My weird Nov.11 trail ride

Sorry, this is a bit long.

Yesterday I took my five year old gelding out for what should have been a really nice trail ride. We trail ride quite a bit, almost always alone because I don’t have any horse friends nearby to ride with. Anyway Frisko is usually pretty laid back, to the point of being downright lazy. He will occasionally spook at things but just minor startles, then he settles right down again.

So off we go, down a very nice trail that leads to farm fields with trails all around the banks of a creek and the Annapolis River. It’s a beautiful place to ride, the scenery is incredible and the trails are soft enough for a good trot or canter. Frisko was being his good old self and we were trotting merrily along until he spotted something and stopped quite abruptly, head up, nostrils flared. He was seeing a farm truck hauling corn along a dirt road and it was kicking up quite a cloud of dust. This was probably half a mile away or so. Frikso is not afraid of traffic or farm vehicles. He’s quite used to tractors, four wheelers, etc. I have no idea why he reacted the way he did. Maybe because it was so far away he couldn’t figure out what it was? He got really antsy…started snorting and blowing! He was as tense as all get out and refused to take another step! I let him have a moment…thinking he would figure out it wasn’t a monster. It was a long ways away and once it was out of sight I thought all would be well. NOT! Frisko got all freaked out and started dancing around. When I tried making him go forward he would shake his head and then try to rear! He’s never ever done that. I made him do a few tight circles then tried to walk off in another direction. He would go a few feet then stop and start with the head shaking, rearing again. I am not usually intimidated by this type of behavior so we had a bit of a set to, with me applying lots of leg, even whacking him in the buttercup with the reins & more tight circles. This just added to his stress. I know he’s a youngster and he is still green but I’ve been riding him for two and a half years and he knows the trail we were on. I’ve never had anything like this happen before. I finally realized I wasn’t going to win, so I dismounted and lead him up the trail towards home. When he finally started to settle down somewhat I mounted back up and we proceeded homewards. He was still tense, startling at every little leaf, bird, etc. all the way home! We were out for about two hours but when I got back home we did a bit of schooling. He was back to his normal, relaxed self by then and working off my legs like a dream! Go figure! Who knows what goes through their heads or what sets them off? I am anxious to take him back out on that particular trail again to see if he has the same reaction, or if its all forgotten. I am just wondering if I might have worsened the situation by trying to make him go forward when he was freaked out, instead of dismounting right away?

YIKES! Sounds like it would have been quite unnerving. There may have been something else there that you didn't see or perhaps some sort of scent. It'll be interesting to see what his reaction is when you take him back along the same trail. Be sure to let us know.

I was thinking the same thing, maybe he smelled a bear/cougar.. who knows, something sure set him off.. sometimes we can't explain and if he does this out of the ordinary then maybe we should listen to them. I remember once taking my mare out on a trail ride,my friend was riding my old gelding.. we were out for sometime in the woods on trails we normally didn't go on.. anyway we started to lose light and thought best to head home.. we quickly realized that we were lost.. everytime I picked a trail to go into my mare was ticked off and didn't want to go forward.. with a lot of encouragement she did and sighed the whole way.. after about two or three of these old roads.. she was getting more and more upset.. of course my old fellow was just quietly following behind.. no cares.. Once I realized what she was upset about I said ok girl take me home, I dropped the reins and after about 15 mins of letting her go where she wanted we finally came to a place I recongized.. it was just dark when we got home but it could have been a lot darker had I not listened to her.. Goes to show you sometimes you have to listen to what they are really saying..

Dylan did the exact same thing this summer! Same trail we always go on and everything! I was on pavement and had to get the Baptist Minister to hold him so I could get off. It was pretty scary. He's 10 and hasn't done it since! I thought it was the mossies, but who knows. WHERE IN THE VALLEY ARE YOU, I TOO HATE RIDING ALONE AND WOULD LOVE TO GET TOGETHER FOR A RIDE. Sorry about the caps.

Lightning I would LOVE to have someone to ride with. Sometimes my friend Shelley trailers one of her horses down from Lawrencetown and we go out for long rides. I am between Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown on the south side of the Annapolis River. Lots of trails! Do you have a trailer? I used to have a riding buddy just down the road but she got out of horses. Maybe you could PM me?

As for the trail incident, it was so out of character that now i'm thinking there must have been something...wild animal scent or what ever that set him off. He was really scared, and looking back I feel that I shouldn't have pushed him. Oh well, live and learn. Will be interesting to see how the ride goes tomorrow!

there is no right or wrong answer to this...........You are the only one who can make that determination....if it felt dangerouse to you.......then follow your instincts......thats the best you can do......remember, there are no medals for bravery or stupidity when it comes to trail riding on your own.......you have to ride every minute and be ready for anything...........sure hope he returns to his normal self next time you are out there.

I had the same thing happen with my one of my horses he is always super quite on the trails then one day i was on the trail and he saw a dog spun around and i went flying off came to find out that there was a bear spotted on the trail earlier that day both my horse and my friends where nuts that day and aren't usually like that

the smell of deer will do freak them out as well

You were brave. I would have gotten off also--good move. You did what you felt safe in doing and it was the right move for both of you.

It takes alot to take a horse out by oneself on a trail where just about anything can pop up. I trail ride 99 percent of the time alone, I prefer it most times, no competition from another horse...but there are times when I'd like some company. I take a cell phone (strapped to MY body), a whistle, first aid items, water bottle, all that stuff.

I think sometimes horses just are in that "feeling fresh" frame of mind, even if they don't appear to be....and it doesn't take much to set them off. I would not fret too much about the incident though...your horse isn't and it probably won't ever happen again. I bet the next time you take your horse out in that area he won't even remember that happened...whatever the reason was. You, like we all do, are fretting about it...your horse isn't. But still, we like to figure these things out. Sounds like your horse has a good level head though.

Schooling in the ring is all fine and dandy but trails are a different story. It's too bad the schooling methods you tried on your horse at that time didn't work...but a horse is a horse...and we cannot expect a horse to go on the trail one hundred percent of the time as we do a ring....head down, listening to every command we make. That would be nice for some of the time i suppose...but when one is one a trail ride for 2 to 4 hours...we cannot expect our horses to go in "dressage" mode the entire time. Let's be clear....I'm not saying what you went through should be a daily occurance either!! Nobody would trail ride on a regular basis if this were the case!! : )

Let us know how he makes out the next time you take him down that way...and IF you get nervous about it....just....BREATH. Trail riding is one of the most free, wonderful, experiences a person can do with their horse.....so.....HAPPY TRAILS!!! : )

horses are a prey animal so they have much keener scenses than we do so what ever set him off most likely there was something there. do you have a dog you could use for a riding buddy my mare is more confident with the dog than alone and if she stops at something I just send the dog ahead and she just walks on so maybe try training a dog to be your riding buddy

last summer while on a trail ride, My friends horse was in front, and suddenly stopped in his tracks. Bay-Lee's head went up also, there was nothing but an open road, around 20 feet away there was a dead bear cub in the ditch... what a terrable smell, the horses must of smelled it before us.... Im thinking if your horse is usually relaxed on the trail, and he acts scared, there something we cant see or hear or smell, but they can..