Coming into summer 2019, the weather was amazing. Perfect for tootling around our quiet country roads, even better, I was starting to look forward to taking Rebel to the beach. Or Tollymore Forest Park. Anywhere off-road where we could up our game and have fun together.
The new cart arrived, courtesy of my pilot cousin; I was ecstatic! So light! So easy! I put Rebel to, tootled around the car park opposite our house. Harness needed adjustment, cart needed a few tweaks – no big deal. I hopped off, and leading Rebel back up our drive, the cart bounced over my foot. Rebel took off like a bat out of hell, and I found myself on my backside on the drive, watching my pony and lovely new cart wedge themselves solid between our car and the corner of the house.
You know that sensation when the lift drops 100 floors in 7.4 seconds? My heart did that.
We unhitched Rebel. No injuries, no damage (other than to the paintwork of the car, and a couple of dents). But I was unnerved. Rebel had never spooked like that before.
I put him back into the exercise cart, and he was fine. I put him to the HyperBike in the yard, and made adjustments to the seat, the stirrups, the harness; but continued to work him in the exercise cart.
I noticed Rebel was starting to paw at the ground when eating his balancer. And he was a bit grumpy. And when I groomed him and tightened the girth he started swinging round to glare at me, snapping in my direction.
Rule 16: Learn to listen!
© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021
Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity and compassion
