Mara's 8th birthday

Well her Passport says she was born on Jan 1, but I don't believe that so I picked the day she arrived last year to be her birthday.

I gave her a hay pellet mash with a kilo of chopped carrots on top. And everytime I visited her today, I had a carrot for her. Or a strawberry leaf, or a handful of peppermint leaves, the point is, I tried to always have something for her.

I took her across the street to work her and she was very, very distracted because some ladies there were doing some limited turnout to acclimate their horses to grass, and it was very exciting for everyone, especially those horses who were not invited - they were so pitiful!

It was one of those rare times when I try to get Mara's mind back on me by asking for something complex like a lateral movement, and she was too overwhelmed to comply, getting very heavy and blowing through my aids.

I wasn't making any progress so I got off and lunged her - again - and then got back on. Thankfully the second time she was ready to comply, and the other horses did not gallop around too much. 

It poured rain on us at one point, and when I put the cavaletti away, there were white stripes in the sand where the rain couldn't touch. I thought it would be funny to lead Mara over the stripes. As I expected, she treated them as if they were poles. She stepped very carefully over each one, with all 4 legs lifting high. I cracked up over the first, second, and third pole. I'm sure Mara had no idea what was so funny, but it was hi-larious.

Poor thing had to work on her "birthday"! Back home I let them both into the orchard for a picnic. That involves me sitting in my chair, supervising the donkey, who will try to kill the apple trees by rubbing on them with all her strength, and by eating a flowering bush that I like. My goal is to not have to mow in there this year. Mara was tasting the hazelnut, the apple leaves, everything, very gently, unlike the donkey, and eventually she found some pond scum that I'd scooped out a few days ago, and she ate it! Ick.

Tomorrow is Baasha's birthday, which is great that he doesn't have to share with her, since she arrived in our lives last year the day before.

I am really hoping to make some sort of connection with this horse very soon. I mean, more than what we now have. I know I have to open my heart to her. She has to finally freaking settle down. (The donkey snorting/blowing thru her nose spooks this horse still.)

I looked in my horsey diary today and saw the entry for one year ago. "My new horse arrived. She's beautiful, but trembles a lot."

The trembling is much less now, and the gasping for air on neighborhood walks is gone (I hope).

We've made progress, but just so slowly it's frustrating. I understand this could take another full year before we're completely comfortable together.

I had this thought today. If I were a horse, I'd be Mara. Sensitive, jumpy, affectionate with those we respect.

Happy 8th Mara. You were well named.