I played unfair today. I parked at the airline trail station instead of our normal spot because it was closer, and I was tired and in a hurry. The sun is going down faster now, and I am still learning my new schedule with my huge diet change.
Cher unloaded well but snorted as a few bikers sped past us and went to their vehicles. They never said a word to us. I wish we could educate bicyclists that they are inherently scary to horses BECAUSE they are so silent, but as soon as they talk, most horses are able to file them as HUMANS, and therefore, not ALIENS. Luckily, Cher is not usually bothered by the average biker.
So I tacked her up, and I was able to get her trotting down the trail fairly quickly. She definitely wanted to mention that this was NOT her trailhead and NOT her evening trail spot and that there was a possibility that she was not coming back alive, but she is a good mare and settled into a working trot and working canter pretty quickly.
UNTIL, we hit the third section of trail- Covell Rd. to the RTE 44 bridge. I am not sure what she heard or smealt, but she suddenly acted like there were bears in the woods. She started to breathe hard, I could feel her heart pounding through my boots. She braced againstthe bit to peer into the woods, she skittered off one way and then skittered off the other, I kept her going forward into a trot to see if she would settle into movement. She rattled her nostrils in dismay. She was in control but not happy. I asked her if she wanted to go faster. She leapt forward into a glorious gallop. Absolutely in control, totally straight, and just wanting to not be where we currently were. I could feel her panic slow. I made her slow to a canter, then trot and then a walk as we came up to the bridge. The echoes of the stream and cars above us bounces on the water and the cement around us but she was quiet as we walked under the bridge. She blew as we past the bridge from her exhertion, but was finally back to her normal self.
After that we had a fairly normal ride past the swamp, turned around. She was up and slightly nervous again in the same spot going back, and immediately calmed down as soon as we crossed Covell Rd., so I wonder what was in the woods right there.
So I tacked her up, and I was able to get her trotting down the trail fairly quickly. She definitely wanted to mention that this was NOT her trailhead and NOT her evening trail spot and that there was a possibility that she was not coming back alive, but she is a good mare and settled into a working trot and working canter pretty quickly. 
UNTIL, we hit the third section of trail- Covell Rd. to the RTE 44 bridge. I am not sure what she heard or smealt, but she suddenly acted like there were bears in the woods. She started to breathe hard, I could feel her heart pounding through my boots. She braced againstthe bit to peer into the woods, she skittered off one way and then skittered off the other, I kept her going forward into a trot to see if she would settle into movement. She rattled her nostrils in dismay. She was in control but not happy. I asked her if she wanted to go faster. She leapt forward into a glorious gallop. Absolutely in control, totally straight, and just wanting to not be where we currently were. I could feel her panic slow. I made her slow to a canter, then trot and then a walk as we came up to the bridge. The echoes of the stream and cars above us bounces on the water and the cement around us but she was quiet as we walked under the bridge. She blew as we past the bridge from her exhertion, but was finally back to her normal self.After that we had a fairly normal ride past the swamp, turned around. She was up and slightly nervous again in the same spot going back, and immediately calmed down as soon as we crossed Covell Rd., so I wonder what was in the woods right there.
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