Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.  I've had everything from sell the horse 
(!!!!) to just keep riding and don't focus on the spooky stuff.  I do try not 
to do that.  He usually spooks at stuff I can't see anyway. (gotta hate horse 
eating monsters...)  

I think what I'm going to try for now is riding through the summer slowly when 
by myself. It's not like you can really condition in the summer here anyway.  
I'll pick up some if I have company.  And then see what happens.  He has always 
spooked, and it's just recently that it's started to bother me.  I just need to 
work very hard on not reacting to the spooks, and I think he'll get better.  I 
hope. *grin*

As for Catfish's suggestion of de-spooking. Been there. Done that.  He doesn't 
do these things in the arena or in the pasture.  You can take him to shows and 
de-spooking clinics, and he's an angel. I can about strip on him, and he 
doesn't care.  The other day, we were out in the forest and an armadillo ran 
literally under his feet, and he never blinked. It is just those darn horse 
eating monsters in the forest....I wish we could clear them out.  I wonder if I 
put blinkers on him, if he'd see as many of them.  hmmm....  Do horses ever 
spook just for fun?  And if they do, how can you tell an "i'm being stupid" 
spook from a legitamite, "i'm sure something's trying to eat me" spook? 

I think I need a paso fino manual....

Juli and Alpine (on vacation due to that tack rub....)
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At the end of the day maybe the definition of endurance isn't the length of
the ride but rather the spirit in which it is ridden. 
~  Maryanne Stroud Gabani

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