Greatest Fears
This may look like a 4wheeler innocently sitting in the trailer. What it really is is one of my greatest fears taunting me.
Backing a 4wheeler out of a trailer terrifies me. I would rather work on loading, or unloading, the rankest of horses. Those ramps. The lack of control. The thought of backing one out of the back of a pickup, way up high instead if the small drop from the trailer, makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Unfortunately for me, I have pasture to check. Cattle and water tanks need to be checked every couple of days, three days tops. I can either bounce a pickup clear out around the pasture using far more gas and putting lots of wear and tear on a pickup. Or I can bring the 4wheeler, make a much quicker trip, use less gas, use a vehicle that is made to bounce around the pastures. I need to use the 4wheeler. I need to get over my fear.
I’m not going to do that by forcing myself to do it. Telling myself that my fears are stupid, I’m obviously in no danger isn’t going to be of much use either.
Instead I go through careful and stringent safety procedures. I double check ramp placement. I double check that wheels are lined up. I do everything in my power to make sure it is safe.
I only do what I’m comfortable with. There’s no way I can haul it over in a pickup and back it our of the bed. So I don’t try. I can slowly and carefully handle the low trailer, so I do.
What does any of this have to do with horses?
Everything!
If we are scared to do something with a horse it does us no good to do it while we are trembling in fear. Being told our fears are stupid doesn’t help either.
The most useful things we can do are to stay safe, prepare carefully, and slowly build up to where we are afraid so we can accustom ourselves to what we are facing and become more prepared as we get there. Once we work on all these things we may find that the thing formerly so scary is not as scary anymore. I backed out of this trailer today, after carefully double checking everything, without the usual lump in my throat! Pickup bed here we come!
