Fear

[terribleturnip]

So, a flock of geese flew overhead and it reminded me of my horse, Damien. (Shaman's Eye) He was petrified of geese and ducks. In a way it was funny. A 1500 pound horse lurching about in terror when we passed a house that had ducks quacking in their pond. Okay, funny from a distance. Not so funny when you're on his back.

See, a nearby farm had a flock of geese who would come through the woods into our pasture to graze. During the day, they'd see the electric fence wire and duck underneath. But one day, they must have found a bounty of bugs and things, because it was past dusk when they headed back home and those geese started hitting the "hot" wire. Which freaked them out. And a flock of a dozen geese squonking and flapping around the pasture freaked out the horses. I came running to the pasture when I heard hysterical whinnying and thundering hooves. There was this melee of horses and geese in the half dark. The horses thought the geese were chasing them, the geese just wanted to get the hell home...I turned off the fence, but by then most of the geese didn't want to get anywhere near the fence and the horses were all so hysterical that I couldn't get near any of them.

So, I opened up the gates to the other pastures and shooed horses wherever they wanted to go and the geese into the riding ring, where they could see the fence to duck under.

The rest of the horses didn't seem scarred by it, but my giant ninny, Damien bore a grudge for a long time, fearing attack waterfowl for years. It wasn't until he retired that he made friends with the ducks that lived in the pond in his pasture. But that took years.



I'm not afraid of much, which is often my downfall. I do carry a healthy fear of falling off -- I can only go so high on a ladder before I hyperventilate and while I can lean out of a helicopter or small plane and be fine, the edge of a building, balcony, or see-through stairs can make me VERY uncomfortable. I suppose that's because, with my natural grace, it's not out of the realm of possibility that I'd trip and go over an edge or fall right off a ladder. Planes and helicopters...well, someone ELSE would have to screw up. I've got faith in other people's ability to keep me safe. Just no faith in myself. With good reason, if you follow this journal at all.

I don't like being suprised, but that's just because I startle easily, and well, that can lead to falling down, breaking things....but I don't fear that someone will startle me. That's why I get startled so easily, I guess. It never occurs to me that someone would sneak up and...

Waaauagh!

Comments

[fountaingirl.livejournal.com]

OMG see-through stairs! Also, the stairs where the part you step on is there but the backs are open? Consciously I know I can't fall through but STILL.

[madam-macaw.livejournal.com]

When we went to the Grand Canyon, I pushed myself to go on the Skywalk. It was fine as long as you walked, and then looked down. But, walking and looking down made me hysterical. And of course, when I first walk out there, holding onto my husband, one of the employees was showing a visitor how sturdy it was by jumping literally 5 feet into the air and landing with a thud on the glass floors. *GASP* - "Could you please not do that *whisper* mother-f**cker"

[chellebelle74.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you on the height thing. As long as there is some kind of barrier (like a sturdy railing) I'm usually ok. But please don't put me near the edge of anything high with no barrier. I'll be reduced to a quivering, whimpering mess.

[kudrasslipper.livejournal.com]

Of course.... geese, as you know, *are* the natural predator of all horses. Shires especially. They actually EAT shires, according to warriorsway's horse Bravo, who weighs in just above a TON.