Oh Icarus...!

[IcarusGirl]

My little wimp is getting much more confident. Or at least he's getting more trusting in me. We used to have lots of refusals at, um, anything.

But recently i've realised he's started doing something new.

Whenever i ask him to do something he's not sure about he seems to go 'oh what the heck' shuts his eyes and just does it. Then frightens himself afterwards.

Yesterday i went on a beautiful hack, and had to hop up a bit of a bank toget onto the path. I've not asked him to do it before. So anyway he sprung up the bank at a trot, and sprung down the other side, then spooked, tripped, and nearly killed us all!

Then we found a fallen branch, so i asked him to hop over it a few times, he did once, twice, then got cocky, took out a stride and - you wont believe the cheek of this! - it TOUCHED HIM! He claims that the branch reached right up and grabbed him around the ankles as he jumped. So he went a bit silly at that and i nearly lost my head in the rest of the tree!

In a way, i'm pleased that he's questioning me a lot less. He kind of knows he'd better give it a try - he just doesnt trust my judgement AT ALL!

[fofo]

See this is what I meant by independent horses. I think sec Ds think for themselves and they don't quite trust that you know what you are doing

Icarus is deciding that maybe you do have a clue after x many years of ownership. But he's still not quite sure.......

The other day I was trying to coax Teg to cross a little patch of muddy ground that was a bit boggy. She ummed and ahhed about how wise it was to put her feet in it and then took the initiative and launched herself across in a massive jump from a standstill I got left behind but luckily my wrap-around legs kept me on.

[annmarie]

welsh ds like to think they are looking after you haha gotta love em

[Loz]

Icarus sounds like such a dude, love him!

[IcarusGirl]

Originally Posted by fofo

See this is what I meant by independent horses. I think sec Ds think for themselves and they don't quite trust that you know what you are doing

Icarus is deciding that maybe you do have a clue after x many years of ownership. But he's still not quite sure.......

The other day I was trying to coax Teg to cross a little patch of muddy ground that was a bit boggy. She ummed and ahhed about how wise it was to put her feet in it and then took the initiative and launched herself across in a massive jump from a standstill I got left behind but luckily my wrap-around legs kept me on.

Hehe, yep, that sounds like Icarus. He sometimes looks as tufts of grass funny. He wont walk in patches of sunshine or shadows either. That can be fun as you might imagine!

[IcarusGirl]

Originally Posted by annmarie

welsh ds like to think they are looking after you haha gotta love em

He's not looking after me at all. Just looking after himself! And if i just happen to fall off and get trampled into the mud while he's saving his soul, then so be it!

[rowy]

Dancer is just like this (despite being tb) After I have owned her not 7 years, she trusts my judgement and will give it a go but she will be soooo wary about it and not trust me completely. Like when jumping she's like "oh go on then". Then my sis got on and shes like oooh new rider who doesnt ride me much. I don't quite trust her. Then she goes and refuses last minute.
Doing the dressage on sunday, I have to keep my legs on and contact all the time or she would just forget im there and go a bit wild. In the give and retake in the canter shes like "ahhhh where have you gone?!?" *nearly flies out arena*.