There comes a time in every horse's life where he discovers I'm afraid of bugs.
Today.
I keep an umbrella in the tack/feed room to use for desensitizing training. Today I took it out and backed a few paces away from Mag to give him room to explode, and popped it open. He didn't like that but I stood with Bellis, both of us under it, saying, "And now I demonstrate my wonderful portable rain shelter! Isn't it awesome!" Happily I twirled it over both of our heads. The donkey kept trying to touch it, I think she thinks it's a target and I've been doing some targeting with them lately.
Then I gazed up and saw the silhouette of an enormous spider on the top side of the umbrella.
I flung the umbrella to the ground and jumped away yelling and thrashing around, wondering if there was one in my hair too.
The horse didn't like it. The donkey didn't care.
The spider, about 2 inches across, was black with grey stripes. It was so huge I could see detail as it crawled toward Mag. I had to save him. I gathered myself and jumped forward to squash it, and then was perplexed to not find the corpse anywhere. Probably due to the mud, but I looked and looked, and was exhaling like....well like Mag.
After a while Mag came over and started nibbling at the umbrella. He didn't like it, but he was more curious than scared and wanted it in his mouth.
It took me a while to recover and retrieve the umbrella. I eventually hung it up and knew I'd never trust it again, nor anything in that space.
Later I couldn't figure out how the spider was able to stay attached to the umbrella despite the powerful force of the open button. If spiders really have hooks on their legs I don't want to know.
I think Mag will be OK with umbrellas. I think I might too, someday.
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11 comments:
Fantastic, produced wonderful images of Mag rolling his eyes at you.
Omgoodness. So sorry to be laughing at your expense. Your description was nearly as good as video
Reader for a long time, but first time commenting. HA! I love that you were trying to desensitize him, and freaked out in the process. I once threw my saddle AT my horse (not purposefully of course), because a mouse had burrowed between the saddle and the pad on top and I was walking up to my pony the mouse made eye contact with me. Lots of throwing, screaming, dancing around like an idiot. Thank god my horse is chill.
bahahahaha, other people's fears are funny.
just hope you won't be around to laugh the next time I encounter an earwig. Those things are SUPER CREEPY!
That's funny. I thought you were going to say that he was tolerating the umbrella until you convinced him that there really was something to fear. We had our first huge spider show up indoors yesterday. Every time the weather changes, we always find some new tenant.
Made me laugh.
Mark Rashid says that horses are either curious or fearful and that whichever they are, they approach their life that way (people are this way as well.) Sounds to me like you found one of the curious ones. So happy for you.
I hate spiders too.
My heart was in my throat reading this! We have a HUGE fear of spiders in my house. HUGE!
Not sure whether to chuckle at this story...or chortle.
OK, I'm really not laughing at you...but this is too funny! While I don't mind spiders, I'm sure a big one on an umbrella would freak me out! Sounds like a garden orb weaver spider thought he'd found a nice home for the winter. Just imagine him saying, "Oh my, there's a giant human underneath me, ahhhh!"
I'm glad Mag was curious about the umbrella. Around here I rarely use one, and every first-time-of-the-season Major things a giant blob is coming to get him, before he realizes a human is underneath. Who dispenses carrots. Then it is totally no big deal. Every year. Sigh...
LOL!!!!!! I would have done the exact same thing!!!!!!!!!! Were you jumping around and flinging your hair around in case there was one in it? That's what I do! Sorry for laughing, but it's just so funny because I can see myself doing it too. I'm proud of Mag for not using your fear as an excuse to fear it. The fact that he was still curious after your.... uh, spook... is a good sign!! I love the curious horses! Chrome is super, super curious about everything. :D
Achieve, yes, I was jumping and flinging my hair and gasping for air loudly.
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