Riding with Mikael

Finally I have time to write about our ride together. So sorry for the long delay!

I'd read so much about Dandy I felt completely confident that he'd give me a fun ride with no worries. I just introduced myself to him and got him out and followed Legs and Mikael to the trailer.

I let Dandy graze a bit while Legs got situated. I was worried about the large trailer door in the wind - I wasn't sure it was secured to the trailer and didn't want to take any chances so I held onto it. (Later I saw it was secured.)

The geldings--I mean gelding and stallion--are good travellers, you didn't hear a sound from them.

The park is really perfect for Mikael - it is like Bridle Trails in Kirkland but parking is adjacent to the arenas, and there are stalls. I think horsepeople in that area are pretty lucky to have such a nice facility.

The boys being tied next to each other didn't worry me, but I don't know much about their relationship.

Take a look at the family resemblance in their little muzzles!

I saw them making cute faces at each other and Legs was fiddling with the tie with his face, redirecting his energy with a "toy."

I managed to groom Dandy's back even though it wasn't easy to reach. I cleaned his feet and didn't really take note that he was barefoot - bare feet look normal to me now, shoes surprise me.

Next it was odd for me because I had to let Mikael tack up both horses. I'm used to doing it so I felt kind of useless. I had taken off my coat while grooming and had to put it back on cuz it really wasn't tshirt weather. I talked to Lindsey a bit, and Dave too.

Dandy looks just enormous to me, even after riding in Germany, because he is a full Arabian horse and God doesn't normally make them 16 hands. Here is Mikael and her "gorgeous" hat, and Legs looking miffed.


Here is Legs looking good even while miffed.



Here is Dave helping Mikael get on, and I had to post this photo cuz of Legs' tail. Du meine Guete was fuer eine Schweife!

Then Dave helped me on, giving me a choice of mounting blocks (boulders) and holding my stirrup. I noticed the stirrups were a tad long but perfect for a walking pace. Mikael came over and fixed my reins. I think it was then that I noticed Legs did not freak out when Dandy left him. I took Dandy around in a circle and Legs still did not notice or freak out. This would be the point Baasha would go ballistic (Don't leave me here!) Dandy had good steering so I just waited. OK, I tested Legs again and wandered a bit but still no reaction.

Here is a good shot of the barns available at this park - nice huh? Dandy tilted one ear to me.


Mikael told me that her horses are accustomed to standing at the trailer while she works another horse - it is their normal routine. Aha, that makes sense.





Dave took some photos and we headed for a trail. I noticed right away that Dandy has a long stride and I didn't have to encourage him forward.

We took the lead and made our way into the trees. I became wistful when I saw the old familiar sword ferns and Oregon grape lining the forest floor. My home.

I don't really like flash photography, can you tell? : )

Dandy seemed to really enjoy this trail too - did he know it? I noticed he was rubber necking at things all around him, looking at everything in the environment like trail horses do who love being out exploring. I would get caught up in what he was looking at and realize he was slowing down so I wiggled my feet and he strode forward. That happened a few times and I didn't want Legs running smack into us so I tried to concentrate on keeping an even pace. It was hard though cuz we both wanted to look!

Suddenly there was this huge rusted out thing (radiator?) on the side of the trail and I thought, "Oh great. Horse eating monster." But trusting Dandy I stayed relaxed. I thought there's no way he's gonna bolt or try to flee, but I did expect him to give that scary thing a wide berth, and perhaps wipe me on a tree in the process. Instead, Dandy walked straight up to it and inspected it! I couldn't believe it.

Mikael and I talked about horsey stuff and the trail became quite narrow. Then it became even narrower as Mikael told me to take a little deer trail off to the side. I became concerned because the trees were on both sides of me, and Dandy is really big. Chances are I'd hit one or both knees, I was prepared for some pain. Thankfully Dandy let me slow and steer him even when Legs was in front.

I like this (bad) photo because of the foliage, the trail, and how we are about to pass between two trees. I realized Dandy wasn't rushing, he wasn't impatient to follow, he was listening to me react to the hair's width between myself and the firs. We squeezed through and around tree after tree and still no collisions. I've always been convinced that horses don't understand how far our knees stick out from their sides, and getting whacked is never intentional, but a normal part of riding on tight trails.

We hit some really rocky parts - you know the typical PNW river rock that coats the trail, no dirt/grass at all, just big rock. Then I realized Dandy didn't have any issue with the rocks, even barefoot. Mikael has rocks like this in her turnout areas and Dandy is naturally conditioned, but I wonder how long he's been barefoot. He didn't even slow down on rough descents, I asked him to out of instinct to protect him.

Dandy and I must have been spacing out on some woodsy scene because I found some distance between us and then I realized that we could just up and leave Legs and Dandy would have no problem with that. How nice to not have a horse fret about separation!

I did get to enjoy a jog on Dandy up one hill, and I didn't have to post, it was that comfortable. Again there was no indication of the rocks underneath his feet.

Mikael and I talked about my old trainer Deb Nelson, and what she's doing these days with her students. We talked about an intriguing Solidare son who is no longer at Rising Rainbow.

Poor Mikael was starting to get really cold. Legs couldn't have been cold though cuz he was using himself on this ride up and down hills, bending and such, I think he was even a little damp under his saddle afterwards.

On the way back to the trailer we were able to ride side by side on a gravel road. This is where the boys became a little competitive and started making faces at each other. It was so cute to see Dandy press his ears back and grouch at Legs, and Legs return the sentiment. I kept laughing because it was harmless and they had a sibling thing going on. I'm not sure but I think it might have been a walking race for them, or maybe just a normal dominance thing. Isn't it a wonderful thing to feel safe on a horse the very first time you ride it?

I was surprised by the length of time it took me from saddle to earth but I eventually connected. 16 hands!

Back at the trailer Mikael showed me a special way to knot the latigo on a western saddle that I'd never seen before. She schooled me in it over and over so I wouldn't forget it. I kept getting nervous Dandy was gonna shake and dump that saddle onto the gravel but Mikael trusted him not to do that. She carefully undid both horses' polo wraps and unsaddled them both. Dandy was dry; it was an easy day for him.

Then as Mikael suspected might happen, Legs squealed and went for Dandy. I am pretty sure at that moment I was right in between the two but he wasn't aiming for me so nothing happened. For Dandy it was a non-event, he didn't even flinch. Maybe that is his tactic with his full brother - ignoring his outburst is the best choice of reactions. More likely it was just manners--the fact I was standing in a danger zone and he knew it.

As Mikael backed into her parking spot back at her place, I missed very much the act of backing a horse trailer into a parking spot. Funny thing to miss, but I used to be good at it. In this country I am not allowed to pull a trailer, not even those tiny things that they pull horses around with here.

We sat in that parking spot a long time and talked, and after a while Dave and Lindsey came out to start feeding horses. The two in the trailer still didn't make a peep, and we talked and talked. Or, I should say, I listened to a really good story: )

Finally I wanted to see Storm again and even though he was eating, he wasn't annoyed at having guests in his stall. I asked Lindsey who her favorite was and she easily answered "Bey Aana." I smiled, "Oh, the Bey Aana babies are my favorites - well, and Solidare's!" I know that Bey Aana was shy, and I can only imagine the deepness of the relationship Lindsey has with her.

I met Patriot and just couldn't believe my eyes. I cannot say which horse I'd like to take home the most, because I didn't have nearly enough time. My moments with Pursuit (Percy) and Echo both reached out to me unforgettably, Persuasion (Suede) blew me away with his simple presence, Dandy got to know me in the woods, but Patriot was a living breathing dream. The kind of horse so majestic you almost cannot touch him, but I did, I parted his forelock and gasped at his face.

Mikael said her horses would surprise me, what an understatement! Not a day went by on my American vacation that I did not think of them and wish I had another chance to go down to Graham. I even dreamed about them at night.

Have you ever met a stable full of horses and had all of them stretch toward you - a total stranger - to be touched and loved? Have you ever been *chosen* by a horse like baby Baasha chose me?

I flashed back 22 years to Saarem Al-Najma in Auburn where I found Baasha. That was my first experience with the personality of Arabians - that entire stable was full of horses who loved people more than anything - we're their favorite thing. I was only 17 but I was blown away - I never knew horses could be affectionate.

(Horse-people reading this, have you read Mercedes Lackey's novels about sentient horses called Companions choose their lifelong humans? This is where the word Lytha comes from (and I just got her latest book!). OK, I guess you have to be a horse person to have read this far, *giggle*.)

Did those 5 dehydrated Arabian mares really turn back from water at the call of their master? I don't know, it's probably a myth, but it is a perfect illustration of what I see in Arabians. They are the horse as God made it.