The Easter Parade

[glenatron]

Today, after a couple of fairly damp days, the weather was bright in a patchy-clouds-and-april-showers kind of a way, so Zorro and I took the opportunity to go for a walk in the sunshine. In the end we covered about eight miles of Zorro being an absolute rock star followed by about a quarter of a mile of him being a tit, then a bit more good Zorro. On the whole, excellent!


Heading off up the road towards the common we were exploring on today. We rode out on the one the army use as a training area, on the grounds that surely they take bank-holiday weekends off. Turns out they were still around with Land Rovers and stuff ( maybe cadets or reservists enjoying the weekend ) but not shooting as much as usual so fine for riding past.


Hankley Common, where I was riding, is a bit drier and less open, with a lot of pine and birch woods.


Inviting trails, Zorro's mane indicates how breezy it was.


Having climbed up the main ridge on the common. The puddles show how much it has been raining lately.


The Noble Cob poses in front of trails that are ours to explore on another day.


Heading into dappled spring woods on the route home.


The thing which made most of the ride work and the last bit tricky was finding other horses. Zorro seems to obsess on them the moment he sees them, all his attention just goes straight off to any horse he doesn't know and if they are at all anxious or going past quickly he'll pick up on it very fast and tend to get very anxious. I think this is just something that will come with time, but as he seemed determined today to descend the very steep valley just before we get home in full on passage and I wasn't really alright with that, I just hopped off and walked down with him then had a ten minute conversation at the bottom of the valley where I got him calmed down enough that he would stand for me to get back on before we headed home. It was a bit of a shame but we handled it and I certainly won't let it detract from the rest of the ride, where he was relaxed, forwardgoing and generally a very fine horse indeed.

Comments

[harnessphoto.livejournal.com]

My favorite view :)

[dreamswept.livejournal.com]

I prefer the view that comes between golden ears. But those are lovely!

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

I may be slightly biased in that direction as well.

But what views!

Also know the problem of other horses being a huge distraction. But you've overcome so many other hurdles I'm sure this one is just time and experience. One of the things I'm thinking of doing with Goldenboy is getting him out to a few parties (shows or clinics or something) - not to join in or enter anything, but just to BE there and experience doing things while other horses he doesn't know are about doing other stuff. Maybe once you've been to a couple more clinics this year Zorro will start to remember all about that?

[dreamswept.livejournal.com]

Whoo, Hayflingers. Hi-5!

I think maybe you ought to flist me, huh?

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

Haffy-flingers ROCK. Though mine can be a bit of a spanner....

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

There is a sponsored ride we were thinking of going to but I've kind of decided to leave it for now because there would be a plot loss to end all plot losses and it just wouldn't be fun for anyone involved. I suspect something along those lines would be good though.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Good once the bucking stopped, I mean.

[oifonly.livejournal.com]

fnarfnarfnar...yep; that's why I've so far chickened out of taking Fluffychops to parties. There's a ride later this month, being organised by the local tracks and trails group, so I'm gonna TRY to make a concerted effort at doing some work over the next couple of weeks to see if I can get him tuned in to me a bit better and therefore feel safe about taking him out in a group. And if he feels like he might just manage to not be a complete tit, then we may well join in.

I think it's something that comes with time. Zorro has been to lots of clinics and things before, hasn't he; so it might just be that with nothing that exciting happening over the winter he's forgotton a bit about what he's supposed to be doing when there are other horses around. I suspect you'll soon get him in hand though, the rate you've been going!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

In a clinic environment he is fine. Likewise at the only show we went to he was alright, it's really just out on the trail where he is a bit less confident ( or I am :) ) that it becomes a problem.

[http://users.livejournal.com/blitzen_/]

nice looking ride.

and i like the noble cob... in pink. yeah.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Pink hi-vis. On the road sections we're pretty hard to miss. As in not see, I mean. Hopefully we're very easy to miss.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it will come with time and for now it sounds like you handled it the best way possible for today.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

We certainly created minimum problems with it. For now I think that is good enough.

[gnapp.livejournal.com]

I like the Noble Cob one. And ah, those trails...

[gemmabowles.livejournal.com]

thats one of the best rides around here :)

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

I love the noble cob photo! He looks fantastic!

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

He is doing great. Best horse ever.