross the river for the last time and Caddie finally stuck
her nose in the water for a good long drink.  TB was guzzling away.  Jeep
refused to drink from the river - typical.  We crossed one final water
hole - a deep one - gets my toes wet.  Caddie must have enjoyed it
because she didn't make any effort to avoid the deepest part.  We came up
out of the river onto the "running road".  One final little hill to climb
and it was a straight shot to the trailer.  Caddie finally had room to
pass TB, and, boy, did she snap and snarl at him as we went by.  She
wanted to be in front, but once she got there she didn't want him behind
her.  This woman can't make up her mind to save her soul.  Jeep came up
beside her and that calmed Caddie a little.  Then Jeep started making
faces at TB.  She didn't want him behind her either!  What a pair.  We
went into Hidden Valley all snarly and snappy.  TB was glad to be home
and parked himself at the water trough.  Jeep was sucking in the water,
and I made Caddie move to the side away from TB.  She wasn't really
thirsty, but she nosed the water. 

I dismounted, attached the leadrope to Caddie's halter, removed her
bridle and immediately needed to sit down.  Was I OK?  No.  I remember
answering with a definitive "No" with that one.  I took Caddie back to
the trailer and tied her up.  I was going to remove her saddle, but
Braveheart made me go sit down under a tree.  The hose was in use, so she
went back to the trailer and brought out good, store bought drinking
water, still very cold, and dumped it over my head.  Yipes!  That
certainly woke me up.  A little too cold.  I think this time it was a
little more "I need food" as opposed to "too much sun".  My muscles were
week as kittens, but I wasn't seeing spots.  I wasn't really panting.  I
just felt limp.  I needed a few minutes to gather some strength. 
Trailmaster came back (he had taken TB up to his barn while this was
happening).  I just needed a few minutes to gather myself, but the 2 of
them were hovering over me like mother hens (or vultures?).  Braveheart
was insistent that I stay in the shade while she took Caddie's saddle
off.  I watched for awhile and decided I was feeling good enough to get
up.  I took the rest of the water and my half chaps to the tackroom in
the trailer.  Braveheart was loading Jeep up and Caddie started to
grumble about being left alone.   I took her to the back of the trailer
and waited for Braveheart to come out.  Caddie stepped right in and moved
to the hay bag that was now hanging in her slot.  Braveheart was moving
about 15 times faster than I was, and had bounded around the trailer to
snap Caddie's tie down and close the window and come back to me while I
was still fumbling with the back door.  I was instructed to go get in the
truck while she finished the ramp and closed the tackroom door.  I meekly
crawled into the truck and was still getting settled when Braveheart
finished outside and jumped into the cab.  Out pops a banana that I was
instructed to eat.  I never thought I'd like hot bananas, but I gotta
tell you, at that moment in time I'd never tasted anything better in my
entire life.  Sitting in the sun, car hot banana, mmmmmm, nothing like
it.  I could feel life coming back to my muscles.  I perked up
immediately.  

It all comes together in Part 5.

Chickenshit

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