Does Chip like hacking out?

[Teej]

I ride Chip 5 or 6 days a week. I haven't taken him in the school for ages as its quite stoney so not great for him being barefoot. We generally ride on the track around the paddocks and at the weekends, we hack out to the woods with his Cavallo hoof boots on the front feet.

Whilst we're walking along the road at the weekend, Chip has his ears slightly back as if he's really not enjoying himself or he's very bored. He doesn't look at the cars or anything else and just plods along. Once we get to the woods, his ears go forward and he becomes more forward going.

I think for me it all stems back to the fact that he's barefoot and some of the tracks are quite gravelly which is not comfortable for him and I'm worried that he's anticipating pain in his back feet and so doesn't really want to be going to those places :(

Am I misreading how he is feeling and perhaps the ears slightly back means he is being attentive and not fed up???

[Catg]

Gosh Tracey this sounds just like Zeb on the roads. He has shoes so it's not that, I think he finds road work boring and a little scary, he's fine if we're with others, it's just if we're alone. And then when we get to a field or woods he will literally sigh with relief.

Chip might be finding roadwork a little hard, or maybe he just feels the same as Zeb and prefers to be in a more natural environment?

[ness]

I think its because he is listening to you!

[XenaWarriorPrincess]

I would have said he is listening to you aswell.
Pricked forward means he is alert/has heard somthing, slightly back or in the middle means he is listening/concentrating and flat back means angry/in pain!
So i would say he is enjoying it but there is more to be excited about/more noises to hear in the woods!!
xx

[My Crazy Clan]

Maybe its the feeling of being out in the open? the sound of the cars etc?

[Teej]

Thanks for all your comments guys. Hopefully he is just concentrating on me. I feel so safe on him on the road because of the fact that he blanks out the traffic and I feel that he's looking after me but perhaps he feels that I'm looking after him too :)

[Kelza]

Could it be he's listening to what's going on behind him? Cars or monsters!

If you notice when two riders go out, the horse in front always looks alert and the horse behind looks bored with his ears always pointing back. It's because he's listening to what going on behind. Maybe that's what he's doing.

[Teej]

That's interesting Kelza because thats exactly what happens! We always go out with another ex racehorse and we usually go behind. I think we'll try Chip infront next time and see how he goes. He really doesn't seem worried about anything and doesn't flinch when vehicles pass us but its possible that he's listening to whats going on behind.