When you have a horse like Baby Seabiscuit………..

it’s hard not to compare all your other youngsters to him.

Baby Seabiscuit reacts to………pretty much everything.

A bird chirping sends him into orbit.

Something moving in the distance becomes a reversal of direction.

When you’re riding a youngster who doesn’t notice the bird chirping, or the deer in the next field it becomes a comparison game.

“Wow! Good girl…..look at you braving that scary bird like such a rockstar!”

I’ve been VERY impressed with my little T-Rex. This filly has an amazing head on her shoulders, and isn’t bothered by much of anything.

At Bad Eventer’s upcoming working student gig T-Rex will be staying at a farm a mile away. This means we’ll be riding the roads between the farms. I decided now was the time to try it out.

I ventured out on the highway on line….. and she wasn’t bothered.

The next day I headed out in the saddle and she took the highway like a champ.

That went so well I decided to try “the gauntlet”.

The gauntlet is a series of dirt roads complete with other horses, go-carts, large LOOSE barking dogs……… and if you’ve survived all of that you reach the ultimate pony terror…… a pasture full of large donkeys.

Baby T-Rex took the strange horses whinnying and galloping up to the road like a total trooper. When the large Pyrenees came out barking at her, she only picked her head up a little bit.

Eventually we got to the donkeys and as we rode by they came about 1/2 way across their field and she kept walking without incident.

I decided the day was a huge success so we’d head back home.

As we passed the donkeys for the second time, we had gotten their attention and 2 of them came trotting to the fence  – straight – at – the – baby.

I had about a second and a half to jump off, and after jumping off yesterday for no reason I made the quick decision to stay on…………………………………

That’s when T-Rex decided the donkeys were definitely dangerous…… and she bolted.

Now I’m galloping down the road on a 17 hand 3 year old who has had around 16 rides……………and I’m thinking – wow – I survived Baby Seabiscuit and THIS is how I’m going to die?

I tried “whoa”……..that didn’t work.

I tried pulling on both reins……….nothing.

I tried pulling on one rein………….she just turned her head a little.

And then I looked at my clicker that is attached to my dressage whip and thought WHY NOT?

I pressed the clicker and T-Rex PLANTED all four feet and nearly tossed me over her head stopping.

Clicker training saved my life today…… oh yeah.