Recently Freedom experienced two near-death bird attacks. The first was when we crossed the bridge out to the trails and a huge Blue Heron took off right next to us. Freedom jumped straight up in the air and landed nostrils flaring.
But that was nothing compared to the attack of the ducklings the next day. As we stepped onto the bridge, six squawking, flapping ducklings scattered over the water. They must have been hiding under the bridge. After that, it took me several minutes to coax Freedom over the bridge.
It got me thinking about the things that scare horses, because it’s not always obvious to human eyes what is terrifying in theirs.
Here’s my partial list of seemingly safe objects that have sent my horses, or my friends horses, into brain shutting off panic. Please add your own experiences.
- Birds
- Rustling in the woods
- Wet rocks (that are usually dry)
- Fallen trees
- People carrying fishing rods
- People standing behind trees
- People doing hand stands (this is a biggie)
- Puddles/streams that are new
- Model airplanes
- Llamas
- Sheep (they move!)
- Miniature horses
- Man hole covers