More of the same

It’s been 3 weeks and 3 days since Mara arrived. Settling in is a very slow process. This is another unexciting blog post saying very little with many words.

I took her for a walk last night, a short one to the recycling containers about a 10 minute walk from home. We did lots of stopping and looking at scary things, and I noticed for the first time she’s offering to stop and look at things on her own. I always let her stop, but insist we move off on my choice, not hers. Going slow and stopping are the opposite of rushing, and I have to be careful not to let her rush us along. I pay attention to her breathing, which is still “gaspy” and I focus on my own, which is getting better with practice.

She’s not allowed to graze but if she reaches down and grabs grass, that’s fine because I don’t stop. I took it as a good sign yesterday that she dove down to grab grass – she must feel a little bit more comfortable to do that. When we came to a tarp-shelled trailer, I whacked my hand on the sides so the tarp flapped around, and she didn’t care. (Yet later that night, touching her leg with an aluminum stick was nearly impossible. I cannot yet predict what is terrifying and what is OK.)

She only spooked and spun around me once, when a neighbor popped out of a gardening shed.

A full sized commuter bus went by us by the recycling center, with a big whoosh of air as we were about 1 meter from it. She jumped but didn’t go airborne, that was good. So traffic hazards are not as bad as neighbor hazards I guess. Pulling halfway off the road, waiting for cars to pass, seems natural to her.

I realize she was starting to control our movement and I’ll have to be careful to not let it happen. Here’s how she does it: I say Ho and turn to face her obliquely, which signals her to stand still. She looks left, looks right, looks left, then she’s sick of standing still so she reaches her head down to my hand and brushes it gently with her nose. I must have subconsciously allowed that to be our “good to go” signal cuz now she does it regularly. Now I just ignore it and as she’s gazing off at the horizon, I say “OK let’s go” and we proceed. I don’t always count to 10 as we stand still, that is really pushing it. I don’t want to “get greedy”, as Deb Bennett discourages. I have to use my intuition about how much to push for.

It’s been 3 weeks and 3 days and I’ve never once tied her up. I have no idea if she can tie, and I have nowhere safe to test this. Herr S does though, some sort of telephone pole hitching post. I’ll  have to try it sometime. At home I just ground tie her (she’s not good at that yet, but she’ll get it).

The vet is coming tonight and I have so many questions. 1. How old do you estimate she is? 2. Why is this sarcoid on her chest not on her pre-purchase exam notes? 3. What are these 2 odd pimples on her spine? 4. How do we transfer microchip identity info? 5. What’s up with insurance?

And then she’ll get her first ever immunizations. That should be exciting. Can you believe she’s never had a shot in her life? This is the first time I’ve been glad that it’s illegal to give your own shots in Germany. I can dispense apple pieces, the vet can try to give the shots!

The saddler is coming out on the 23^rd. Can you believe I have to wait that long? This is Germany darnit!  I am starting to really want to ride. But I’m sure God’s timing is right – she probably needs more time to calm down. I’m taking the last week of May off for my birthday, and really hope I’ll be riding that week. If I have to go Kacy’s route and ride in a bareback pad, so be it. Speaking of which, check out this amazing bareback pad: http://www.barefoot-saddles.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=248 It has 4 foam inserts that attempt to keep the spine free, and no wither-pinching girth. Oh, but it’s sad I’m looking at bareback pads! I remember in 1990 we rode Baasha bareback cuz we were young, didn’t know how to ride well, and gripping with our legs felt safer than riding in a saddle.

Mara lets herself get soaking wet rather than go in our metal-roofed stall, but so did Baasha at first, it’s loud in there in rain! Bellis is all dry and cozy and my mare is outside getting pelted with hail. It would hurt worse to witness if she were not so fat. If she starts shaking then I lock them both in the stalls, but that doesn’t happen often.

She still won’t finish her vitamins. She thinks they’re poison. I mix a little grain in and she does her best to eat around them.

She’s giving me her hooves a little better now, but I can tell her hooves were never regularly handled because it’s not automatic yet.

I supplant her in the pasture when she’s grazing and I’m out cleaning up poop. I wonder if I’m the only person who does this?