Hi Karen, >>>He said he just leads him into woods about 30 feet past the trailhead, and mounts there.
IMO that is just good common sense (or rather uncommon). I think that it is possible to have situations be a win-win rather than having it be a win-lose. It also depends on what feels right to a person in terms of their relationship with their horse and their belief systems. We have had a few horses that were barnsour and one of the things we did was lead them out and get on. We have one gelding Sleipnir, you know him as does anyone who had been here, and we just don't ride him out alone, or rather don't even TRY to ride him out alone because he doesn't do alone. He will go out 5 times in a day if asked as long as he has one horse with him. I personally think that he doesn't feel safe when he is alone. He is such a good horse in every other way - perfectly clear gaits, extremely safe for even very inexperienced rider and yet lots of fun for more experienced riders. I have had so many people want to buy him but one reason I would never sell is because I know that even if I made it perfectly clear that this horse does not go out alone someone would try and make his life miserable. We have tried various things to take him out alone, and once one of our working students mistakenly caught Sleipnir, instead of quite a forward and a bit nervous blue dun gelding. While she had him at the hitching rail she was thinking "wow Drengur has really calmed down" - yes or so it seemed until she mounted, he walked a few steps and just stopped. We figure that in our situation he is so good at what he does, a prince really, that it doesn't matter - and he is 25 and has been a great breed ambassador and it works for us. For those of you who haven't been here you might have read the book that Christine ghost wrote for him - Sleipnir's Story. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
