Festive_Felicitations
Well-Known Member
Incase your are wondering Emus = Australia's answer to Ostriches, those terrifiying horse eating monsters....
Beau has been on short walking hacks only the last week as he pulled a muscle in his shoulder (doing sliding halts in his field....grrr). This morning after he did 'airs above the ground' on the end of the lead rope as I led him up the field (he is 16.3 to start with so averaged 18-19hh I think this morning!) I figured we might as well trot a bit....=)
All was going to plan, nice clam walking and troting on level grass verges, till coming round the back of Waratah Park (mini-native animal zoo place) we met the Emus.
They appered to have let the Emus into the back lot, where they were in plain view of the trail...
After stopping dead head up, snorting, neck ridgid, heart pounding so hard that I could feel it against my leg!
We managed 1 step forward before whilring and cantering in the opposite direction. Managed to stop and turned to face them again. As I insited we had to go past, we proceeded to do passage and half-pass / shoulder in the length of the fence line, snorting every other stride.
Because Im sure it is what the doctor recomends for strained shoulders....
Fortunatly when he calmed down he still seemed sound, so finger crossed he is OK tomorrow!
On his passage - If it was a DR test, while we would have lost marks for being too tense (ie neck muscles locked solid) and poor head carriage, his elevation (to judge by the shadows) sould have scored 10s!!!
So now to repeat the manouver in a DR arena, do you think if we tied an Emu to the judges car they would notice?
Beau has been on short walking hacks only the last week as he pulled a muscle in his shoulder (doing sliding halts in his field....grrr). This morning after he did 'airs above the ground' on the end of the lead rope as I led him up the field (he is 16.3 to start with so averaged 18-19hh I think this morning!) I figured we might as well trot a bit....=)
All was going to plan, nice clam walking and troting on level grass verges, till coming round the back of Waratah Park (mini-native animal zoo place) we met the Emus.
They appered to have let the Emus into the back lot, where they were in plain view of the trail...
After stopping dead head up, snorting, neck ridgid, heart pounding so hard that I could feel it against my leg!
We managed 1 step forward before whilring and cantering in the opposite direction. Managed to stop and turned to face them again. As I insited we had to go past, we proceeded to do passage and half-pass / shoulder in the length of the fence line, snorting every other stride.
Because Im sure it is what the doctor recomends for strained shoulders....
Fortunatly when he calmed down he still seemed sound, so finger crossed he is OK tomorrow!
On his passage - If it was a DR test, while we would have lost marks for being too tense (ie neck muscles locked solid) and poor head carriage, his elevation (to judge by the shadows) sould have scored 10s!!!
So now to repeat the manouver in a DR arena, do you think if we tied an Emu to the judges car they would notice?
