Barely successful ride

I say barely cuz there were a lot of things working against us - a lot of people are out today and it's not a windy day, it's a gusty day, and huge gusts snuck up on us a few times, making Mara jump all around.


The two paint riders were getting ready for a trail ride, and it always makes me jealous that they don't invite me. One of them is Nadine, the one who gave me such a horrible experience the one time I did accept her "help" with my green horse. (She would take off cantering, and her two dogs kept barging out of the bushes. Then she told me I just need to calm down about it.)

As far as I have learned, there are but two horses across the street who would be good candidates for helping Mara with her anxiety, but one is Nadine's, and the other is Sonja's Icelandic, Arndis, who is actually at the clinic now from a stab wound from a tree in the woods. It's ridiculous to me that out of 10 horses, so few are trail horses.

As I warmed Mara up on the long line, walking her over poles, she was totally distracted by so many hikers and bikers out today. She was extremely worried about a team of 3 matching neon green bikers on the horizon. Everytime she got all worried I asked her for a reverse, and well, she got pretty good at reverse today. We were even able to do some lovely smooth reverses at a trot on the lunge.

I thought Oh geez, I don't want to go out on the trails today, after planning for a long outing.

I got on her and worked on our trot circles. It's a wonderful thing to experience, how simply counting the beat in my head provides a willing upwards transition. I concentrate on the walk rhythm and count it in my head 1234, 1234, and then I imagine the trot and count 1,2,1,2 and then start to whisper it and she thinks "Oh yes, trot" and does it almost telepathically.

Her backing is somewhat improved but her natural tendency is to thrust her head down and lean on the bit when I ask, even though I'm not putting pressure on the reins, I'm just saying "Back" and shifting my weight and vibrating the reins. She's very good about backing from the ground now, it's just been rough trying to transition it to the saddle.

My trainer Mell cancelled on me (again), she's really unreliable, it sucks, cuz I really need her, and tell her this.

Mara's finally getting the hang of the teams of carriage horses that go through our town on Sundays. This time it was two big black horses pulling a big covered wagon full of tourists. I parked Mara on the sidewalk and just stood with her as they approached loudly. She pooped, of course, quite worried, but oh, so much better than the first time she saw a carriage approaching!

I also am realizing she's not holding her breath anymore, nor gasping for air as we go through the neighborhood. I didn't notice exactly when that stopped, but what a relief. It was a sad thing to hear, a horse so scared it can't breathe properly.

I thought to myself, what is the simplest little loop I can ride, to have a successful outing, when my horse is so worked up? Then it hit me, this lovely loop, and I took her down. I led her down the hill and then got on at the bottom, and rode the undulating hills perhaps 5 minutes before coming to the next way back up. For the first time she did not spook at the two benches on that loop. I was actually able to ride on a loose rein, and I spoke to her constantly, staying loose.

One time she looked at something sideways so we did a leg yield both directions, and then she was done looking at things for the rest of the mini ride.

At the top of the hill is the Sunday Schutzhund meeting and as usual, the place was full of German Shepherds practicing. I wanted to stop and watch but it was pretty stressful for Mara, and I didn't know if the people would object to having a horse distracting their dogs. I was on the ground, and loosened the saddle, at this point, the place is full of cars with open hatchbacks and dogs that attack their crates as soon as you come into view, it's terrifying even as a person, to walk through that there.

I hand grazed Mara, almost home, but then a big gust came up or something, and she started spinning around me. I have no idea what that was, but we hung out there for a while until she could control herself.

Then right in front of our field, as she was grazing along the street, a car was coming from one direction and suddenly a bicyclist came flying down the hill from the other direction, and hit his brakes, making a squealing noise, and Mara flipped around me and jumped directly into the path of that car. The driver stopped, I think he was one of the cautious ones, but if not, at least he will be from now on. Yes, horses will spring directly in front of your car at random times. It's one of the charming things about living in the country.

Finally home, as I was cleaning up the paddock around Mara's feet, she carefully put her nose on my hand and sniffed it for a while. I think she has no hard feelings today, at least.