stjarni doesn't like mud or non-packed sand, and we go slowly through both. i *do* make him go through the occasional puddle without breaking gait (whether tolt, trot, or canter) if the ground is otherwise okay -- sometimes he jumps the puddle, sometimes not.
packed sand and fresh snow are his real favorites, i think. dry dirt is okay too, but we have very little of that in our area that isn't full of granite rocks ranging from fist-sized to person-sized, so that's not great footing in my book. we also have some dirt-and-gravel roads, and he detests gravel. i don't blame him actually. (i *think* he's happier now on gravel with a decent barefoot trim, but it hasn't been long enough for me to really psych him out on the matter.) stjarni doesn't mind "bushwhacking" and will often choose the edge of a trail, which involves trampling blueberry bushes and whacking me with low-hanging tree branches, over the middle, where there are more rocks. i let him do this because after all, they're his feet; i snuggle down on the inside of his neck and try to keep my legs where they belong :) at the barn stjarni is known as "mister fussy-foot" because most of the other horses will take on most footing without thinking so much. i have no idea if they are just used to it, have better feet (i think they're all shod just in front), or aren't as smart as my ponykins. --vicka
