I guess I should start out the first of many stories with the story of "The Kick". Yes, you heard correctly, I said the K word. Keep it in mind that I wasn't the unfortunate soul who received this blow, however dear Halie will forever have a reminder of Rose implanted on the outside of her left thigh.

This happened the weekend just before Thanksgiving when my son, Andrew and I were traveling back from grocery shopping at WalMart. Mind you I was not in the drivers seat and was forced to be the unfortunate participant in the first of many student driver sessions. (Want to appreciate life? Ride one time with a teenage student driver!)

Rather than take up smoking again during these lessons, I either white knuckle the emergency brake or hold my cell phone very tightly with both hands. I have also found it helps divert my attention when I send or receive texts via phone. With this said I sent Halie a text and asked her to turn Rose and Rumor out as the weather was nasty earlier that day and it seemed to be clearing up. As I was gripping my phone tightly awaiting my fate at my student driver's hands, I received a text from Halie's boyfriend (WHO by the way is highly ALLERGIC to horses and has to remain inside the house when Halie goes outside to do horsey type things....yeah, did HE pick the wrong family). Apparently he had looked out the window to check on Halie and saw that she was limping. As I dialed Halie's cellphone number to see what was going on, I had Mark (the husband) call in to let me know Rose was running loose around the farm and he didn't see what happened but he saw Halie on the ground (which Halie denied that part later on).

According to Halie's story, she had first turned out Rose (wait, stop right there......M I S T A K E!) Yes, Halie didn't have to tell me anymore. I figured out by her first sentence how the entire story played out. Rule number one, don't EVER turn Rosie out first. Remember, Rosie gets a wild hair and gets real aggressive towards Rumor and as much as Ru pesters Rose, you'd understand why Rosie harbors so much hostility.

Unfortunately in this episode, Rose was turned out first. Halie, who must have been working away from home for way too long and forgot the "law of order" around here, proceeded to turn Rumor out in the field with Rose. Well, as soon as Rumor was in the field, Halie turns her around to face the gate to take the halter off and Rose came up from the left corner of Halie and went to take a swing at Rumor but got Halie instead. Rosie then turned it into a free for all for while Halie was evidently groveling around on the ground, hanging on to Rumor's lead and trying to keep her from freaking out over being attacked, Rose noticed the gate was wide open and took it as her chance for freedom, in which she celebrated with enthusiasm, or so I heard. When Halie was able to get her legs working together again, she was able to track down Rose and swing a rope around her neck so she could get her back in the field. With the turnout of the yearlings finally accomplished, Halie limped her way to the house.

When I got home, I immediately inspected the damage left on Halie's leg. Oh yeah, it was a doozie! I'm sure all of us at one point in time have suffered the humility of having that beautiful black, blue and green hoof print imprinted somewhere on our lower extremities. I certainly remember mine. I also remember still getting the chores done immediately afterwards with a bag of ice vet wrapped to my right thigh. Halie on the other hand milked her injury to the hilt.

Now, what made me think of posting this story first was last night Halie came to me to show me the indention left in the muscle of her leg. Seems like Halie now has something similar to what the old time horse people call a "devil's thumbprint". She will walk around with the memory of Rose long after Rose is gone. It'll definitely be a memory that lasts with me for just as long.