The Tarq, my horse, doesn’t really believe in my qualities as a leader. He therefore thinks he has to keep a wary eye on our surroundings. Our surroundings are the neat, manicured, countryside of the Netherlands. According to The Tarq these surroundings are full of dangerous sabretooth-tigers, and forest-trolls.
So, last July: The Tarq spots a suspicious flower.
And then turned as only Tarq can; in a nano-second! So, I fell off.
Tarq fell too, rolled over me and slid down the dike,
over the iron rail, and landed on his back in the water.

This is a commercial canal, at the side it is more than two meters deep. Many animals get trapped and die in this canal. Tarq went completely under three times, at last he managed to swim, but only his head stuck out of the water, the saddle had shifted, and was dragging him down.

I managed to get the saddle off, Tarq swam a lot better, and after one hopeless try to get out of the water, he started swimming towards the lock. At one point trees were hanging over the water, he could stand there. I hoped a bit of the side would be missing there, so I jumped into the canal.
Hopeless; there were two iron railings there so we started swimming. Tarq swam very well now, much faster then me, fully dressed and with shoes.

Near the lock he found a spot where he could stand, he waited for me there.

He knocked his knees against the side when he tried to jump out.

He should be able to jump though, so I let him rest a bit.

After ten minutes he did jump out and I walked him back to the stables. He looked completely happy and relaxed!

I looked after him, and went home for a shower and dry clothes, when I returned he was already half asleep!

Recent Comments