I was planning a nice amble around the Heath this morning, still on the bareback pad as Sid is only slowly being reintroduced to work under saddle. Sid was very chilled as we walked up the lane to the gully where I can get on, so that was all good.
Then after about 10 minutes we drew nigh to the cricket pitch., Oh no! It was a little kids' cricket day. The pitch was covered with little kids in whites zooming here and there and throwing brightly coloured things. They were screaming. Loudly screaming.
From 500m away Sid was uncomfortable and by the time we got to within 100m he was nearly losing it. Rather than argue about it from the bareback pad, I slid off and led him past. I stopped on the corner of the pitch in the hope that he would have a look and settle, but what he did was have a look and say, "If you try to make me stay here one moment longer, I am so going to run away." So we walked away, as slowly as I wanted, away and away.
We were doing a circular route with the cricket pitch near the middle, so all the way around (with me walking now, as there wasn't anywhere I could get back on) he could hear the kids and kept stopping to snort and stare. At last he settled and we got back to the gully and I slipped on to ride 10 minutes home.
Not much riding in an hour and a bit's walking, but good experience for all!
One way in which Sid is very different from Ziggy: if Ziggy saw a scary thing and stopped to look, he would generally decide it was OK. If Sid stops to look, he convinces himself more and more that it is frightening. Best to keep him moving, I find.
Then after about 10 minutes we drew nigh to the cricket pitch., Oh no! It was a little kids' cricket day. The pitch was covered with little kids in whites zooming here and there and throwing brightly coloured things. They were screaming. Loudly screaming.
From 500m away Sid was uncomfortable and by the time we got to within 100m he was nearly losing it. Rather than argue about it from the bareback pad, I slid off and led him past. I stopped on the corner of the pitch in the hope that he would have a look and settle, but what he did was have a look and say, "If you try to make me stay here one moment longer, I am so going to run away." So we walked away, as slowly as I wanted, away and away.
We were doing a circular route with the cricket pitch near the middle, so all the way around (with me walking now, as there wasn't anywhere I could get back on) he could hear the kids and kept stopping to snort and stare. At last he settled and we got back to the gully and I slipped on to ride 10 minutes home.
Not much riding in an hour and a bit's walking, but good experience for all!
One way in which Sid is very different from Ziggy: if Ziggy saw a scary thing and stopped to look, he would generally decide it was OK. If Sid stops to look, he convinces himself more and more that it is frightening. Best to keep him moving, I find.
