6/ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 THE RIDER
Natural Horsemanship & Body Control Foundation Reining Training My 9-11
Everything was happening fast. Too many people to figure out what I needed to do. I later remembered to shut off the main hydro switch that ran to the building.
By Susan Dahl.
I feel better writing about this now that the rebuild has started. The tone of the article will not be too distressing to read - just a human interest story.
This is my 9-11 experience
The paramedic was con- cerned for me, but you know horse people, all I could think of was to check the horses. Brenda, my boarder and her daughter and my neighbour did that. ‘Wait for me’ - I was thinking to myself. My legs wouldn’t walk properly. It was upsetting. One minute I was wanting to puke, the next, I was going to fall down (my legs not wanting to move.)
- my arena fire as it happened on Sept. 11th. It is shocking - A part of me still can’t believe it. I have too. There isn’t any build- ing left. It’s the same feeling people get when major news hits the TV screens like Dalton McGuinty resigning. The ‘shake your head in disbelief’ kind.
I’ve never had a fire before. I raced home, trying not to get into an accident. There was nothing left by the time I got there. 15 minutes was what they said it took before it went down. 20 fire fighters, 4 fire trucks, police, paramedics were there before me. A neighbour, who moved my tractor, said that it was like liquid fire pouring off the roof.
I remember looking over at my hand and saw it shaking violently. I couldn’t move my feet when I saw the burning car- cass. It’s a paralysing shock.
The day flew by. In the evening, the fire chief stood guard. Can’t have evidence disturbed by any- one until the fire Marshall and insurance investigators have their look. A pumper truck stood by in case of another flare up. A police cruiser stood watch in the wee hours. The fire Marshall spent most of the 2nd day look- ing for a cause. It’s electrical. What else can it be? The reporters have stories on the local news telling of a solar panel connection. It’s not the solar panels. I get asked that a lot.
Just like all tragedies, life goes on for the world except the person(s) affected. It feels like being widowed all over again, only not anywhere near as bad. ‘Oh at least the horses are safe and you are safe. At least you didn’t loose the barn too’, peo-
ple say trying to cheer me up. My life will be forever changed. Of course, I’m going to rebuild. Never gave it much thought. I’ve been planning my arena for years, and the solar project was just under way.
friend Vic Robinson so I stopped writing and called. His cancer has now spread all over his body. He starts chemo tomorrow. Needless to say, I was shocked by the news and felt my troubles to be small.
I’ve been through all the other stages of grief. I am peeved that I will have to go through the rig-a-ma-roll again to get the arena rebuilt and the solar panel project restarted. I am now just resigned to it and motor on. Since my life has been thrown upside down and my work cancelled until the arena is rebuilt, I am concerning myself with the rebuild. At least now I get the second chance to ‘tweek’ a few things! That’s a small consolation.
It takes one phone call to put things into perspective. I wasn’t quite done this article. I had a feeling all day to call my
Putting my spin on life. Reinersue
@KISS Reiners
Susan Dahl, celebrating 20 years in reining, 10 years in natural horsemanship & 5 year writing for The Rider. Proudly a member of Toklat’s Myler (Bit) Ride Team and now Myler tech- nical bit certified. She is a certi- fied professional horse trainer, NCCP coaching theory certi- fied, competitor, clinician and owner/operator of Foundation Reining Training Centre in Durham. She specializes in modern horsemanship, western performance horse development
& reining training for horse & rider. She has trained & won numerous ORHA, NRHA, & Reining Canada Top 10 awards. For more information on her very innovative & fun approach
to training, clinics, lessons, or coaching, please visit her on facebook, her website
www.reinersuehorsemanship.co m or
Reinersue@hotmail.com.
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