Twister's First Big Nap/Spook

[Soupdragon]

He didn't want to go past a huge stack of haybales (double decker bus size!) covered with black polythene that the farmer hadn't tied down - so it was rippling and rustling in the wind like huge black sails!! Nicely positioned by the farmer just by the side of the track too so no choice but to pass under its shadow to get past! So I wasn't too surprised that Twister didn't like it ...

He started staring from about 500 metres away, then stopped .. I let him look for a few seconds, then leg on, he backed up, tried to turn, turned him round again, backed up, turned ... Friend on her rocksteady little pony who had gone ahead no problem came back to give us a lead .. YO on her BIG wuss of a horsey then started having problems as the big wuss (he's a real sweetheart really but such a wimp for a big horse!! :D ) decided if everyone was going home he wasn't going any further and started hopping and mini rearing!! But then Sugar came and saved us and we followed the ickle pony past the scary haybales and polythene - at a fairly fast sideways walk but still, we got past!! (Twister still managing to grab a mouthful of hedge as he pressed into it to give the haybales as wide a clearance as possible on the way past!)

Not so bad on the way back but once past, the polythene rustled in the wind and Twister did his sideways walk and kept looking back at it!!

Don't think I could have managed that on my own .. would definitely not have got Twister past it! Oh well .. but at no point did I think he was going to bolt for it (my major fear!) so that's good .. :)

[Trace The Ace]

:D :D

Loved the ickle pony.....:D :D :p :p :D :D

Well done you for staying calm whilst under major panic attack inside ;)

[NoviceNic]

Its not the bolting that is the problem. Its the 180 degree spin prior to the bolting. :p If Twister does bolt just sit and breath deep. Try half halts then full halts all the time breathing really deep out. Remeber to relax your legs as when they bolt I tend to panic and squeeze with the legs hence asking them to go faster. :rolleyes:

Twister did really well. I think most horses would of been phased by that at the side of the road. What a good boy. Well done you for sitting it through. Keep going you are doing wonders. ;)

[Trewsers]

Well done for getting past!! Love the helpful little pony bit!! hehe, nowt like a wise little pony is there????! Storm was snorting all the way to her field the other day (luckily I wasn't on her back) she was snorting so bad she sounded like a lion purring......think she'd seen some scary black bales...................!!!

[Mimi + Me]

(Twister still managing to grab a mouthful of hedge as he pressed into it to give the haybales as wide a clearance as possible on the way past!)

When Mimi does this, acting petrified, head up like an emu/llama and jogging sideways not wanting to go past something yet still somehow, through her fear, manages to attempt to grab a sneaky mouthful of something green, then I KNOW she's having me on! If they were really that scared then surely their appetites would disappear, even if its just for a few seconds!!

Well done for keeping your cool anyway and I bet he looked even more handsome than usual doing his stallion impression :D