Yankee is about as bombproof as a 4-year-old can be, but we've run into a problem.
There's a big field we ride in on the weekends, it is a nice big hill, great for strengthening stifles, which is something we're working on. In order to ride in the shade on these hot summer days, we work along the part of the fenceline that goes along the popular scenic back road we live on. That has never been a problem -cars, motorcycles, trucks: We can ride along the road and he ignores them all.
However, bicycles snuck up the road two weekends ago, surprising him (and me) as we were trotting up the hill. Now, that spot (which happens to be where the brush between the fence and the road opens up a bit) is a problem. Going downhill, he's fine.
Going uphill, at a walk he's generally OK, but quite tense, and he'll sometimes decide something's there, and jump sideways. I'm not quite sure what he's seeing, but it's more than just the bikes now.
When we try to trot up the hill, he heads at a 45 degree or greater angle away from the fence, through my leg. If I try to turn him with direct rein, he just bends and continues up at the angle. No matter what I do, he just bends and heads at that angle.
In the end, today, I just made him stand at The Spot. He stared at something, I know not what, but he stood fine. Hopefully he'll think about how he wasn't eaten by bicycles and be fine next time.
If he's not, though, I need suggestions. Apparently I've made that spot a Big Deal and I'm not sure the best way to proceed, to fix the problem.
There's a big field we ride in on the weekends, it is a nice big hill, great for strengthening stifles, which is something we're working on. In order to ride in the shade on these hot summer days, we work along the part of the fenceline that goes along the popular scenic back road we live on. That has never been a problem -cars, motorcycles, trucks: We can ride along the road and he ignores them all.
However, bicycles snuck up the road two weekends ago, surprising him (and me) as we were trotting up the hill. Now, that spot (which happens to be where the brush between the fence and the road opens up a bit) is a problem. Going downhill, he's fine.
Going uphill, at a walk he's generally OK, but quite tense, and he'll sometimes decide something's there, and jump sideways. I'm not quite sure what he's seeing, but it's more than just the bikes now.
When we try to trot up the hill, he heads at a 45 degree or greater angle away from the fence, through my leg. If I try to turn him with direct rein, he just bends and continues up at the angle. No matter what I do, he just bends and heads at that angle.
In the end, today, I just made him stand at The Spot. He stared at something, I know not what, but he stood fine. Hopefully he'll think about how he wasn't eaten by bicycles and be fine next time.
If he's not, though, I need suggestions. Apparently I've made that spot a Big Deal and I'm not sure the best way to proceed, to fix the problem.