Mara and the red carpet

Such theatrics, *sigh* because someone moved a roundbale from the row of roundbales alongside the arena, and left a big emptiness where it was supposed to remain for eternity, or at least a horse's lifetime.



At her leaping away, contorting herself to save her life from the big empty, I realized I may not even want to get on, but then I thought let's just see how much lunging it will take before she can calmly walk (not scoot) by that lack of roundbale.

40 minutes. Did you guess it? After 40 minutes of trotting and cantering around, she finally was able to go by it without flinching. The goal was to be able to walk by, so we tried that a lot but she needed the speed to help her nerves.

I think it's interesting that she mostly spooks at things that she approaches on her right side, when reversed, she showed less reaction. I need to have her eyes checked.

It always amazes me that on a sunny Sunday, between 11 and 2, no other boarder is there. I had hoped someone would show up in case I suffered a missing roundbale incident.

Oh well, just get on and see.

How interesting. She was just fine. If she looked at that spot with both ears, I'd redirect her attention with a task. In fact, it became a game of concentration. If her ears flickered or if one was on me, she got to relax and just stroll along. If she looked at something in the distance or other horses, I would ask for a turn or a sideways movement. It was neat to see her slowly focus her attention down from a wide angle lens to "just the rider."

She's also getting better at turns on the forehand, which is an exercise in precision and obedience. I'm working up to being able to do that elegant Buck Brannaman move where he's walking along, then without losing rhythm, the horse does a 180 on the forehand, then a 180 on the haunches, and then continues going in the original direction. Have you seen that move? It's beautiful to see.

Back to Mark Rashid work, I am always so amazed at our upward transitions, how concentrating on the 1,2,3,4, and then distinctly thinking 1,2, gets the horse's attention, and then the horse just starts trotting.

We're working on trot to halt transitions and she's really starting to get the feel of me sitting down on my pockets as a stop right now cue.

We do a lot of just standing around doing nothing, and I love how her ears are on me, head down, as we just stand there, perfectly relaxed, yet ready for my next command. See how nice it is to stand and do nothing? This is a hard one for me too.

I saw a horse on the horizon and decided that would be our route for a little walk/trailride today. We got to go through that Haflinger farm, and as usual, they were all pressing up against the fence to greet her. I was amazed by the width of those horses, and their bone; I couldn't believe they weren't out plowing fields, they were so powerful and thick. One had a perfectly white mane split down the middle, thick on both sides of his neck. I don't think I could have sat on him without pain, unless it was side-saddle, that would work.

I was tossing bits of grass over the fence at the chickens, Mara is unsettled by chickens so it's good for her to just hang out as I watch them and feed them. With horses all around her, but just out of reach, she was not comfortable enough to take a bite of grass, instead she just stood there like a statue, like a good, grownup horse, and waited for me to get done with the birds. That took a while, I love watching chickens and listening to how they really do say, "bok, bok" with perfect enunciation.

Up the hill past the stables, we could look down at our farm from above. It's always such a cool thing to see our farm from above - I really have to bring my camera next time to show you. Our field is deep emerald green (from being eaten down to almost nothing in Winter, now it's the deepest green of any field around). We could hear the donkey bray from time to time. I think Mara was fascinated too, looking down from that odd perspective.

A little kid on a tiny bike came up behind us, but Mara didn't spook.

Then we came to a pile of junk people had set out to be taken away by large trash pickup. It was a pale blue couch, and several rolls of carpet.

Of course I took Mara right up and made her circle around me, passing between me and the couch, but it was no problem. Then I went up to it with her and started tapping it, and she just touched it with her nose like it was no problem. Then I unrolled one of the pieces of thick red carpet so that it fell down from the seat of the couch and rolled out onto the ground. Then I backed up and asked her to walk over it. She touched it with her nose, then stepped directly onto it. I was pretty impressed.

Then she just stood there on it, her newly trimmed hooves looking so good sinking into the plush red carpet, like she was in Hollywood. I'm serious, it was a really nice carpet and part of me wants to go up there with the car and get it, so I can do hoof trimming on it (more comfortable for the horse to stand on).

Finally we got back down to the trail where I got on and rode her a bit. Two bikers came up behind us but Mara is fine with that. It amazes me, what things she's OK with, and what things not (missing hay bale!!).

On the road back home, I got off and let her graze her way along the street, all the way home. I was getting pretty hungry watching her snarf up the long grass.

Lately I have no desire to take her on long outings alone. I am sad that I have no one to ride with, because I know that would make the difference for me. I want to have fun with her, and for it to be fun for her, but it can be pretty stressful going out far, alone.

Next time I encounter a rider on the trail, whoever it is, I'm going to ask if I can ride along with for a ways. It's so ridiculous - horses all around us, but no one to ride with.