Back in the Saddle

Today Dad and I went with the horses to move our cows and calves.  First of all, we mounted and moved a few new cows and their young calves just across the fence.  Next, we went to where we call over west, and mounted there to gather and move some other cows and calves.  Paradise, my horse, had been going well, and we crossed the river with no problems.  We were pushing some cows through and around tamaracks when we reached the river once more.  There, since we had the cows and calves, it was harder to cross.  Calves don't like to cross water and on horse back, it's hard to just walk them across.
Anyway- we had most of the cows across with their calves (don't forget, it's just me with my dad), but two calves needed to still cross.  One of which was standing in the middle of the water, unmoving or anything.  Dad, worried that it was sick, rode out to it and tried pushing or pulling its tail to make it cross.  That only made the protective mother angry.  She lowered her head and opened her mouth only to let the angry moos and slobbers come out.  She faced Dad and his horse and took a few jumps towards him.  All at once, the calf plunged out of the river and ran straight to me, his mother right behind him!  That all means that the angry mama was coming, at a run, right to me!  I turned my horse and kicked her to run away from the cow; she realized what was happening and loped up a hill and turned between some tamaracks, causing the cow to loose track of us and run some where else.  Dad told me that the cow wasn't after us, but that it just felt and looked like it.  Either way, I am glad that no one was hurt.
But that was just one crazy incident during the day.  After we left that mama and her calf, we continued to push the others to the right pasture.  Again Paradise got jumpy and tossed her head.  I don't what's gotten into her, but she is a little different.  Then we rode to the pickup and drove home.  Big J. and Little J. had gotten their horses saddled and ready to ride, so we all, except Mom, rode out to our pasture just east of the house.  We have had a cow and calf in there for the longest time, and they needed to be removed from the pasture, so we rode out there and gathered the two animals.  Tonzo and Belvadere, our two dogs, also went along for the ride.  The gather and moving only took 5 or 10 minutes and then we headed back home. 
Now that doesn't sound crazy to anyone, does it?  I am not finished yet!  While we were riding back, my horse thought we would run, and did so for a little ways before I stopped her.  Nothing happened out of the blue, yet.  But as we were reaching a huge dip in the ground, Paradise started loping down the hill, and without any sign, she jumped a little and tossed her head.  I am sure she was just feeling good, but I lost my seat and was REALLY close to loosing the whole saddle, which means that I would have hit the ground.  Thankfully, I stayed on, calmed down the jumpy, feeling good horse, and rode her all the rest of the way home.  I did get off early because we were coming close to a spot where we would have walked between the pickup and a dog cage, but they were only a yard away from each other.  I could just picture my horse and me in a mess and someone getting hurt. 
But, over all, it was a nice day for riding and no one was hurt in any way.  And we ended the day by having FMN (family movie night).  So, just another day on the ranch has ended.  : )