Wake up call!

Luka has turned into a very polite and wiiling hack that nowadays will deal wih almost anything. Sometimes he needs a few moments to have a look and decide if something is safe, but then goes by and sticks to his decision. I'd amost forgotten the hot headed, neurotic powerhouse I used to ride, but I got a big reminder today!

Quite what the problem was with the skip I don't know, he's been past it plenty of times no trouble. Maybe they'd put something in it that smelled bad to him? The longer he stood the more panicked he got - sweating, shaking, head bobbing to try and look from a different angle without moving. Wouldn't take a lead from a car going past or a walker and when a well meaning person came towards him and put ut a hand thinking she could lead him past he went up so high he wasn't far off vertical. In the end I gave up and asked him to rein back a good distance before turning him around, he wasn't even willing to take his eyes off it to turn that close. And then proceeded most of the way home as though the Devil was on his tail. Enormous high stepping running trot, and even some canter on the roads until he settled into a rhythm. Thank goodness we were on our own, nothing else on the yard would have kept up with that trot. At one point we had to make way for a lorry but thankfully I could get into a small car park where he proceeded to plunge and dance until he could get moving properly again. Considering parts of the villag are 20mph zones it's a good thing the police weren't out with speed guns!

It was a good job the physio had had a lot to do on the previous two horses because he needed a hose down and time to physically and mentally cool down before he was seen. Thank goodness she's someone I use regularly so knows that's not how I normally present him for treatment.

On a plus note he could easily have just bogged off but didn't. He never stopped listening, never completely dropped the bridle so I was lett with nothing and neither did he go the opposite way and pull like a tank - he did both in the early days and even though he was much weaker then it was still almost impossible to contain him, indeed staying in the saddle was challenging if he pulled. He knew he had to wait for the lorry and did so in a fashion that while looking dradful was at least safe. And he managed to come back to walk for the last 5 minutes or so, not a relaxed walk but at least recognisable as such.

Made me realise how far he's come, but that there is still that side to him and it will probably always be best not to take him completely for granted.

Urgh I really not fit enough nowadays to deal with those antics. I felt fine yesterday, but today my lower back aches despite painkillers and my shoulders aren't much better - maybe I should have asked the physio to do me while she was there, he looks as fresh as a daisy and no sign of even a twinged muscle.

@Jessey it'swhen things like that happen that I'm glad I based his retraining on trust and wanting to please rather than carrying on with force and him being more scared of the rider than anything he came across!

He was still anxious about it when I rode this morning, it was only when we took the turn away from the one that leads to that road that he relaxed. I think I'll go down there on foot before I take him back just in case there's anything I can see or smell, for him to still be fretful today suggests he reallt did think lives were at risk!

All credit to him @Jane&Ziggy because he managed to keep a lid on himself, he never even tried to whip round and while he did leave at a fair pace when I said he could he also kept listening the whole time. As @Jessey said, he's a good lad even when he's bad!

At least today he was relaxed from the start. Playing nanny so stayed away from that route, it wouldn't do the other combination any good at all to get caught up in that. Anyway maybe if it was "just" a bad smell it will have worn off in a few days, or even better the skip may have been emptied

Jane&Ziggy said:

Or even taken away!

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The silly thing is it's been there for ages and he's gone past it without a look so many times, it has to be something that's gone in it. Anyway taking it away means it looks different and must be looked at

Finally got to take him that way this morning, though I did it from the other direction. He was still tense and giving it some major side eye along with his "the road is lava" walk (love that description by a friend!) but he went past it without any major upset or need to leg it afterwards. So he got a lot of praise and treats, and hopefully he'll be back to normal about it next time.

It's been there ages and no sign of going anytime soon, it looks like there's majorwork gong on in the house it's outside. It seems to get emptied and refilled on a regular basis and there are often workmen on site too.

It sometimes feels like half the village is being renovated or repaired - thatching, scaffolding, skips, cement mixers, building sites, you name it we go past it!

We're both fine thanks, how about you and the lovely Faran?