Ok it was where it was, but even so a bale of hay?
Some context. We'd hacked out with a friend, it was the first time our two had hacked out together and they were very good. We took turns going in front, a big improvement for Luka to be calm behind, and rode side by side at times too. He's still being polite about waiting for company to catch up, just as well given I've yet to find a good way to slow his walk when he's in front. Went very close to a clay shoot that was just starting and they were both extremely good about that despite the noise of shooting and clays coming out of traps. Llamas not even getting a second look. My friend's cob spooked and span a few times when she was in front but Luka was quite happy to either wait or give a lead depending on what was asked. Went past what looked like a scout camp being put up, yep we can do that. So as you can imagine it was a good day.
Going back up the lane to the yard with friend in front, all of a sudden her lad spins, and nearly hits us as he shoots past. Luka, poppet that he's become, stands, while she quickly pulls up completely mystified why he did that. Said could I go in front, but when I get further forward I get the same response though I can see tucked into the hedge by the gateway a seriously dangerous cob eating bale of hay
. The road there is single track, on a hill and the tarmac is slippery so I rode back to where he'd spooked then got off to lead past, there seemed no point risking a horse slipping and falling when I sure he'd follow me past, admittedly in a rather dramatic fashion. The other one then followed him so good result.
But really, after all the things they'd coped with so calmly what a fuss to make about a bale of hay
. I think the problem was my friend's boy didn't see it until he was level with it and that startled him. Luka, being behind, didn't see it but was quite concerned about his friend's reaction so was worried before I asked him to go by. I suspect if we'd been in the lead or on our own he'd have stopped, snorted a few times and then danced past keeping his eyes on it and his bum in the hedge so it couldn't leap on him from behind, but given the other's reaction first I was quite happy to have him lead past.
Some context. We'd hacked out with a friend, it was the first time our two had hacked out together and they were very good. We took turns going in front, a big improvement for Luka to be calm behind, and rode side by side at times too. He's still being polite about waiting for company to catch up, just as well given I've yet to find a good way to slow his walk when he's in front. Went very close to a clay shoot that was just starting and they were both extremely good about that despite the noise of shooting and clays coming out of traps. Llamas not even getting a second look. My friend's cob spooked and span a few times when she was in front but Luka was quite happy to either wait or give a lead depending on what was asked. Went past what looked like a scout camp being put up, yep we can do that. So as you can imagine it was a good day.
Going back up the lane to the yard with friend in front, all of a sudden her lad spins, and nearly hits us as he shoots past. Luka, poppet that he's become, stands, while she quickly pulls up completely mystified why he did that. Said could I go in front, but when I get further forward I get the same response though I can see tucked into the hedge by the gateway a seriously dangerous cob eating bale of hay
. The road there is single track, on a hill and the tarmac is slippery so I rode back to where he'd spooked then got off to lead past, there seemed no point risking a horse slipping and falling when I sure he'd follow me past, admittedly in a rather dramatic fashion. The other one then followed him so good result.But really, after all the things they'd coped with so calmly what a fuss to make about a bale of hay
. I think the problem was my friend's boy didn't see it until he was level with it and that startled him. Luka, being behind, didn't see it but was quite concerned about his friend's reaction so was worried before I asked him to go by. I suspect if we'd been in the lead or on our own he'd have stopped, snorted a few times and then danced past keeping his eyes on it and his bum in the hedge so it couldn't leap on him from behind, but given the other's reaction first I was quite happy to have him lead past.
