Ouchies! Blooming horse!

FestiveFuzz

FestiveFuzz

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Don't get me wrong, I adore my horse but he can be a right idiot sometimes.

So today there was no one to hack out with so I decided it was about time to go it alone. We've hacked alone a handful of times but he's so sharp and spooky that it tends to be more hassle than it's worth but I know the only way for him to improve is to persevere.

After a battle to get him to stand by the mounting block I was finally on board cue plenty of napping all the way off the yard.

Once out he was spooky but better than I expected considering we met squirrels, two rather large and loud dogs, more fallen horse-eating branches than I care to remember and our very first bus (!!) after I managed to get lost on the bridle path back to the yard (don't ask!). All in all I was pretty pleased with him and even managed to walk home on the buckle. So far so good!

H has developed a nasty habit of dropping his shoulder and spinning when he spooks so I figured it was worth heading to the school for a short stirrupless session in the hope of increasing my stickability :) H was an absolute star so I figured we'd call it a day and end on a good note.

So we're walking back to the yard and have passed all the spooky things when suddenly H leaps and spins and I'm hanging almost upside down at his shoulder. I honestly have no idea how I stayed on as I was prepping my landing but the next thing I know I'm sat still astride my horse with a throbbing hand (caught my whip and finger on the reins when I was unseated).

So now I'm sat with a pack of frozen peas on my ridiculously swollen little finger and sipping Baileys to dull the pain (seriously who knew fingers could hurt so much?!).

Please tell me I'm not the only one with a horse that likes to keep me on my toes by being hoof perfect at the scary stuff and then losing his ***** at nothing!
 
You aren't the only one. My horse decided to spook at a dustbin which has not moved in several months whilst leading her to the field. Front hoof all the way down the back of my calf. Thank goodness I was wearing long leather boots, even so I lost some skin off my heel.
She also spooked at a bush she had ridden past hundreds of times in the past .. because it was covered in frost! Rugs blowing across the school and jumps falling over in the wind. No problem!
 
I don't know if it makes you feel any better, but my Current Appy does not care a jot about large vehicles but did a massive spook at nothing at all on the path when we rode on Boxing Day, her companion took no notice of either the invisble monster or the bonkers Appy :)
(I have always found that work without irons helps to stick, if you can face it rising trot without irons is worthwhile)
 
Oh no! Think of all the positives, he obviously thought you had it a bit too easy today ;)
I managed to break my middle finger treating a wound on a sheep a few weeks ago and it still kills! Hopefully yours isn't broken but look forward to lots of wonderful shades of blue and purple tomorrow :(
 
Oh No, I hope you are feeling better soon!

I think it is the time of year, my normally FAB to hack horse got stuck the other day as someone was using a hammer on their field shelter behind a hedge. He stood rooted to the spot, and 20 minutes later we were still there! This is a route we have taken several times a week for over 2 years, it was just a man with a hammer dammit. I could not be angry as the horse used to rear and spin, and he controlled himself enough to just root to the spot, but after 20 minutes I had to phone home for my husband to come out to ride by on his bike just to give him a lead.
Daft horse, but I know come summer he will be his usual dignified self!
 
Yep my oldie does this, hes good with me for a while then just goes 'are you paying attention mum???' Whhhhhheeeeeeeeeee, I have to laugh at him as Im the only person he does this with :D
 
I'm loving the stories! Keep them coming :)

I've had a bath now so am feeling less achy and hopeful I'll be able to hold my reins again tomorrow.
 
Mine is like a homing pigeon! Someone else was jumping her in hunter trials about a km from the stables, horse slipped and rider came off, out of 50 acres she chose a gate to jump out ofbthe course and galloped up through allotments and back to yard.....Not once but TWICE!
 
Mines not much of a spooker- but if he sees another horse on a hack he HAS to catch up and say hi lol. Queue big fight with him wanting to gallop off down the road to meet his almost new friend. 😒
Ironically though, he's a superstar to hack alone, but when I hack out with one of the ladies at my yard he spooks at everything- even his own farts!
Glad the finger is a bit better, well done for staying on! Maybe more Baileys will help ;) it is Christmas time still after all! X
 
My horse sounds exactly like yours, he is super spooky, last year/beg of this year, he went through a fase where anything scary out hacking he would spin around into the middle of the road and try and run home, I went for ages without hacking him on his own, and now we finally are and he is so much better. We moved yards and we couldn't go in the outdoor school as it is so scary we couldn't get near any of the boards! He is a lot better now but I always think of him as the spookiest horse possible! There was a tiny bit of light through the boards one night and we wouldn't go near it! Then his bodyguard (a friends horse) was in there too and his shadow coming towards us was terrifying! He kept trying to back away from it!

We regularly go flying across the school, or can't get near certain points! He also does the spin and drop his shoulder, I don't know how I stay on half the time!

A massive tractor can come past with a noisy trailer and we will walk past it fine, but god forbid someone grow flowers in their front garden, or even worse put their bins out!!

The girl at my yard also loves the story of when one horse coughed and he ***** himself and ran away!

Glad i'm not the only one!
 
One mare form my stable got spooked when she saw her owner and her dog behind the fence (about 50m away). She knows them for ages and usually is not scared at all, I couldn't believe it when she was just about to run away :) they came closer and she became calmer immediately
 
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