Sprinklers 

Ninety percent of the time, WallE is an unflappable appendix horse. He is true to the fences, slow and steady, brave in the forest and willing to go forward. He really lets his quarter horse half control the room. However, the other ten percent of the time he acts in true hot, athletic thoroughbred fashion. He is all flight and no fight. This personality emerged yesterday on our cool down trail ride. We had a great dressage school in the arena. WallE was quick to respond to the aids, accepted the contact and we had beautiful walk, trot, canters and leg yields both directions. 

We went on a trail ride after our short school and happened upon a sprinkler. WallE flinched as we approached but remained brave. We stood and watched the sprinkler as it moved back and forth across the grass for probably two or three minutes. And then, WallE decided he no longer wanted to stand to watch the sprinkler. So we backed up quickly, head shaking and spinning in circles. I put WallE to work laterally and forward and eventually he stopped. We walked forward, halted and then I dismounted and walked WallE to the sprinkler. We stood and watched it for a few minutes (almost no reactive) and then walked behind it as it went across the grass to make it to the other side of the trail. Once on the other side, I remounted and we continued our 'on the buckle' trail ride as if nothing happened.