What normal horses spook at

Things with the hubby’s potential new horse, Justin, are going well. We did another jousting practice the other day, with more armor and with Saga passing by him on the other side of the lane.  Here’s how that went:

Saga: OMFG! ARMOR! ARMOR NOISES BAD!!!!

Justin: Ooooh, look! Grass! Nomnomnom…

Me: Saga, don’t be an eediot. You’ve jousted before. Besides, *I’m* not wearing armor, the armor is on Dad, who is riding the other horse. Justin, STOP EATING. You’re fat enough already!

We ride around for a while, and Saga pretends to be a crazy racehorse, tossing his head like he’s two. Hubby has to kick Justin twice to get him to trot. I wish Saga was a little less crazy, and pick up a quintain lance that’s resting against a tree.

Saga: OMFG! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!!! *Levitates 4 feet upward and sideways while trying to get a look at the lance that’s waving around.* 

Me, to myself: Gee, I always wondered what it was like to ride a capriole. Maybe it’s something like that? Out loud: Saga, you moron. It’s a LANCE. Remember those? 

Saga, snorting and skittering sideways: Nope, never seen one of those before! OMFG IT’S FOLLOWING MEEEEEE!!!

Justin, to hubby: Really, we have to keep trotting? Sigh.

We ride around a little more, and I start to take Saga down the lane at a walk. Or at least, *I* think we’re walking. He takes the opportunity to fling his head up and start to bolt down the lane. I stop him and convince him that walking is the way to go. He spooks sideways as Justin trots past us, hubby and armor aboard.

Me: Sigh. Really?

Saga: ARMOR IS THE DEVIL’S SPAWN AND IT EATS HORSES.

Saga and I manage to hold it together long enough to trot past Justin a couple of times, and hit the hubby’s shield with the quintain lance. Justin could care less. Saga thinks he’s going to die.

He’s right actually. It’s possible that I might kill him.

We decide to call it a day when I’ve gotten Saga to go past Justin a couple of times at the trot without shying too much. Justin was pretty sure it was time to call it a day before we started. 

We decide to go on a short trail ride to cool off, but hubby wants to take off some of his armor first. He removes his gauntlet but doesn’t have anyone on the ground to take it – normally that’s my job – so he tosses it down, waiting for Justin to spook. Justin calmly gazes at where it landed, while Saga rolls his eyes and snorts a bit. Next, Hubby removes his shield and tosses it down. Justin contemplates chewing on Saga’s bridle (he’s VERY mouthy) as the shield hits the ground. Saga contemplates running away from home to somewhere that doesn’t have any armor and he can do easy things, like jump four-foot fences.

Hubby and I walk from the jousting lane over to the front gate to head out on the trails. Saga heaves a huge sigh of relief, while Justin takes one look at the front gate and has a huge meltdown.

Justin: OMFG IT’S A GATE! A HORSE-EATING GATE! WITH PIPE AND EVERYTHING! STOP DEAD AND SNORT!

Saga: Mom? Do you see this horse? He’s crazy spooky…