The Renegade And Danny Disaster...

In the horse world there is an old saying that a green horse with a green owner will be a disaster.  For those unfamiliar with equine lingo the word "green" in this context means untrained and INEXPERIENCE.  Also the green owner refuses to (a) admit he/she is green and (b) listen to those with more experience.🙄

Remember Danny?  The guy in yesterday's blog, "The Holding Onto Dignity Event Of The Century," who tinkered on cars insisting he was a good mechanic when he wasn't, whose brakes went out when I needed a ride as we careened down a steep hill at high speed, driving around the Higgins' driveway loop FIVE times waving and smiling to the Higgins on their veranda without ever stopping because we couldn't?!!  THAT Danny.🤣

As I had shared, just-a-friend Danny and I knew each other because he boarded his horse at the same farm as I did mine.  Now Danny had never owned a horse before or had any experience with horses, but he stubbornly refused to admit he was inexperienced because in HIS eyes the westerns he watched as a kid gave him all the learning he would ever need in handling a horse.🤔

Danny found an unbelievable deal on a tiny two year old filly he named Renegade.  We tried to tell him the reason why Renegade was cheap is because she was so young and only "greenbroke," meaning she accepted a saddle, bridle, and human on her.  And perhaps she had been taught how to go and stop but Renegade was FAR from being a trained horse.🥴

Another thing about horses is they know in a heartbeat if their hooman knows what they are doing or not.  If they know their hooman doesn't know a damn thing, why they are THRILLED to be able to take advantage of this situation without hesitation and can do it extremely well.🤣

Immediately after Danny and Renegade came upon the scene the stories began circulating between the rest of us helplessly witnessing this disaster unfolding before our eyes.  There wasn't a thing we could do though because Danny refused to hear any advice saying, "I know what I'm doing, thank you kindly."🙃

Here are just two incidents of the Danny/Renegade disaster...

If horses think they can get a hooman off their back, they will.  One day Danny and Renegade came charging up the hill full gallop to the barn area.  Only Renegade refused to stop you see, when Danny pulled the reins to stop.  

Ohhh, this gets worse...

There was this horrid DEEP stink to high heaven sludge "pond" way beyond the barn which once contained hogs.  Renegade charged to the edge of this awful sludge "pond" and slammed to a stop.  Danny went flying over her head right smack into the DEEP STINKING SLUDGE!  Just covered in it.🤣 

He blamed the bridle.  But it wasn't...the...bridle. 

Next, Danny decided he and Renegade would ride off farm one day with Ben, John, and I riding our horses.  We TRIED to dissuade Danny because we knew this was not going to turn out well.  But Danny wouldn't hear of it.  So off the four of us went.😬

We were headed to the trails.  For a brief stretch we travel on a one lane road then reach an intersection to cross a two lane road leading into town.  The more seasoned horses knew the sounds of traffic, but apparently not Renegade yet.😮

As we began riding across the intersection a nearby truck backfired.  Renegade took off in terror down the busy two lane road.  We could see Danny trying hard to hold on as cars hurried out of the way or stopped as Renegade flew on.  

A policeman tried to help by squawking his siren, which trust me DID NOT HELP SLOW Renegade down at all, as he tried to warn motorists of the runaway horse and rider.🥴

John, Ben, and I rushed back to the farm to get John's truck and horse van.  I stayed to get their saddles and bridles off their horses, the bridle off Bashum, fed them, and waited.

This was in the days before cellphones.  Finally the barn phone rang.  It was Danny.

"Awww, Miz Adelaide, I should've listened to all of you!"

"Danny!  Are you and Renegade okay?!!  Ben and John are out looking for you with the truck and horse van!"

"Well, Renegade and I are okay, but we sure caused a LOT of trouble for many people!  The school buses couldn't leave the school because all the Main Street traffic was forced to stop just because of us.  Then when Renegade did finally stop it was at this man's prize rose bushes in full bloom and I went flying into them and took out those prize rose bushes and oh man is he pissed!  The police aren't happy with me either."😖

"We'll talk about this later.  Where ARE you?"

"In front of the Sheriff's office.  With Renegade.  I think they would have locked us BOTH up if they could have fit Renegade into the cell with me!"🙄
  
"Be on the watch for the guys trying to find you, okay?!!  Call me back in ten minutes.  I'm going to hang up in case the guys call."

They did and I told them where to find Danny and Renegade.  Ben told me traffic was still snarled.  Then a policeman saw them, who promptly escorted them to the sheriff's office so they could pick up the renegade horse and rider who threw the whole town into complete chaos.  Besides destroying a poor man's prize rose bushes!

Back in those days the small town of Wildwood 

still had its' own newspaper.  Usually not much ever happened to report about.  However, "The Renegade Horse And Rider," story with pictures filled the front page!🙄

At first the rest of us feared we would no longer have access to the trails via the crossing but the townspeople realized there had never been a problem before in all the years the farm had boarders, so we very gratefully were allowed to continue.😃

Danny?  And Renegade? 

Danny was cited for disturbing the peace.  Then of course had to make restitution for the prize roses destroyed.  My fellow boarders and I gave the man honey from the beehives one kept, another a small quilt she made, Ben and John repaired his fence, and I gave him two of my prints.  We happily succeeded with our intent to leave he and his wife with a much kinder feeling concerning horses and their riders.😃

Danny realized he was crazy and stubborn by thinking anyone could get on any horse and ride just like they did in westerns, and for not listening to us when we tried to help.  He was happy to sell Renegade to a fellow boarder who immediately changed Renegade's name to Star and went on to train her into a beloved horse her grandchildren rode for many happy years.😃

As far as Danny, he continued to tinker with cars, yet we all absolutely refused to let him ever tinker with OURS...🤣