Bete noir

[glenatron]

These evening it turned out that I needed to deal with El Cobbo Furioso. Not sure what was up but Zorro was absolutely flipping when we got to the field, galloping flat out, bucking, snarping loud warning snorts and generally being very edgy and very full of it, spinning and charging off at the slightest change, lunging at Small or stopping and just doing this thing where he bucks on the spot so hard he goes backwards.

It was a touch intimidating, but we just waited him out, got the halter on him and brought him in in a calm and low-energy way in the hope that it would bring him down and sure enough by the time we got to his stable he was fairly close to normal.

No idea what that was all about.

Comments

[harnessphoto.livejournal.com]

Maybe the wind blew up his skirt the wrong way?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I think it was something like that. He gets very emotional sometimes and it's hard to judge if it is fear, excitement, fury or some arbitrary combination thereof.

I think he really wanted to come in but he's going through a "must eat my halter" phase that makes it very annoying to get the halter on. We're working on it, but this evening for some reason I thought it wasn't a good night to start an argument...

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Lurking predator encounter? Around here, I'd have thought it was a cougar, but I don't think you have them where you are.

[gnapp.livejournal.com]

Around here, I would have thought it was moose. (A moose near the fields can make something a bit too exciting out of "bringing the horses in".)

But then, ghosts in the horse's brain have the same effect too.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

In spite of ongoing mythology of Alien Big Cats in the region, I don't think we actually have anything bigger than a badger in the area, and Zorro has been known to see badgers off quite happily.

[dancing-crow.livejournal.com]

midwinter goofiness - see Hannah's barn report

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Most probably. I think even being out he's not moving around that much so he may just have some energy to shift...

[penella22.livejournal.com]

Hmm...maybe you need some bitter apple to spray on his halter??

Ghosts, cougars...it's a toss-up. Glad he came in safe though.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I suspect he'd see that as delicious seasoning. Mostly I'm working on it by jiggling the halter around like crazy when it's in his mouth, so it's not so comfortable or fun for him. I don't know if it's enough though, I think I may need to make more of a fuss and be more offputting. He can be quite apt to adopt things as games when I'm trying to make them less fun.

I've never seen him worse than he was last night but once he was caught it was pretty much fine. Edgy but alright. He was just so bothered before that.

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

Staro had a mad moment the other day, charging around and bucking and farting. The next day the weather changed, so I reckoned that he was feeling the warmer weather coming, and so was getting all excited about it. I think sometimes they do get spooked by stuff which seems to send them off on a mad rant. As you say, a bit intimidating!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

That's a good point, it was the evening before the night when it snowed heavily again.