Our Fair show was always the day before the fair, i.e. haul in livestock and setup the midway day. Our ring also has an ancient grandstand that echoes, a flagpole that zings when the flag hook hits it, and a building that runs the whole length of one side but faces away with people setting up booths inside, so they can hear the noise but see no people. It is sometimes a show of survival.
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or a bolt of lightning striking a tree just 2’ ahead of your horses nose. We both have a bit of PTSD after that ride. Went back later and checked the burn track down the side of the tree, I think we were very lucky that day.
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Yikes!! Your hair and your horse’s coat must have been electrically charged after that one.
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I can see my nosey, mouthy, pushy horse shoving it over trying to get in with me!
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OK, I got yeeted yesterday when my young horse exploded because she smelled a cougar. Hunting stores sell smells! How about a smelly trail class? You could put the scent on a big white rock, which is something that used to terrify my Thoroughbred.
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When your class is in the 4H ring and the circus decides to parade the camels and elephants on the track around the ring. The was much snorting and looking. My good girl just watched them go by!! That was a very very long time ago and she is long gone but darn she was a good girl! She would knock me off on a tree but never ever put a foot wrong when my rank beginner Mom was on her.
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The skill and ability for your horse to get down and let you mount when you are injured.
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Or while you clip branches overhead.
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reminds me of my neighbor and her mountain lion incident. Her horse is a saint. Mine would have dumped me and headed for the hills.
She was up on the mountain when her horse gave a little start. She turned around to see a mountain lion stalking them. So she took the advice most often given and turned around and faced the lion and acted loud and big. She was yelling at it and waving her arms. That wasn’t working. She had her horse advance and started breaking off sticks and throwing them at the cat. This still didn’t get it to back down… Eventually it went off trail to go around and above them and at that point realized it was time to leave town. She had not wanted to turn her back on the cat and retreat earlier because she thought it would make the cat attack (it was that close). Her horse carried her safely off that mountain with the cat following them down to the entry gate.
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That’s scary! When in the woods, I’m constantly checking trees, bluffs, and anyplace else a cat can hide or attack from as I ride by.
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I saw quite a few when I was riding, but had never been stalked like she was. After her incident, I didn’t go up there alone and she carried a firearm. It was pretty weird because they usually leave you alone and this was not a young cat. But apparently a hungry one (large male)
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That horse deserves ALL the carrots!
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I had this happen to me once, My mare (who was a TB!) was so scared (me too) that she just sorta thrust all 4 legs out and got about 12" closer to the ground. I leapt off, because a fire started outside the door. I then decided I would never ever ride during a storm even in an indoor.
I realize this was forever ago but honestly I think I blocked that ride out until I read your post.
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Sorry for bringing back a scary memory. 
But we survived. And our horses, too.
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Canoers or kayakers or, hell, a private school crew team complete with coaches with megaphones following them in small motorboats!
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What a good boy or girl!
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It’s my old lady mare; she’s 26 and at this point no longer really spooks. I don’t ride her, just walk her on the trails.
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She looks like she wants to get in there with them!
Erm, probably not. This river is pretty deep; she’d have to swim. We did, however, spend a lot of time in a smaller, more shallow river before she was retired. It took some convincing at first for her to go in, but she liked it. She has a lot of arthritis, and I’m sure the cold water felt good. I grew up near the Del Mar racetrack in.San Diego. It’s right by the ocean, and trainers liked to have their rehabbing or sore horses there so they could get nature’s hydrotherapy.
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