Das Leben ist ein Ponyhof

Finally, a horse related post! Yesterday the horses made me laugh so hard I cried. My man, too, when he saw the pictures. "Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof" is an idiom here meaning "Life's no picnic." (or literally, ponyhof = pony yard) My blog title today translates "Life is a pony yard".) And to explain the graphic, it's a street sign meaning "You are now leaving the town of Real World and in 2 kilometers, you will arrive in the town of Ponyhof." I thought this was adorable, and appropriate for today's post.

Funny how little Ronni ("frechdachs", a neighbor called him yesterday, meaning "sassy badger") doesn't fuss when I separate them to go riding, in comparison to Baasha's whirling and pawing and heart-breaking cries. However, when they're reunited, Ronni shows his love, whereas Baasha would prefer a more dignified reception.

First Baasha always takes a drink when I return him. Ronni was waiting, waiting for the moment Baasha would finish, so he could greet him.





Man he sure takes a long time to drink. Tell him to hurry up, will you?




Finally! Ronni bounced into Baasha just like a kitten. In "reunion ecstacy", he collides his little body into Baasha repeatedly.

Baasha gave him the ugly face, which I rarely see on him. He's saying, "Hey, lay off, pipsqueak, I've worked for the past 2 hours carrying a human on my back up and down hills. Something you'll probably never have to experience due to your stunted growth.




Are you ever gonna get big?"




Ronni seems to answer, "I stared at 4 dark walls while you were gone. I stared at them because that was all there was to do, and I thought about the times when I wasn't looking at 4 walls, and they seemed so far away, those other times. Oh, how I suffered! But now you're back, here, let me climb on you. Hey, what's that face for?"

Baasha starts to wander off, and Ronni takes his position, mouth to tail. "Oh, that tastes bad, why do they put that awful stuff on it?", so he grabs the tailpiece on Baasha's blanket. (sigh) He's like the baby elephant holding the tail of his mommy. "Look at us, we're a train!" (sigh)

Then Baasha saw his favorite rolling spot. "Hm, I've been clean for 4 hours now. That's too long!"



"Time to fix that."




Ronni went completely nuts when Baasha went down to roll. "WHEEEE!!! He's rolling, he's rolling and I'm gonna GET HIM! Watch this, camera lady!" I couldn't believe I caught it on film (partly), as Ronni squealed and started galloping a huge circle around Baasha, building and building in speed, tiny legs scurrying through the mud like a cartoon character....


(He was going so fast you might have missed him, here's an enlargement)





"Collision course entered. All systems ready. ENGAGE!" He has enough momentum at this point to come straight back and...

POUNCE, BOOOFFF! He rammed himself right into Baasha, while Baasha was only half up. I was cracking up.




"I did that! I made him get up! I love doing that! He looks so dumb when he's upside down, I have to make him get up fast! I'm super-pony, with powers over the big ones!"


Baasha was nonplussed. "If I didn't like you so much, I'd have to teach you a lesson." He wandered to the shelter to check for any grain remnants, and Ronni couldn't contain himself, he squealed and jumped on Baasha and Baasha turned his butt to him and did a little warning kick. Ronni was beside himself with joy.

***

On my ride yesterday I saw new behavior for Baasha. He looked at a creek, telling me he was thirsty, and when I brought him down there, he didn't only paw the water playfully, he dropped his nose into it and splashed and splashed with his nose. I couldn't believe it! I laughed and he turned to look at me like, "Oh, you're still here?" I think he was completely absorbed in his game, and I was standing at the end of the reins trying not to get wet. It looked like he was trying to splash me on purpose. Afterwards, I've never seen such a clean nose on him!

We went to visit the riding school horses and he wanted to canter/gallop up this hill, and I let him a bit, but he was so spooky I lost my nerve. I asked him to trot, and he said "As you wish" like a good boy. At the fenceline with a big Haflinger, he pawed the air and arched his neck, trying to look like a stallion to impress this other horse. He was completely tractable, and completely charming.

I think it's funny how he wipes his nose on me sometimes. Ever so politely, I feel a light brush of his nose on my glove or sleeve, and I realized his nose was runny, and he used me as a handkerchief. He does it so gently, it's not rude, but it makes me smile.

I need to spend more quiet time with him, doing nothing. Not brushing, not fussing, just hanging out with him in the stall or on the trail. I find that those times in the barn or on the trail where we just stop are special moments. I often stop at the crest of a hill and let him look off into the distance as long as he likes, but I should spend more time doing *nothing* with him. Showing him that I just want to be with him, and I don't have to always be doing something to him. I love him so much!