Natch
Well-Known Member
My goodness. I am lucky enough to have miles and miles and miles of gorgeous off-road hacking in a forest, which includes handy log jumps, obstacles like streams and undulating land. Went for a canter up a slight incline we have done plenty of times before, but because he hadn't given me right canter all day I thought I'd make it really clear, flex him right and go for the right lead. F took this to mean canter left lead, but canter one stride across the track, and (still cantering) go up a steep bank, littered with exposed roots, big dips, trees etc etc...
This is a horse who wears knee boots all the time because he has been known to fall over plenty of times, and can be a bit of a klutz to say the least
I tried to correct it but in the split second it was easier to keep going than turn around and negotiate back down the slope - still in canter! We made it in one piece, and rightly or wrongly I just had to make a big fuss of him for managing that all without either tripping, falling over or brushing me off against the several trees we weaved in and out of!!
Luckily we negotiated back down again more calmly at walk, so I made a point of cantering up the actual track this time, not bothering with which lead. F then decided last time was waaaay too fun and further up the track jumps up onto the same bank, does a few strides canter wall of death style and jumps back down when I insisted and gave me the most bouncy, nice calm canter ever! (KatB do you know the feeling?!) Has somebody got a confession to make on have they been teaching him wall of death style manouvers without my knowledge, or has he just been watching too many action films before bedtime?!
I tried to correct it but in the split second it was easier to keep going than turn around and negotiate back down the slope - still in canter! We made it in one piece, and rightly or wrongly I just had to make a big fuss of him for managing that all without either tripping, falling over or brushing me off against the several trees we weaved in and out of!!
Luckily we negotiated back down again more calmly at walk, so I made a point of cantering up the actual track this time, not bothering with which lead. F then decided last time was waaaay too fun and further up the track jumps up onto the same bank, does a few strides canter wall of death style and jumps back down when I insisted and gave me the most bouncy, nice calm canter ever! (KatB do you know the feeling?!) Has somebody got a confession to make on have they been teaching him wall of death style manouvers without my knowledge, or has he just been watching too many action films before bedtime?!
