What is spooky and what isn't?! Add yours.............

[Trewsers]

Clearly the neighbours newly cut field in lovely lines was spooky for madam this morning. Me popping up to say hi from the pig barn roof that's missing isn't! See pic below for said roof. Honestly what are they like?! So go on, what do yours surprise you with? I thought for sure she'd have though it weird me being there, but no, not interested.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Hmm, anything that's not where it should be, for example, our hack on Monday took us passed a field we regularly ride past, Monday it was the scariest place in the world, the reason, the grass had been cut and baled in black plastic! Silly mare, another one, we have a lot of HS2 stuff going on round us, first time the equipment turned up she was like 'WTF' is that! She was fine then every time we went passed until one day when it had all gone and she had a spook at the empty field.
Belle loves things to stay the same, she can and does cope with anything, even bin lorries now, but if something changes on our routes, in any of the fields or house gardens we pass it's quite scary for her.
At least the worst she does is startle and take a bit of encouragement to go past, for the most part, not counting the lamb that terrified her a few weeks ago, I swear that was trying to have her for dinner.
One thing for sure, she keeps me on my toes and makes for a few interesting rides occasionally

 

[domane]

Cows! Oh...em....gee..... Gracie goes onto her tippytoes and frog-marches me past them .... walking as fast as she dare.

Sheep..... ditto above..... but not *quite* so bad.....

 

[Trewsers]

Hmm, anything that's not where it should be, for example, our hack on Monday took us passed a field we regularly ride past, Monday it was the scariest place in the world, the reason, the grass had been cut and baled in black plastic! Silly mare, another one, we have a lot of HS2 stuff going on round us, first time the equipment turned up she was like 'WTF' is that! She was fine then every time we went passed until one day when it had all gone and she had a spook at the empty field.
Belle loves things to stay the same, she can and does cope with anything, even bin lorries now, but if something changes on our routes, in any of the fields or house gardens we pass it's quite scary for her.
At least the worst she does is startle and take a bit of encouragement to go past, for the most part, not counting the lamb that terrified her a few weeks ago, I swear that was trying to have her for dinner.
One thing for sure, she keeps me on my toes and makes for a few interesting rides occasionally

Hahaha what is it with lambs?! At our old house despite being in the middle of a sheep farm, J hated them, he used to really eyeball them!

 

[Trewsers]

Cows! Oh...em....gee..... Gracie goes onto her tippytoes and frog-marches me past them .... walking as fast as she dare.

Sheep..... ditto above..... but not *quite* so bad.....

Ah coos as they're called up here. Lucky for me, Zi came from a cow farm home! So no bother there at all. He actually goes to say Hi to next door's if they are in the field opposite.

 

[newforest]

Mine loves woolers, we don't get sheep like the rest of you.
She attracts animals. They just come over.
She used to be unsure though of brown cows or woolers.

 

[newforest]

Hmm, anything that's not where it should be, for example, our hack on Monday took us passed a field we regularly ride past, Monday it was the scariest place in the world, the reason, the grass had been cut and baled in black plastic! Silly mare, another one, we have a lot of HS2 stuff going on round us, first time the equipment turned up she was like 'WTF' is that! She was fine then every time we went passed until one day when it had all gone and she had a spook at the empty field.
Belle loves things to stay the same, she can and does cope with anything, even bin lorries now, but if something changes on our routes, in any of the fields or house gardens we pass it's quite scary for her.
At least the worst she does is startle and take a bit of encouragement to go past, for the most part, not counting the lamb that terrified her a few weeks ago, I swear that was trying to have her for dinner.
One thing for sure, she keeps me on my toes and makes for a few interesting rides occasionally

Mine is like this. If it's where it usually is its fine.
We have had startles at a van in a layby, obviously these are horse only pull ins. An open gate when it should be shut.
Completely ignores any rubbish or bags or fly tipping.

She used to be worried of all the routes once the farmer has trimmed back all the hedges, then when she can see through when the leaves fall off, then one it regrows! Thank god she grew up!! She really wasn't my happy hacker in the beginning she didn't do change.

 

[Jessey]

Jess is silly about anything out of place, but from riding with a heart rate monitor I know 80%/90% of her looky/silly antics are actually not fear (heart rate doesn't increase), she's just having fun at my expense! She's ok with most cows but we have quite a few highlands near us and those really upset her, I think it's because she can't see their eyes, because having eyes define a living thing right....?????

 

[Trewsers]

Storm reached new heights of spookiness yesterday evening. Took her out for a walk for the last hour before bedtime. She farted and spooked

 

[newforest]

I

Jess is silly about anything out of place, but from riding with a heart rate monitor I know 80%/90% of her looky/silly antics are actually not fear (heart rate doesn't increase), she's just having fun at my expense! She's ok with most cows but we have quite a few highlands near us and those really upset her, I think it's because she can't see their eyes, because having eyes define a living thing right....?????

I think they sometimes need to spook to check their flight mode works properly.
Just checking the cargo doesn't flap or fall off.
A bit like my emergency stop is no good if you haven't checked its effective.

As for eyes I thought they filed no eyes under prey animal and safe. But pheasants are prey animals and they are just stupid!

 

[Jessey]

I

I think they sometimes need to spook to check their flight mode works properly.
Just checking the cargo doesn't flap or fall off.
A bit like my emergency stop is no good if you haven't checked its effective.

As for eyes I thought they filed no eyes under prey animal and safe. But pheasants are prey animals and they are just stupid!

what prey has no eyes? or what animal for that matter? I don't know but the hair covering the eyes is the only difference I see from highlands to other cows and she is consistently weary of them

 

[Trewsers]

I

I think they sometimes need to spook to check their flight mode works properly.
Just checking the cargo doesn't flap or fall off.
A bit like my emergency stop is no good if you haven't checked its effective.

As for eyes I thought they filed no eyes under prey animal and safe. But pheasants are prey animals and they are just stupid!

Hahahaha pheasants, gotta love 'em! They do the daftest of things don't they?!!!!

 

[newforest]

what prey has no eyes? or what animal for that matter? I don't know but the hair covering the eyes is the only difference I see from highlands to other cows and she is consistently weary of them

It could be the horns out they have a certain smell?
It took a while for mine to be fine with the Angus.

 

[carthorse]

Anything and everything for at least 10 minutes after he's been told no. Otherwise almost nothing!

 

[Jessey]

It could be the horns out they have a certain smell?
It took a while for mine to be fine with the Angus.

She isn't fussed by other cattle with horns so I don't think it's that

 

[Bodshi]

The usual 'anything behind a hedge that makes a noise but you can't see', water - puddles/ponds/river/sea, the quantity doesn't matter - things on water, eg ducks/boats. Some days absolutely everything and some days barely anything at all - I never know in advance lol.

Jack is pretty spook free, except for other animals - sheep/goats/cattle/mini ponies/donkeys and especially pigs. He hates them all and it can be a struggle to get him past them if you're not firm enough.

Friend's horse was fine with bike/rider combinations but if the two separated, ie the cyclist dismounted, he was completely freaked. He also spooked at butterflies but was great with large vehicles. Go figure!

 

[chunky monkey]

Billy use to spook lots at white flowers like patches of oxeye daisies or cow parsley, white tree blossom. He was really bad when I first had him, now he only does it occasionally. I had the vet check his eyes as he seemed overly white sensitive.
This spooked him a few weeks ago. Not normally in the middle of the field we hack through.

 

[Trewsers]

Billy use to spook lots at white flowers like patches of oxeye daisies or cow parsley, white tree blossom. He was really bad when I first had him, now he only does it occasionally. I had the vet check his eyes as he seemed overly white sensitive.
This spooked him a few weeks ago. Not normally in the middle of the field we hack through.

View attachment 98988

What a great thick fluffy looking mane he has.

 

[Trewsers]

Zips seem scary too. Apparently opening ones coat on a hot morning suddenly does the trick

 

[newforest]

Zips seem scary too. Apparently opening ones coat on a hot morning suddenly does the trick

Mine stops if she hears a zip

Though she will slow or stops if she suspects you are hitting branches if you are rustling in the trees. Saying ouch doesn't have the same effect so brambles clearly don't have the same concern!