Bellis' good day and my new piece of tack

Bellis was like a dog running circles around the owner who picked up its leash and said Walkies! She was not locked away from the horse, as usual when I leave her behind, and she had a halter on, so she was pretty sure she was going somewhere, and she was so incredibly excited. It was so annoying.

She would plant herself between me and the horse as I tacked up, she's grab Mara's reins and pull, she'd come right back between me and the horse everytime I shoo'd her away, she was desperate that I not change my mind.

I eventually tied her up. Oh, I had to work on that. She outsmarted two different knots and only the third actually held her there, where she pouted and plotted her next move.

Donkey, too close! says the horse.

I got a few pics of my new piece of tack, a Nierendecke, or rump rug as we say in English. It was a risky buy because it said Warmblood size, and the company (Pfiff) makes no other size, and claims they work on all sizes. Hm. My horse is miniscule compared to a Warmblood. But I thought, for only 23 Euros, I'll have it altered if it doesn't work. I had shopped around, and was disgusted that there are endurance shops selling rump rugs for 80Euros or more. I can sympathize with my blogger friends who have sewn their own.

Also, 99.9% of rump rugs sold in Germany are the kind that somehow fit around your saddle, or even over your legs. I do not want anything around my saddle, I just want to strap it onto the back.

And I have no skillz, I cannot make my own. I ordered it Amazon Prime and got it the next day. Tuesday's my birthday, I gifted myself!

It's kind of big, but not so big it won't work. In fact, I think more coverage is better for this thin-skinned horse.

There is how it attaches - see how low down the straps are? Ingenious. They really know what they are doing, this company.

The polarfleece isn't very thick, it seems kind of crappy, but the outer shell is 420 denier, adequate for keeping the rain out.

What, I have to tie a knot each time I want to use it? Hm. But so far so good, it doesn't seem to piss her off.

The donkey plotting her escape. At the end of the only knot that held her.

There are some fancy American ones that retract, but I don't need that at this point in Mara's life.

I have a Bandit Springs completion award rump rug that works fine if the horse can tolerate a crupper, that holds it in place when the horse actually, well, moves. Or the wind blows a tiny bit. Otherwise, on Mara (crupperhater) it's useless, hanging off her side, because of the design, and how it attaches at the top, not the sides.

This Pfiff model I ordered attaches at the sides, and has a tail strap. I was worried, cuz I wanted the tail strap lower down so Mara doesn't buck me off,  but as soon as I lunged her with it I realized she's fine, and with the wind blowing, it doesn't flip over! Woo!

If you're wondering about Bellis' good day, perhaps you understand what she went through waiting for her good day as I photographed Mara in her new tack.: )

Of course, the weather is what most people love (warm and sunny), so I didn't get to ride in it today.

I took it off and gathered up my animals. Let's go!

Leading the two of them is easy, Bellis right at my side, Mara obediently following behind. Unless we are crossing a field of hip-high grass. Then both of them try grazing and ripping my arms out. I won't be going through fields with them again.

My plan was, since it's Sunday, a sunny one, to just go out and expose Mara to all the other trail users. To find a bench and hang out a while. It worked, there were lots of trail users today. One guy sitting on a bench really worried Mara, she's not used to that bench being occupied. Then we found our own bench. I immediately tied the donkey up in a patch of long grass, so she could graze. I took off my helmet and vest, got my water bottle out and drank, and let Mara graze around the donkey.

The donkey was OK for a while, then she started thinking about her situation. You can tell a donkey is thinking cuz of the look on its face. She was just standing there like a statue, pondering, and then she pulled back with all her strength. I yelled at her and she stopped, looking at me with a shocked expression, "What? That's not allowed? Come on."

Finally lots of mountain bikers came, 3 groups of them, and I felt they had enough. I spent about 30 minutes there. Then I really pushed my luck and got up on Mara, and tried to pony the donkey.

I say tried because the donkey is not easy, she pulls really hard when she wants something, and it's kind of foolish to try to pony off Mara, who herself is so green.

At one point the donkey decided to switch sides and slipped behind us and around and before I knew it, was pulling the rope around Mara's behind, as hard as she could. That is not good. I whirled Mara around, who was in the process of deciding whether to spook at a scary looking clump of weeds, and got us organized again.

Ponying the donkey works until it doesn't. Kind of like an electric paddock for horse camping.

We passed the Schutzhund club in the middle of their practice and all those cars with dogs, oh my.

It was horrible. In fact, I'll never go by there again on a Sunday. I know the dogs in the backs of cars with hatchbacks open will bark at us, but today one waited silently until we were right there, and then lunged and attacked the crate so violently, barking so hideously, my donkey spooked and ran a circle around me! Donkeys don't spook as a rule, and Mara knows it. She, of course, spooked too, so I had two animals running off all at once. I was able to gather them back, and it took me a while to calm down. Funny how something you know will happen, can be so horrible when it does. Of course, I didn't know that Bellis would spook.

I was kind of grouchy after that but saw that no one was at Herr S so I went there, the donkey pulling suggestively, and let the donkey play in the arena while I lunged Mara.

Bellis met Sheila the pony for the first time, and they fell in love, pressing their faces together under the fence. Mara had to work, but earlier on our outing, Bellis had to be tied, so it evened out.

Then a lady, the owner of the Fresian, showed up, and said they are leaving the barn for another, one in the area of that other watershed that we hiked around a few weeks ago, and I was dying, it was so gorgeous, but just out of riding distance - 10 miles around a watershed and no pavement at all, no homes, just trail. I told her, "I will see you there someday, that is my dream to ride my horse there!"

Now I'm enjoying a well earned glass of white wine with ice cubes (that's my way in Summer).

Bellis and Mara are in the orchard probably eating the things they shouldn't.

Bellis had a great day, and I hope to give her more. I never regret buying her, she is the most peacable animal, so absolutely trustworthy and gentle.

And I realize Mara could be so much worse. None of her faults are dangerous. She's not aggressive, she doesn't bolt. To think, she can only get better, well, I've got high hopes. I just need to learn patience, which she'll have to teach me.