Note: If you have not read the previous post, this one will make no sense......
So the First Idiot says to the Second Idiot "What do you think?" (Doesn't really matter which of us is the First Idiot and which is the Second Idiot)
Second Idiot, "I think we will be OK. What about you?" First Idiot "Yeah, I think so too. The parking lot shouldn't be too far from here, and our horses are really good."
First Idiot "OK, then. Let's go"
So there we go, down U.S. Highway 20 (key word there is Highway). We were on the north side of the road, so we were facing traffic, which was probably for the best. There was a pretty large space of grass on my left, highway on my right. Just beyond the grass was a barbed wire fence, so there was no getting over any farther away from the road. All was well until a ditch appeared.
Divna is missing her right eye -- so her blind side was to the road. But her sighted side caught sight of that ditch, and she did not like it one bit. It was full of water, and I am certain it was not very deep, but it may as well have been the Pacific Ocean. She did not want to go near it, and kept trying to get over to her right -- right into the road. It was a struggle to keep her over to the left.
In the meantime, John and Zora are ahead of us, going at a steady pace in pretty much a straight line. I was happy to see that....one less thing to worry about.
We rode for what felt like forever. Most drivers had enough sense to move over into their left lane to give us space. Some drivers were as big of idiots as we were, and stayed in the right lane, even when the left was empty!! At one point, Divna's back end started drifting onto the street, right when a car was in that lane. That is a moment I will never forget.
Did I mention semi-trucks use U.S. 20? And that there is a train track that runs along the south side of the highway?
I was starting to realize exactly how stupid of a move this was. Not just for us, and our horses but for innocent drivers on U.S.20. A real tragedy could have unfolded there that day, one that could have impacted so many lives, all because of our stupid decision.... That is what bothers me most of all about this, and what terrifies me if I give myself a chance to imagine what could have been.
As it turns out, we got back safely, Thank God.
One day after work I drove our little detour-route. It is almost exactly one mile.
The next weekend we went to Tippecanoe Park in Winamac and rode the trails there. We met some really nice people, and had a normal ride.
5 comments:
I saw a guy cantering his horse down a little highway - not too many semis but still very busy and I thought "Is he CRAZY?"
Maybe he was lost. Glad you had a normal ride.
Thank goodness everything went okay!! That is so scary, I hate riding beside the road, and will only do it in my neighborhood, which is a private development.
My OH's step dad keeps asking me when I am going to ride my horse to his house, which is 3 miles from us. I keep telling him it is so dangerous, there is very little shoulder and could get me and my horse killed, or seriously injure a car driver. No thanks. He thinks he knows everything about horses, one of those know it all types, who has hardly had any contact with horses.
I am so glad you are all okay and no more scary stories!
Very Very Scary!!!!!! Bonnie and I were almost hit one day when I was riding.. oh 50 steps on a road. You know - cross the road and ride the shoulder 50 steps to the trail opening???
Well woman on cell phone claims she didn't see us... I wear BRIGHT yellow when I know I'm going to be on roads. Well by the time she got her car stopped Bonnie's tail was in her front bumper. Sad thing is woman didn't even apologize.
I'm glad all worked out in the end. You guys need a GPS!
Oh good grief! I hate riding by the roadside anywhere! Scary!
Maybe he was lost. Glad you had a normal ride.
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