Walking over branches

So because of the Granite Bay ride last week where Zoe decided that the solution to having hind feet caught in branches was to buck...this morning we played with branches in the arena.  Someone recently picked up all the loose branches from the cotton wood tree out front.  So I took some of these into the arena this morning-about 8.  I thought after we walked over them, I would drag them too - so I tied a hay string to the biggest branch.  I walked Zoe over them no problem.  We trotted over them no problem.  Good there.  So I decided to stop while standing on them.  Now this is where I should have known better.  Zoe wanted to check out the branches so I let her put her nose down and...she grabbed the biggest branch in her mouth.  I was trying to be nice and let her check them out and I forgot that she LOVES to put things in her mouth.  So now I'm sitting on my horse, with this branch hanging from her mouth-it's not a dry branch so it doesn't just break off where she has bit it, it hangs from her mouth.  Then she decides it's fun to bob her head up and down with the branch hanging from her mouth.  Now remember this is the branch with the hay string tied to it.  The more she bobs her head up and down the more the string gets tangled in the other branches-THAT WE ARE STANDING ON.  I'm thinking this could turn out bad...if she spooks she probably won't let go of the branch in her mouth, she will jump or run and all the branches that are tangled in the string are going to come with us and...well it could get ugly.  Thankfully the branch breaks and falls from her mouth and we walk away unscathed.  Phew!  Note to self-DO NOT let Zoe check out the branches.   We  survived that so I decided to get off and make sure my branches are securely tied to the hay string so I can practice dragging them.  Zoe did fine with that.  I even tried to drag it close to the mounting block so it would make a different noise and everything was fine.
I was telling this story to one of my barn trainers and she commented that it might be a different story out on the trail.  So...maybe on Wednesday I'll bring some hay string out on the trail and practice dragging stuff out there.  Story to be continued...