The Mustang Diaries: Atlas is NOT a Jumper

By 8 A.M. this morning, I was on the phone with the vet setting up an emergency visit for Atlas, this week's winner of the "W.T.F" award. Joe and I were finishing up morning chores; he was feeding hay, and I was prepping Cash to go out to the pasture for the day, when Atlas decided to make his move. The bugs are terrible here this time of year, and I figured I would try our new fly sheets and fly boots out on Cash today. So I get him all dressed up, looking like he's in a full bee suit, and I go to take him to the pasture. I forgot a halter, so I just looped a lead rope over his neck and walked him out of his corral.

As soon as we entered the training arena on our way to the pasture, Cash decided he needed to do a quick zoomie first and burst out of my lead to do a couple of hot laps. The sight of this ungodly creature bolting around the arena sent Atlas to the moon with gut-wrenching fear. He was so petrified that he tried to get his short, fat, little body OVER the 6ft corral panels. He sure got his chest up high enough, but quickly lost momentum like a stalling jet and came crashing down onto the panels, smashing them like an accordion, and finished by flopping over into HADES' pen.

Joe and I spring into action, shooing Cash away before he could cause any more chaos, and replacing destroyed corral panels. We get everything repaired and finally get Atlas separated from Hades and calmed down. Of course, he is covered in cuts, so we make a call to the emergency vet for one particular spot on his chest that requires stitches. What a great start to the week; I don't think Atlas will ever be a successful jumper.