How are you spending this gorgeous Saturday?

[zina10]

So the day ended a bit on a sad note.
As I was riding my horse, a fellow barn boarder was screaming for me to come over and let her know if "that snake" was dangerous.

So I ride over there and hand her my horse (she was holding hers, too). The snake was in the tie-up area, heading for a horse stall. Of course I wasn't wearing my contacts, so I had to get pretty
close. A eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Young one. Sigh...

Heading straight into trouble.
I don't like to kill snakes. Whenever possible I SAVE them, and I always educate people at the barn. To keep their area neat (we have duplex stalls, little buildings all over, barn is situated pretty much right by huge woods), not to leave grain out, not to attract rodents, etc.

But that snake meant danger, there were people, kids, horses. I don't have any handling skills with hot snakes and there was nothing there to safely try catch and release with, and time was of the essence. As is, it almost got into the stall.
My Adrenalin was kicking, as the area was littered with stuff leaning on that wall and the snake was up against the wall, trying to get under it, into the stall. All the lady had was a hoe with a short 3 ft. handle. Not good. And I'm wearing shorts, but thankfully leather cowboy boots (yeah i know, shorts and boots, but it was hot...)

But I got it done and I hurried to get a big rock at the end , to crush the brain, and make sure there was no more suffering.

Now I feel bad...

But I honestly didn't see any other way.

Where I board horses there is no shortage of wild life. Its a military installation, so hunting is very controlled and we have a lot of animals that have gotten to be endangered elsewhere. There are snakes all over, many harmless, but also lots of venomous. Usually they aren't in the barn area, or at least, they aren't "seen".

But between the people there, and the horses, I guess the ones one is responsible for have to come first.

It did put a damper onto my perfect Saturday, though.