Holy Cow!
So there I was in the beautiful sunshine of another sparkling autumn day. We had just turned for home and I was congratulating myself on Jazz's improved performance and the fact that he only tried to turn for home, half heartedly, twice. I was looking forward to the nice uncomplicated ride home - when he spotted the cows. Now, I'm pretty sure that the whole time he has lived here there have been cows grazing that particular hillside. I'm absolutely certain we rode down past the field because we were going back the way we had come. But was he going to pass those cows? No way. Absolutely no way. No no no NO NO. He stamped his feet, he refused to reverse past them, he reared, only once but dangerously high. I took him further from home and came back, I turned him in tiny circles, I stood him still and nothing worked. After 45 minutes I hoped that Superhubby would realise that we were missing and come and find us to give us a lead. No go.
Finally, luckily, the farmer arrived to feed them and drove up the track to a place where they followed and were out of sight. Jazz was still extremely reluctant to go past the field, but in the end he allowed me to make him do it with some fairly hefty boots in the ribs. To his credit I must say that he was genuinely very frightened and his heart was pumping so hard that it was moving my legs in time with the beat! But quite why he was so terrified is a complete mystery.
Needless to say we will be searching out more cows for his training, and this time I will be taking a chifney with me so that I can safely get off and lead him past, then get back on and ride him back and fowards until he stops being so silly.
Zip was ace. He has been walking off lately as I got on so I went into the barn to work on standing still while we mount. He did it perfectly first time, which I took to mean that I simply have not been being clear enough with him about what I wanted. I practiced doing up the girth while on board, for the first time, and he was fine with that too, so after two minutes we stopped and the lessons were done for the day.
Mind you, he wasn't fit to do any more work anyway. Look, I know I was half an hour late outside, but next week I will be a whole hour late going outside. Anyway,out of protest, or for some unknown reason, the pair of them had obviously been running riot around the barn for quite some time. Then, dripping with sweat, Zippy had rolled and was covered in wet grime on every inch not covered by a rug and quite a few inches that were :-0 Jazz wasn't as bad, but he'd been sweating too. Mad pair!
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 6:52 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
horse eating cows, i know that one - bizarrely, queenie, who once spent a couple of years sharing a field with a herd of cows, then decided one day on a hack she was scared of some in a field...
very odd to be that terrified though! especially as he'd been past them - but maybe they were in an unusual place in the field.
what was SH's excuse for not realising you weren't back?
He said he thought I'd only been gone about 3/4 of an hour. He has an absolutely blissful ability to "lose himslef in the moment" that I wish I had myself!
C
My Russell R. was absolutely terrified of cows as a youngster. Then he went out to pasture with some for a little while and was soon fine. Toby never did quite accept the cows at the last boarding farm where I was. Heaven only knows what Tucker would do. I'd probably still be out there.
Look at it this way. SH's not coming to the rescue was testament to his absolutel faith in your horse handling ability. (OK, you can let him use that as the excuse if you want.) *VBWG*
I think also at this time of year the light is lower and things that are familiar can appear quite different.
A local rider managed to get chucked off recently while riding passed a herd of cows, they came tearing over and started trying to have a go through the fence, her mare spun round so fast she went flying back first onto a telegraph pole.....luckily she was ok.
Scary cows ^-^ Jazz is a funny one. Maybe again cutting competition or team-penning will cure him.
I am sure Zip will try to get them ;-)
don't think we have cutting over here do we?
I've never heard of team penning. I do cutting with sheep sometimes for my friends. I can't imagine him getting close enough to a cow to cut more than the daisies!
I've neer seen any in this country Claire, nor have you obviously.
C.
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