Cochrane Parade Day

It was a lovely sunny and warm day this September 3rd for the local Cochrane Parade. They say about 15 thousand people came to watch it.

I had Goldie in her silver saddle/bridle best - put her 4 white stocking boots on - she was indeed an eye catcher.

There was 4 of us from Diane's Horsesrcool staff - Diane, Taya, Brendon and myself.

We got going with the parade but had not gone only about 1/4 mile when it came to a stand still. We waited and we waited, and waited some more - no movement - we knew something had happened. And it had. On the main street where most of the people are, a horse spooked at something and reared up, off came the man rider and down he went on the road - broke his wrist; that spooked a float pulled by a team of horses, jerking the float unexpectedly and off went a lady who hit the road and broke her leg. So the 911 and Ambulance had to come.

First time anything like this has happened in this Parade. But when you have horses, people, flags, bands, and other sights and sounds, there is always the possibility such can happen. As Diane and I talked afterwards, you have to be on a horse that is as they say "bomb proof" - yet unless you are on a police horse (trained to literally not be scared at bombs exploding, guns being fired, and riots, fires, and anything else you can think of) there is always a chance that an unexpected whatever happening, will spook your horse. On the way back to the disembarking station (a large gravel pit area) we had the group in front of us trying to roll up their 20 foot banner, and the wind picked up, just about blowing it out of their hands. As Diane and I said to each other, on seeing this, "If that gets away from them it will come straight at us, and we better be ready to jump off our horses, as they will probably spook real bad, jumping and etc. to get away from what to them is a monster coming to attack them."

Horses are "prey" animals, they are the ones to be eaten by wolves, bears etc.  They are always on the look out for anything that might attack them; their first instinct is to run, jump, buck, run away from what is coming at them. Horses will only stand and fight when cornered. And speaking of that, standing and fighting, the horse is the only creature on earth that will fight from both ends - their front end and their back end. They will bite and kick with their front legs and hoofs, and kick with their back legs and hoofs.

We all went for our usual nice meal after the Parade.

Tuesday Brenden (who is from Toronto, Ontario) flew back home. Michael (Diane's nephew) had returned to Ontario a week before, as he had to get ready to start University in Ottawa.

Tanya the next day (the 4th) would start her "school bus" work - driving school bus during the school year. And I would start back into my teaching guitar/banjo/mandolin at the Community Center.

Yesterday (Friday) I was out at Diane's ranch - started painting my horse jumps, as over the last 4 years some of the paint had come off. Will finish painting them over the next coming week.

Sunday (tomorrow) I will attend the International Show Jumping event at Calgary's famous "Spruce Meadows" - one of the best show-jumping places in the world. A MILLION dollars in prize money to be won over the 3 day event - started on Friday. But the great individual event, and biggest prize money, is on Sunday. It is where all the best pro show-jumping guys and gals from all over the world, come to jump for the first prize money of I believe it is one of the biggest prize money events in the whole year of show jumping. The weather is going to be fantastic - sunny and around 85 to 90 F. or 27 to 30 C.
They also have booths of all kinds  to do with horses. And other booths to do with art, jewelry. farming, ranching, and of course lots of eating places and drink/ice-cream booths. With the weather going to be so lovely it will be a packed house as they say.

I'm now under the banner of the Community Center for my teaching, as the Music School I was with closed down last June. They are doing a pull page story on me in the local community magazine for October. I was able to move into the largest music room, and so have much more space for all my guitars and amplifiers etc. The Community Center is trying to find other music teachers on other instruments than what I teach. I am also going to have a large poster printed to put on one of the Center's large tripods. Can then put it out near the road when the school next door is out for the day - kids and parents will see it - then bring it into the lobby of the Center for the rest of the day and evening. I hope to build myself back up to about 20 student a week, which I always had until last year - only had 12 last year.

So that brings you up to date over the last week of my life.
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