A "you’ve got to be kidding me" moment

[efdgoon]

Today’s weather was so nice after church that I figured I’d hitch up the team and condition there feet on the road.( as I was reading about this on another thread) Everything was so enjoyable, from brushing them down to hooking them to the newly finished logging arch. The sun was shining and the wind was warm for Jan. I could’nt be happier. I hopped up on the cart and took a lap around the pasture to work out the nerves before I headed out on the road. The team hasn’t been on the road yet and the cart is new to them, but they did well with it the last couple weeks in the woods. I figured it would be fun. Now I live on a road that has traffic, but not so much I was worried. But today…. I pull out onto the road and head up the hill. Just as I get to the one spot where there is no place to turn off, A fire truck comes screaming up the road behind me. Lights and siren ablaze. “you’ve got to be kidding me” was all I could think of. I waved my arm frantically to get the fireman to shut down the siren and he did just as Zeus was about to go berserk. We managed to keep it togeather and we did’nt die. I’m so proud of the team as they passed thier first road test. Stay safe guys and let me hear your near misses.
Jeff

[Eli]

I met a fire truck pumping water buy a creek lots of flashing lights but no siren it was 3 miles to get around so I kept going. My horse didn’t like it one bit and the closer we got the faster she went. Thank god I had gypsy our then 20 year old Morgan she didn’t break trot but she was moving. It was two years ago and I was green, I’m still green I must have been yellow then. I wonder if the local fire department has a protocol for meeting horses we have kids ride buy and I would hate to see something bad happen. I glad all turned out well for both of us. Eli

[Anonymous]

An Amish friend of mine asked if I would take his horse over to the blacksmith and get her shod, well if grass is green you never seen me driving a buggy so off we went. As we passed by a local dairy farm a young fellow that was painting the mail box post and stood up just as we went past him,there was a pick up truck coming east and it quickly became a “Holy Sh–t” moment as the horse went left. The truck got stopped, the horse got under control just as fast and like the old saying If it doesn`t kill you it will only make make stronger. I can laugh now
Dave

[Donn Hewes]

As I build my system based on control, the road always challenges me and makes me think. At home I believe success comes from knowing what each draft can do, what I can do, and what my equipment can do. The more I control those things the more I realize how hard it is to control beyond my borders. At the end of my driveway I can go left or right for about 100′ and then enter a field across the street. Any further and I go down a pretty steep hill with no shoulders and pretty deep ditches. There is not a lot of traffic, but there is one business that uses 75′ semis for the occasional delivery, county trucks, milk trucks, school buses. I travel down the hills occasionally, but never with out thinking about what time of day it is, and realizing I have challenged my animals a little and let thing a little out of my control. I still try to think about which animals belong in that situation. Good luck and be careful on the road!

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