Horses and Villains

Coming Soon:

Wyoming Escape
Two dead bodies.
One dirty cop.
Will she be next?

What I’m reading: BushWhacked, A Thea Campbell Mystery by Susan Schreyer

I don’t know about you, but the villains who scare me the most are the quiet ones you don’t know are after you. The stalkers, revenge seekers, serial killers. They don’t attract attention. Instead they stubbornly and relentlessly do their thing in the background.

Oddly enough, there are horses like this too. While not intent on hurting anyone, they can be quite determined to get their own way. When the Introvert-Thinker decides on something, it can be difficult to change his/her mind.

My husband’s horse Koko is a strong I-T. A sweet, laid-back Quarter Horse type, she is the poster child for stubborn. She’s quite happy carrying along a beginner, non-demanding rider, but if you ask for something that takes more energy than she’s willing to put out at the time, you should be prepared for a difficult “discussion.” One time when our trainer was giving my husband a lesson, Koko absolutely refused to take the right lead at the canter. (When you are on a circle, you want the inside front leg to move first [lead]. It’s more balanced and comfortable that way.) So the trainer hopped on to fix the problem. About ten minutes later she gave up in frustration. It wasn’t going to happen that day.

On the other hand, the Introvert-Thinker can be great for inexperienced riders. Nothing much ever bothers Koko, so she takes good care of her passengers. We can put anyone on her and they will have a good time. She’s our “pony -ride” horse. And since hubby only rides occasionally, her lazy attitude works well for him.

Even though she’s laid-back, Koko is definitely not dull. She is a thinker, with a busy mind and likes to play with things when she’s bored. One time my husband put up lights on the eaves of the barn. A couple of days later she had removed them all. She is also a master at turning the barn lights on and off, opening gates, untying ropes and even removing shoe laces! As my husband says, she has a very dry sense of humor—which he thoroughly enjoys.

To be quite clear, it’s very rare for a horse to deliberately try to hurt anyone, but, just as with people, there are occasional bad apples. Perhaps they’ve had bad treatment or just have a screw loose. An I-T with a personality disorder can be really dangerous because you aren’t expecting a problem. But watch out. They will plot to get you. I’ve encountered a couple and the experience wasn’t pleasant.

One time I was trying out a sale horse. After unsuccessfully attempting to scrape me off on a tree, he started rearing. I leaned forward to keep my balance and he quite deliberately swung his head back and smashed me in the face. After I wiped off the blood and picked up my broken glasses, I led him back to the barn. He’d gotten what he wanted.

So, are your villains Thinker or Reactor types? Do they plot behind the scenes, planning an elaborate revenge? Or do they get caught up in a situation and respond without thinking? Both are scary. Which is worse?

Coming Soon:  Wyoming Escape
                            Two dead bodies.  One dirty cop.  Will she be next?