Took Quzqo out on the road yesterday for the first time in a month (due to his punctured knee, which is healing marvelously). I had a feeling it was going to be "interesting" as soon as I secured the saddle/belly band, and he began pawing the pavement in the aisleway. The trainer-angel on my shoulder suggested I switch out his half-cheek snaffle for a kimberwicke...and I'm glad I did, heh heh!
One of the teens helped me hitch him to the cart, and she held him for me as I got in (yes, I had my helmet on). Soon as she let go of the reins, the bugger tried to lurch forward but I held him back...I know, this is something I seriously need to work on; as soon as you let go of his head, he starts forward, whether I'm in the seat or not. (Anybody have any good advice on fixing this?). As I tried to keep him from going forward, he'd go back on his haunches and try to rear up or back. I did manage to get him to stand still with all four hooves on the ground for a split second before allowing him to move forward into the yard.
We did a quick practice walk around an empty pasture, just to make sure everything was working and hooked and buckled and that he remembered his "gee" from his "haw". He did halt nicely at the end of the driveway and waited for a car to pass before we headed out onto the road!
The wind was from the southwest, so it was at our back. After a hundred yards or so I got him into a trot, and we went smartly down the road, with the occasional car kindly slowing and moving into the other lane to pass (I SO appreciate that!). I then heard the dreaded sound of an approaching Harley Davidson, so we slowed to a walk...with a deep ditch on the right of me, with maybe a foot of flat surface between my right wheel and the drop off. *gulP*...I hate that stretch of road! Thankfully, Harley #1 slowed and moved into the other lane as he went blatting past, but I didn't hear Harley #2 who was about 50 yards behind him...the horse didn't flick an ear, but *I* about had a heart attack when #2 went blatting by without warning! GAD I hate those guys!
We turned onto a quiet residential road, and again I got Quzqo trotting...mercy, that horse LOVES to trot, I understand why he was so anxious and pawing...I get a totally different attitude from him in harness than under saddle. After a mile of trotting and walking we entered a wooded stretch of road, and I saw an old gentleman with his dog standing in a front yard talking with another fellow, and I waved to them. Quzqo saw them, judging from the tilt of his head....he slowed...started arching away...I got him moving...we were about even with the people (who were standing quietly and not moving....I hate when they do that!)...
SPOOK!
Quzqo bunched up his haunches and LUNGED forward and sideways and began to BOLT! He got maybe 1-1/2 galloping strides in before I hauled him back to Earth (thank GOD I put the Kimberwicke in! Thank you Lord!!) and got him walking calmy....the two guys were looking at me like I was a martian, ha!
Got him trotting again further down the road (one Einstein on that road thought it'd be funny to make a Black Bear-shaped & sized mailbox holder...yeah, Quzqo loves going past that thing!), and we practiced a slow, pleasure trot, and then a speedier park trot...all in prep for hopefully making our Horse Show Pleasure Driving Class Debut next month! It was fun, people on their porches or in their yards giving me a friendly wave, & hearing the little kids exclaiming "a horse! a horse!".
The pavement ended, and into the State Forest which meant one lane and tall trees on both sides. Tall trees obviously inhabited by horse-eating demons and booger men! I tried to get him trotting, but he was more interested in spooking and veering and stopping and staring and snorting and everything-but! Once again he bunched up and bolted forward to the side...don't know WHY, only he knows! And again the Kimberwicke got his attention and he settled down.
Eventually we turned around, and the trip back was less eventful, mostly because he knew he was heading back to the barn. Unfortunately this time we were headed into the wind, and with the wind noise in the trees, I couldn't hear the cars coming up behind us, and I'm not so sure he could hear my voice commands. We were surprised (okay, *I* was surprised, the horse had blinkers on) by a red pick-up suddenly appearing beside me...didn't hear him coming at all!
Came to an intersection, and Coos did stop...but would NOT go forward! For some reason he became frightened, and began backing up and turning to the left (into traffic, IF there was any traffic, which, thankfully, there was none). He would NOT move forward, or if he did, it was a lunge, only to stop, go back on his haunches, half-rear up, try to spin, back up more, the more I popped him on the butt with the whip the more he backed up and turned...we ended up at a 90 degree angle, with the cart in a lilac bush!!!
The wind was fierce, I couldn't hear a thing except the roar of the wind in the trees, I doubt he could hear me, and if he was frightened and confused, I certainly understand it. Thankfully this took place a good 20 feet away from the main road, so we weren't in any danger (other than getting poked by a lilac branch). With some significant smacks with the whip to his hinder and some hollered "WALK!" from me, I got through whatever fog of panic was inhabiting his brain, and he moved forward. No traffic coming, so we crossed the road onto another unpaved road, and again I got him trotting.
In retrospect I wonder if it was wise to keep him trotting, if all that might have heightened whatever level of excitement he was in, but my thinking was; the more he's moving, the less time he'll have to find something to spook at.
We approached a house, and a VERY frightening woman was getting the newspaper from her mailbox....Quzqo slowed down on his own to get a look at her, and before I could get him moving again, the wind came and SLAPPED the flag on her flag pole with a very loud SNAPSNAPSNAP... once again Quz LUNGED forward and to the right, up into an empty field for a few yards before I got him slowed down and back on the road, leaving a big dust cloud in our wake. Yeehooo!
Trotted him up the rest of the hill, maybe 3/8 of a mile or so. Fat boy was puffin by the time we got to the top and turned around, and quietly, calmly, walked back down.
This time it wasn't a Harley coming up behind us...it was a dirt bike! I hate dirt bikes, ever since being chased by a pair of anal orifices years ago (they apparently thought it was funny to chase someone on a blindly panicking galloping out of control horse...one broken helmet and permanent amnesia later...I still hate dirt bikes). But this guy slowly came putt-putt up behind us, and as he passed he said "I don't wanna spook him!" I thanked the fellow...the trouble is...slowly approaching things can become STALKING things...and yes, Quzqo spooked anyway, LOL! I can't fault the fellow, he lives on that road and he knows there's lots of horses around, so I do appreciate his effort.
Final 1/2 mile or so back to the barn Quz got to trot, and he was a trottin' fool! Straight into the wind, his mane and tail flying silver in the waning sun, it was beautiful!
Definitely doing that again! At least in the show ring, there won't be any dirt bikes or lilac bushes!
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