Have any of you seen this video? It’s been going around the barn for the last two weeks. The kids found it of course, but the adults have watched it just as many times as the kids (many, many times). In just the last week, it’s logged 50,000-plus additional views, bringing it to more than 600,000 views total in the past year.
I have to admit, the first few times I watched it I was slightly horrified, with the mom-meter pegging into the red zone. I don’t know what was more disturbing, listening to my daughter cackle with glee as this 6-year-old kid got dumped off his pony 25 times (“Wait for it—here comes the kid first, now you see Ed! Ahhh!), or wondering if this kid (Ross) was emotionally or physically scarred from the falls.
Then I read the note under the video. “PLEASE READ BEFORE WATCHING VIDEO.” Once I read the note, I was giggling too. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who stopped short before cackling at poor Ross getting the multiple toss treatment from Ed.
Ross’s mum was promptly harassed by concerned horse people and parents alike after uploading this video. The comments posted tell all—many too vitriolic and accusatory to mention. What I love is her attempt to thwart them all with her note (see below). The need for her to post this note shows our worst and best instincts at work.
ADVERTISEMENT
Reading it allowed me to enjoy the video for what it is. I hope you can too. Cackle away!
“PLEASE READ BEFORE WATCHING VIDEO…..wonderful Ed, Ross’s last pony. He was naughty sometimes when we took him off lead rein. While he was bucking, Ross would say, ‘Look Nan! I’m like a cowboy!’ Just to let everyone know that Ross would not let Ed go. Ross started to outgrow Ed, and eventually allowed Ed to go to a loving home (sold as lead rein pony only), and Ed was going to be trained to pull a little cart. I did send Ed off to a trainer to be schooled for off lead rein….got his back checked out, no problems…. got saddler out….. no problems… got dentist out… no problems….. Ed was a lead rein pony, but Ross did not want to stop riding Ed but also did not want to be on lead rein anymore…. please remember I have hours and hours of film of Ross and Ed together and Ed being very good… this was 3 minutes of clips taken over a year….
Ed and Ross had a bond I have never seen before. Ross had dreams of riding Ed up the mountain…. he spent most of his time brushing Ed and telling him stories, and when Ross was riding Ed you could hear Ross singing to him…. Ross loved Ed for the friendship they had together. Ed taught Ross that they are animals with minds of there own and to expect the unexpected, and Ross did and is always prepared for anything…Ross always wore top range safety hat, body armour, safety stirrups, (did have to get a wider pair) and he had a soft landing on soft laid arena…”
Amen!
Elizabeth Howell grew up riding on the hunter/jumper circuit in Massachusetts. Now she is a horse show mom. She holds a day job at The Emily Post Institute and slings horse manure on the weekends. Her website is www.sheridesIpay.com.
