Today, May 16, 2018, was my second horse ride of the season. It has been a bad year so far. My horse had been lame since January and calving has been awful.
Here, in our part of Saskatchewan, we had no spring. There was winter which lasted forever, cold and windy with barely any snow, and frost that went so deep that almost all my perennials and newly-planted trees didn’t survive. And then there is what I would call summer with record-breaking hot days, always windy, drying out the soil even more. We haven’t had any measurable rainfall either. All day I can see the salt blowing off the alkali sloughs which would normally be filled with water. Cattle are drinking from dugouts as nearly all the sloughs have dried.
I am out riding my Quarter Horse, Jay, and at our side is my Border Collie, Rico. I went out early to get a ride in before the day turned hot.
As we ride to the top of a coulee, a huge coyote comes around the side of the hill not five yards from us. My dog runs towards her and she attacks. She grabs hold of my dog who is yelping for his life and my horse first runs and then starts to spin. He is normally so calm in the prairie hills, but this is too much. I am getting dizzy now from the spinning. He never offers to buck but he can’t seem to make sense of the coyote so close and the ruckus. I am finally able to stop him and jump off.
“Hmmm.” I think to myself, “That was a mistake.”
Now I am face-to-face with this large, shaggy, yellow coyote who has yellow eyes and the widest shoulders I have ever seen. She is not backing down but my dog has broke free and is now by my side. I am shouting and moving towards her but all she does is crouch and bare her teeth. She moves back a couple of yards but won’t leave.
I am able to grab my cell phone from my belt clip and make a call to my sister-in-law to tell her I need help. I will always be thankful for the speed in which she and my niece came to my aid on their side-by-side. By this time, the coyote had moved back a fair distance and was laying there watching. They check the coulee and find a den that may contain her pups.
I ride Jay home but he is now nervous. Nervous of the tumbleweeds caught in the barbwire fence. Nervous of my jacket on the post as we enter the yard. I hope this is only temporary and that the wind is contributing to his state. But I did get a ride in before the day turned hot. It is now early afternoon and 31 Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit).
Research on the Internet points out that a coyote attack is rare. There are only two recorded instances of humans being killed by coyotes in the United States and Canada. I don’t believe this coyote was going to kill me, but she proved she would do whatever was necessary to keep us from her den and the pups that may be there. According to the Humane Society of the United States it is seldom that one would see a coyote during the day. It is very common here. I saw five yesterday a half mile from our yard. I have also seen what they do to newborn calves. It is a sight I won’t soon forget.
I came away from this event with no injuries to myself or my animals. It could have turned out differently. I am glad I took the time to train my dog to run beside when I ride and to follow commands. He will lay down and stay in place while I ride through a herd of cows with their calves to check for sick or injured cattle, waiting for the signal to rejoin me. My trust in my horse is well-founded. He was scared but never bucked. I am thankful I remembered to take my cell phone. I began doing that a year ago as when I ride I am miles from home and no one knows where I have gone. I have always had a great respect for wildlife and the dangers of an encounter and this will not stop me from enjoying our native prairie with its rugged beauty and the peaceful solitude of a ride.
Vivian lives on a homestead ranch nestled in the hills on the natural prairie near Cardross, Saskatchewan. She brings us a unique and refreshing view of Cowboy Dressage horsemanship.