But it will give you something to think about.  (I hope)

Why do we get so comfortable with our horses that we stop being careful?

Today Bob and I went to help a neighbor who had a car go through her pasture fence.  Now I’ve known this girl for over 20 years.  Great trainer, rider, and horsewoman.  She had on sneakers.  I do that all the time in the afternoons.  Now I know better.  My toes are living proof that I don’t always do things I’m supposed to.  I just went big bucks to a foot doctor to make my toe nails look like they used to.  It’s down to having my toes done by my farrier in order to get them trimmed.  There’s a fungus among us that won’t quit.  The doctor was really impressed that he couldn’t help me.  My last resort is drugs. (But my liver will not be impressed)  My GP told me to just put a lot of nail polish on them.  When he looked the last time he said “it’s time to go to a foot specialist.”

Dawn (the Clyde) originally took the nail of the big toe off.  Just as it was almost grown in, one of the other ones did the same thing.  After that it got fungus and went down hill.  Then it spread to the others.  Yuk!

But my point is why do we do things like this.  Why sneakers when we know better?  Why do we find our fingers in the wrong places?  Why do we still throw lead lines across our shoulder that has 1000 lb. horse attached to it?  Why do we bend down to brush or wrap a leg in front of the horse?  Why do we stand behind the horse when we’re brushing their tails?  Why do we not pay attention when we’re under the horses belly?  I do catch myself and make a correction, but after 55 years or more why am I still doing stupid stuff?

If a small child went to walk around the back of the horse we would either tell them not to, go around the front, or go wide.  Then why don’t we always remember to do it?

Is it the old “Oh it won’t happen to me” syndrome or what?  We know better, right?  Don’t we like ourselves?  Are we stupid?  Are we paying attention?  Don’t we care?  Are we in just too much of a hurry?  Are we too lazy?

I know I switch out of my boots in the afternoon because it gets hot and the hot humid environment in my boots is just what the fungus loves so I do it just to spite the fungus.  But I know better.  Of course I don’t do bare footed anymore.  Now that’s a step in the right direction.

So I’ll keep trying to correct my casualness, but I will also keep asking myself “WHY?”  How about you?  Are you even aware that you are doing something dangerous?  It just takes one time you know.