All-weather Mara

I wrote this post a while back, before Spring happened.

***

This horse just loves foul weather. Yesterday I was cleaning up my pasture and got caught in a hailstorm. It was fascinating to me to see the air become thick with hail, waves of it lashing the ground, pelting me. The only parts I had exposed were my hands and face, but it really hurt. But I was fascinated and didn't want to leave.

When I got back to the barn the donkey was inside, of course, and Mara was standing in the hail, all white. All the wrinkles of my jacket were crusted with white balls stuck together.

Today as I saddled Mara it started pouring rain. But that's what raincoats are for. I just wanted to do some arena work so we went over there. The rain did not let up the 1.5 hours we were there. But I swear, Mara loves it.

I did more technical lunging and trotted her over 3 raised poles a lot. I cantered her with the crupper on and she bucked more than ever *sigh*. When she bucks so high, it actually causes the crupper to rub her under her tail, which actually does hurt, I'm sure. I have it loosely adjusted so it doesn't tighten even at a canter, unless she clamps her tail and then bucks. I'm learning that I can somewhat control the bucking by pulling her head toward me - she can't buck if she's off balance. Finally she was done bucking and did some really nice cantering, more than usual, but she wanted to, so I let her. I walk big circles with her, using half the arena, because I know how hard it is on her legs. We ended our lunging with some wonderful jog work, it's really hard for her to trot like a Western Pleasure horse but she can do it, and it's amazing to see how slow she can go. I love all these gears! After 25 minutes I stopped her and felt her and she was cool between her forelegs, and she wasn't breathing any harder than she does at home at rest. What is up with that?

She's in heat and keeps peeing in odd places. She flirts and pees but doesn't scream so that's good. Also as I groom her I don't get the idea she's sore in her body.

I got on and started to work on contact, stretching down, and she was right on today, 100%, willing both ears back listening to me, rain pelting us both, my saddle competely soaked through. She looked hardcore with her normal fluffy hair plastered down on her neck, her entire body soaked. I did some trotting, trying to show her that we can also work on connection at a trot (really?). I rewarded her often, dropping the reins and praising her, and she'd always stretch her head straight down, just like a dressage horse should: )

Then we did our lateral work, I'm starting a new exercise of 10 meter circle to shoulder-in 3-5 strides, then another 10 meter circle. It seems to make sense to the horse, and the circles become rewards. I'm trying to learn to weight my seat bones as cues, something I never really got down.

So far so good. She was so good today I couldn't believe it. I want to be sure my attitude is right when I take her on trails, that I want to be there and don't consider it something I have to do.

Thursday I was heading her for a hole in the watershed fence (by the keep out sign) right when an official drove up, omgosh, if we'd gone through that hole 2 minutes before that, he'd have caught us in the no tresspassing zone and I wouldn't have had any excuse - and nowhere to hide! It is unbelievably lovely down there where no one is allowed. Just like the Cedar River Watershed back home, an exquisite bit of mostly untouched wilderness, and I hope to inspire in Mara a love of tresspassing just like I did in others. (I don't tresspass on private property cuz I wouldn't want people in my yard.)

Here are a few pics near the watershed where I lunged Mara last week. Actually, lunging her on these hillsides does get her breathing!








Our pasture looking ready for Spring.