STARE |
You can kinda sorta see the metal of it through the trees - there were two horses in it going round in circles |
I think he couldn't see the metal well, but could see the horses moving and was thoroughly confused about why they would be continually plodding in circles.
On the way home he decided he could in fact eat and stopped several times to grab snacks. I encourage it at this point, but I think he will cross the line from "relaxing" to "rudely turning the hack into a snack" at some point in the next year or two and we'll have to rework that.
Since Ben had failed to take me with him to safety for the first time ever two days prior, I was especially delighted by the spook free trail ride. In Ben's defense, I was in LALA LAND while doing a trot set and two turkeys stood up out of long grass. He spun, cantered a few strides away, then let me catch him easily with a look on his face like "WHY would you stay with the MURDER BIRDS?!?!" And the long grass made for a soft landing with no soreness the next day.
In every other area Goggles continues to excel too. He's learning about bend SO nicely now and is just more and more together each ride. His canter transitions are getting really nice and he just stepped into a lovely left lead canter smoothly and easily during our ride on Monday. He also is pretty sure he's got this jumping thing figured out, and even though the cavaletti were on the lowest setting, did the CUTEST bounce over them when we were trotting around the field over ground poles.
Reminding me that he is still a green four year old, he did levitate both of us when I had him walk over fallen sticks covered in spanish moss. There was more than one stick involved and a piece moved under his feet when he stepped on it and he shot straight up in the air. I felt about two feet out of the saddle, but he stayed straight, so I thunked back down into it. I got off and stood on the branches myself for a bit and then we walked over them together before I got back on and walked over them under saddle again. He is really reassured by me (or JT) doing things or standing on things, a nice trait that we'll keep using.
I had to have another horse pre-start his apple for him, but then he quite enjoyed it |
Noms |
omg Ben, nooooo!!! ugh bummer, but it always happens with the silly stuff i guess... so glad that goggles is doing so well-- his stop/stare face above reminds me exactly of charlie lol, who is always transfixed by objects (esp horses and vehicles) moving in the middle distance
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a bit softer than Ben's panic stare, but still very alert. New one for me!
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