A friend has a horse we dub “The Nerd”.Such a scaredypants, except when his owner is on his back - then he is fierce.
But some of the things that will eat him:
Dungrulla’s horse is an interesting creature.
He had a good week this one time, and I rode him every day and he was 95% wonderful. But every once in a while he would see a Scary Thing, and off we went at a full gallop punctuated with monstrous bucks.
One time it was a cat. One time it was a foot-tall blade of grass that had grown in the ring. One time it was the hose that had been left just outside the ring. And one time I sneezed, and lord almighty, I had never ridden a fit like that before.
My mare also lost her mind and ran backward at warp speed once at the sight of a rolltop jump. We weren’t even in the ring yet.
I used to ride a horse with such a terrible fear of cows, he didn’t have a fight or flight reflex with them, but instead he would rear and then try to lay down. This same horse I took out on a trail ride, a tree limb broke off as we were riding under the tree. When he heard the loud crack of the limb breaking, he reared up and lept about 6 feet ahead and to the right. When the limb crashed down right where he had been standing seconds ago, he didnt flinch. Puddles also hid horse eating monsters…they were to be lept over with a good 3 foot clearance. He was a super cool horse. I miss him so much.
[QUOTE=dontskipthecafe;8159056]
Dungrulla’s horse is an interesting creature.
He had a good week this one time, and I rode him every day and he was 95% wonderful. But every once in a while he would see a Scary Thing, and off we went at a full gallop punctuated with monstrous bucks.
One time it was a cat. One time it was a foot-tall blade of grass that had grown in the ring. One time it was the hose that had been left just outside the ring. And one time I sneezed, and lord almighty, I had never ridden a fit like that before.
My mare also lost her mind and ran backward at warp speed once at the sight of a rolltop jump. We weren’t even in the ring yet.[/QUOTE]
Don’t skip, are you riding dungrulla’s horse? That’s cool.
Anyway, what percipitates these are verrry clever and unpredictable moments, but every single one was when your guard was down and you THOUGHT you were having a lovely, relaxing walk on the buckle moment. But you weren’t.
Last one I (didn’t) rode, after a dressage work out, we went outside my trainer’s indoor to walk about the field and look at the new fences there built specially for him. Walking around the edge of the field, I remembered never to take him for granted, and started to feel him bouncing on his toes. In the field, 5 crows congregated on the ground. I had my leg on, had him in hand, started to make him work, which is his signal that I am not to be taken for granted. He stopped, and watched the crows fly up. He literally watched them go into the sky - head rising to watch. Then he cocked his head and looked around the field as if to say to himself “Hm. Anything else I can use?” Every indication of him going to pull a stunt, with malice aforethought. I made him move his legs. He dropped his shoulder and I stuck with him and hollered “Oh, no you don’t!” and turned him back on the path, moving him into a trot. Man, was he pissed - he threw his head up into my face, smack, and broke my nose, and my glasses flew off. Now he dropped the shoulder again, spun , and I was behind his movement because of my bloody nose, grabbing the oh shit strap, and he plunged, I came off the side, and he galloped into the barn, and stood waiting for me in the cross ties.
About once a year he tries this. Its better than before, used to be about once every few weeks. Its calculated, and evil, and to be honest, he hasn’t actually done it again since August 2013, but his trainer, leaser, agrees, its only because he believes she is un-dumpable. Were he ever to believe otherwise, he’d give it a go. Just who he is.
A cactus. Just biding its time along the trail, waiting for an unwary pony to go driving past…and grab him.
Yup, my bombproof, drive past street sweepers, trucks, what have you, shied at a CACTUS.
Convertibles. Mare was totally traffic safe. Trucks, cars, semi’s, trucks with trailers. motorcycles, bikes were all ok. But convertibles belonged to the devil.
[QUOTE=Halt Near X;8157490]
A hay bale.
Very scary thing, food.[/QUOTE]
How about even smaller - a pile of hay - which was put out in the pasture for him to eat. Wasn’t there when he left - “magically” appeared while he was gone. Snorting and sidestepping involved. Sniffed it and cautiously walked off to eat the tiny bit of grass. Didn’t touch the hay pile for a while.
[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8159106]
Don’t skip, are you riding dungrulla’s horse? That’s cool.[/QUOTE]
Nope, this was summer of 2014, when I owned him.
on that same vein, I did the same with my TB the third time I rode him off the track… You’d have thought it was a thunderclap overhead, the way he scooted. I was lucky I had a strap to grab onto! :lol:
His own farts.
Honestly. For a year.
Even now if he’s particularly antsy a good gust of bottom wind is enough to send him over the edge.
I decided I needed a second post for the list:
His own stable - treated with extreme dubiousness at 4pm daily when he must return to it.
Sheepskin nose band cover - he nearly up-ended me when I produced it and cowered in the corner of the stable for five minutes blowing like a humpback.
The window (see: hole) in the arena that looks outside. We pass this at least 50 times a day going around the arena but it is still the portal to Hades.
Horses in the top arena that he can see through said hole. Such strange four legged beasts. Every time.
Bikes coming toward him, but yet not from behind him. There must have been a terrible accident, those horses have wheels instead of legs.
Wheelbarrow being wheeled behind partition in warm-up arena. Exit, stage right.
Child on green pedal thingy. Exit stage left.
Children on trampoline over a wall near his stable at a show. Freeze, snort, exit stage backwards.
It has come to the stage that I am so permanently in anticipation of a spook, that I myself have begun to spook at objects that he might not like. While in the car one day I saw a man wheeling a buggy covered in a coat down the road from about 200 metres away. The horse was in a different county. I froze and started to sweat.
[QUOTE=triple;8159345]
It has come to the stage that I am so permanently in anticipation of a spook, that I myself have begun to spook at objects that he might not like. While in the car one day I saw a man wheeling a buggy covered in a coat down the road from about 200 metres away. The horse was in a different county. I froze and started to sweat.[/QUOTE]
You really must post more often. You’re darn funny!
[QUOTE=triple;8159345]
It has come to the stage that I am so permanently in anticipation of a spook, that I myself have begun to spook at objects that he might not like. While in the car one day I saw a man wheeling a buggy covered in a coat down the road from about 200 metres away. The horse was in a different county. I froze and started to sweat.[/QUOTE]
I sympathize but you are hilarious!
[QUOTE=triple;8159345]
I decided I needed a second post for the list:
It has come to the stage that I am so permanently in anticipation of a spook, that I myself have begun to spook at objects that he might not like. While in the car one day I saw a man wheeling a buggy covered in a coat down the road from about 200 metres away. The horse was in a different county. I froze and started to sweat.[/QUOTE]
:yes: I thought I was the only one who does this!
I think my horse enjoys a good spook the way some people enjoy skydiving. Also boredom = spook.
The neighbor did a controlled burn of all of the fields surrounding our property. Flames everywhere. I expected Vee to lose his mind. Nope. He was just meh about it. I replaced the white hay nets with black ones -Vee just about lost his mind.
[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8159106]
Don’t skip, are you riding dungrulla’s horse? That’s cool.[/QUOTE]
She was about a year and a half ago before the full extent of his issues was known. No one is riding him now and the last person to was a trainer I paid.
My guy routinely trots past a corner of the indoor where people sit and watch. No problem.
One day, one of the watchers held a bridle on her lap while she cleaned it. Big problem.
A horse I sometimes ride literally spooked at nothing trotting along the rail. In his defense, I dog had been sitting there earlier that he didn’t actually spook at, just eyeballed. Coming back around I think he was anticipating the dog still being there, spooked, bucked, and then realized he was being an idiot and stopped spooking :lol:
Anyone under 5’ tall. Extra scary if they are wearing a puffy coat. Color doesn’t matter.
Birds, dogs, bikes, most things on wheels, motorized or not. But he is NOT afraid of a train passing fairly closely, and he LOVES cats!
ETA: Cows. Also afraid of cows. Forget it if they decide to moo in his presence.
Thanks SmartAlex and Synthesis, I’m all a-fluster with these lovely comments 
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