Helicopter experience

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gocharliego

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I don't post much but something happened yesterday which isn't an every hack experience!

Yesterday I took my horse Charlie out for a hack, going on one of our usual routes which happens to pass our local hospital. There is a cycle path which leads to the hospital with a grass track running along one side of the path for us to ride on, and on the other side of the path a ditch, then across this ditch a helicopter pad. We were quite happily walking along when I heard that dreaded sound of the helicopter blades, our previous encounter of a helicopter did not go too well and that's when it was just flying overhead!

Thinking crap what on earth do I do, because there was no real way to escape it.. Unless we galloped off but he's retired to walk so didn't fancy that. I kept on walking nice and fast, whilst the helicopter was beginning to slow and get lower in preparation to land, when thankfully the pilot must have seen us as he made a turn to the left giving us more time to move. I don't think Charlie had noticed it was even there at this point, too busy spooking at changes in grass colour! But now the helicopter was approaching from behind - which was even worse in someways as Charlie hadn't seen it. So I decided to jump off, as I was unsure how he would react and run along side him as we really need to move. We got a reasonably good distance away (would've preferred to get further) but the helicopter was lowering, so I turned him round let him have a look at what was going on. He stood there, didn't move a muscle just snorted a bit. I was madly patting and trying to clam him - probably calming myself a little! I was so proud, as the sheer size of it, along with the noise of the propellers and the flashing lights, would be more than enough to spook any horse. But he just watched, almost fascinated by the whole thing. Big pats!!!:D


I don't think there's anyway we can really avoid it, just unlucky we happened to be there at that time. Hopefully we won't see them too much.


Anyone else had a similar experience?!
 
Yes, we 've had helicopters flying overhead quite a few times. Low enough to see the pilot's face. Horse's aren't bothered which considering the noise and wind is quite impressive.

Just goes to show how, sometimes we anticipate a negative reaction from our horse's needlessly. Strangely my horse thinks blue road paint is far more dangerous than a helicopter.
 
I've had two experiences with helicopters, most recently being yesterday! The first was when there was a car accident outside the yard and one had to land in the farmers field next door. Whole herd of grazers barely even looked up at it until it was on the ground and only then did they glance before returning to the grass again. Then yesterday I was bringing Ollie in down a wide but very muddy path. Bright yellow helicopter flying low came over the trees and hovered above us. All I could think was, oh dear, murderer on the loose probably hiding in my stables or something (Ollie doesn't scare easily - arctic lorries, high speed trains etc are all old hat to him), and although Ollie sidestepped to get a better look he was more interested in his dinner. Pretty much dragged me through the mud and shoved his head in his feed bucket before I could even get the headcollar off.

My shetland however was bolting round the field like a wanted criminal. Wouldnt surprise me if she was the one they were looking for - she's a very naughty pony.
 
We're in lincs and have low flying spitfires, tornadoes doing fighter practice (that make the ground shake) and the lancaster as well as helicopters - I used to freak whenever I heard them coming but I think the horses get so used to seeing them when they are out in the field they don't seem bothered when ridden
I sometimes see them stop eating and look up in a "oh look the red arrows again" type way but you'd be surprised what they can get accustomed to.
Glad he was good for you.
 
We're under military airspace, so get lots of helicopters, including the huge chinooks, often dangling land rovers underneath!
I thought we'd seen it all, then we were breaking a pony to drive the other week, and a helicopter overhead suddenly went very quiet, then very, very loud - we looked up and it was doing a loop the loop!

For obvious reasons the pilot hadn't seen us, and continued to do several more, right over our head.
Pony hardly reacted; bless him.
 
Our yard seems to be on a flight route for the big army helis. We are in a little bit of a dip and they seem to appear from nowhere right over our heads in the schooling paddock. I swear you can see the colour of the pilots eyes!! You hear them a minute or so before they appear so you do have time to leap off and panic a bit but our horses all seem to be so used to them now they really dont bother. Several years ago when I was having a trial ride on an ex racer, in a big open field I heard a heli coming in overhead. The girl who was selling him shouted over to me "dont worry, its our neighbour about to land, hes used to it, you'll be fine" I was convinced I was about to die or at least get carted into the next county. Che didnt even flinch, I bought him and he was the safest horse Ive ever ridden in traffic!
 
Sounds like you have a nice steady boy there, OP. Like a few people here we seem to be under an RAF training area and we do get low flying helicopters and lots of very low flying jets. Luckily the horses are used to them from being turned out, although the other day one flew directly overhead, particularly low and the noise was just horrendous, fortunately I was on the old mare who just put her ears back then carried on.

I suppose it's good for their education though!
 
I sent my mare away to be broken. The long awaited day came when I rode her myself for the first time. I mounted in the yard and the lady who'd broken her accompanied me on foot on on what was intended to be a short hack on a quiet Lane.

We heard a rumbling sound as we passed a nearby farm, and carried on thinking it was farm machinery. Lo and behold, the rumbling sound got louder and a Chinook appeared rising behind the farmhouse only yards away. My first thought was 'I'm dead' and the second was 'Oh, we're still alive she's not bothered at all!'. Mare carried on quite happily despite a very elevated pulse from her rider!

Cyclists, on the other hand.....
 
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