spooking

[Ann Blankenship <annb@foothill.net>]

Know what you're going through.  My husband's batty horse is afraid of cow
poop.  Imagine rippin' down the single track trail at the Eastern High
Sierra Classic (mostly cow pasture) and seeing Wendall (the horse) suddenly
appear about four feet to the left of Jess (the husband) all because of a
cow pie on the trail!  By some miracle of gravity, centrifugal force, or
synergy...  Jess snapped back into place on top of the horse, but it was
very exciting at the time!

Unfortunately, this happens all the time with this horse.  One day he almost
killed me when some poor lady quickly stood up at the edge of the trail from
taking a "little piddle".  It's hard to desensitize horses from this
particular hazard.  How could I replicate this in the arena, I wonder?