Mara goes to Wuppertal and we ride Baasha's old trails

This is the horse I was looking for when I shopped. This difficult little horse has some very good qualities that came to surface today in what could have been a very stressful, ruin of a day.

The only time I've ridden Mara with more than one other horse on trails, she's had horrible experiences. Those I've shared here, where all of you shouted at me, "Never ride with those baddies again!"

So when an old friend from Wuppertal asked if she could come get Mara and ride in my old Wuppertal stomping grounds, I was excited but cautious. I warned her about our issues, that I really need to be with horses who can make a good impression, "nervenstark" as the Germans say.

Why, oh why is that impossible to find?

My old friend is an eternal teenager and used to fearlessly gallop those trails with the TB she shared with me, and laugh off the accidents and hospital visits.

Now I know, she likes them fast and rowdy, and doesn't care much for self control or manners. But what an opportunity, and she promised me we'd take a walking-only ride. Wait - deja vu.

They picked us up and Mara loaded with only a little hesitation. They wanted to bring the donkey too but no such luck, Bellis doesn't go in trailers and I didn't want to waste their day trying. So back to the paddock Bellis went, braying pitifully all day long.

Mara was utterly cool at their stable in Wuppertal. I even asked some little girls with argyle socks over their riding breeches to hold her lead rope while I applied Easyboots.

All three blond girls fell in love with Mara - probably cuz I'd done up her mane again all fancy.

We mounted up and it was 1 more rider than expected - an old friend from the Wuppertal barn on her golden Tennessee Walker, Smartie. (Of course, they pronounce that wrong - there's no "t" sound in Smartie.)

Then there was my old friend on Josie, her Appendix QH who basically is a TB - no QH to be seen or experienced. And her friend on her Newforest Pony, who was supposed to be the veteran, the old reliable in the group to get us through our ride safely. Ha. Funny.

I had a spike of anxiety just being on a trailride with 3 other horses, but that went away as soon as I saw my familiar trails and realized Mara was being perfectly perfect.

Their horses were shod, except for the Pony in Renegades, and both shod horses tripped and almost fell at various points on our ride. I was impressed that my horse in Gloves never gimped on the rocks, and never lost her footing. They asked me if the Gloves stay on. I said, "Well, we'll see, I haven't gone through any rivers yet." But even through fetlock-deep mud they stayed on today.  That's all I need in a boot!

Josie. *shakes head and sighs* Talk about an uptight horse. She was torn in so many directions during our ride, it was crazy to observe. On the one hand, she wanted to be Mara's best friend/lover/mother. She would not get her nose/body/chest off of my horse! Countless times Mara was rammed from behind by her. Several times I turned around in my saddle and said "Josie, please, a little space?" and mentioned how I was trying to train Mara to keep a certain distance from other horses on trails - like the one Mara was very carefully keeping all day long from the horse in front of us. GOOD MARA.

Josie couldn't just walk down the trail. Like an endurance horse, she saw no need for slow going. She was constantly either lagging behind and then scurrying in a trot to bump literally against us, or when she was in front of us, lagging behind, "Mara friend? Still there?" and then cussing to herself, "Crap, I'm falling behind!" and then bursting forward in a rough trot. Mara was very disconcerted by these two behaviors for the first hour.

Mara has a signal she gives me when she's totally overwhelmed, and thank God it's a very safe vice - she flings her head, slinging it up and down repeatedly, "I can't take this!" If only I could have told her, "Mara, no one is going to go galloping off today." (OK, at one point Josie started to, but was somehow stopped.)

On to the excuses. My old friend, well, I'd be embarrassed if I had to give so many excuses.

"I think she's so racey today because those teenagers have been riding her."

"I know it, she's in heat, that's it, that explains it!"

Not just me, but others were wary about Josie. The TWH lady said to me quietly, "The reason she has no control over that horse is cuz she insists on riding bitless."

And when we finally arrived at the stable where I rode that TB, and was able to finally talk to the owner after 6 years and thank her again for bringing horses to my wedding as a surprise for me, the owner said to my friend, "Really, you need to keep Josie at a distance from the others. All it takes is one kick and you've got a broken knee." I thought I saw a look of disdain but I could have imagined it. Josie had just rammed into Mara again heedlessly, in her hurry to turn around.

At one point we were riding along through a very stressful neighborhood alley/trail type thing, with people coming and going with horses, and horses on both sides, and all three of my "good example, local horses" froze to a stop. Not a single one of them was brave enough to proceed. *sigh* Mara? Yes, she didn't like it, but she went. Lots of old bathtub-troughs lay in the grass, lots of things to spook at. Mara bravely pressed on until I said, "This is crazy. I'm new here." So I stopped her and said, "Which local horses is gonna lead here?"

That would be Smartie. Wonderful Smartie, with the happy ears and silver tail. I happily rode behind him whenever possible. He never made a face at Mara, but the Pony did, even though his owner was gushing about how much she loves Mara and how much they look alike. Truly, I thought the Pony was a Morgan. (BTW, he's 8 cm taller than Mara, but the others couldn't believe it. Mara seems taller than her 144cm "with Easyboots on".)

But poor Mara had to hustle to keep up with the tall ones. The Pony had to leave us eventually, so it was just Smartie and Josie, the almighty tallest. Mara has a very fast walk, but she was pressed today to keep up with them. But...

After trying to trot to catch up, and trying to jig to catch up, she finally realized what I wanted, "Just walk." and she did. Unbelievable, considering Josie's consant trotting. It was like a little light went on with Mara, "Really, my rider really just wants a walk and nothing else today."

This is after 24 years of riding a jiggy prancy must-be-first gelding, so if you're curious what my method is, I just take one rein only to the side, tipping her nose, and say, "WALK." No two reins ever, and a very relaxed, pudding-consistence posture, deep breathing, and lots of reward, and whenever possible, on the buckle riding. I hate to say it but Parelli has a good point about nervous jiggy horses - ride them on the buckle as much as possible, but learn how to take hold in an emergency. It seems to work. The only pressure Mara got from me today was when I wanted her to give distance to a horse in front of her. Lucky for me, she seems to get that.

And she let them get ahead, and powered her best to keep up. Proud is not a strong enough word for how I feel. This is the horse I was looking for. They all get ahead, and she doesn't fuss.

At one point the trail split and Mara offered to go a different direction than the other horses. I just LOVE that. Not herd bound, not at all.

At the big dam, I wanted a photo of me on my horse, riding in Baasha's footsteps long ago (2008). I was having a euphoric moment just being there, and having my horse accept the task of the day.

Josie didn't like the idea of posing for photos, she wanted to gallop up the other side of the dam. Suddenly she attacked Smartie, whose rider was holding my camera. She bit Smartie in the face, turned around lightning fast, and kicked him in the chest. Poor Smartie had no chance. Mara did a swift 180 to save herself.

The cool thing was what happened next. Smartie, the good soul, decided in his head that it just wasn't fair, that he didn't deserve that attack. And 5 minutes later, he barrelled into Josie and bit her on the neck. Take that.

I had to laugh. Mara was quite stressed though, again, the two horses were fighting, they were not being the promised role models we'd hoped for. (Are those impossible to find?)

But Mara, knowing the day's task, carefully walked behind them, giving them space, and by this time, never hurrying.

We rode through two streams and lots of tight trail with branches that had to be ducked under, with a large herd of horses directly beside us, coming up to us to greet us, which normally upsets Mara, but by this time I think she was tired. My knees were hurting. 3 hours of walking only, ugh.

Finally back at the barn, Mara leading the way cuz the other two were cowards, (come on, you live here!), I was disappointed to see her terrible sweat pattern on her back. I need advice from other SS people - what to do?

Then my friend said, "You can put her in a stall and give her some hay, she's probably starving." I said, "Are there any other horses in that barn?" and she replid, "Josie, on the other end." So in goes Mara, into another big dark German barn with concrete stalls with straw. She had a huge stall, and she peed in it immediately. (Oh, I should say, she pooped twice on the trail, and didn't need to stop, finally, she's getting that she can do it while walking. Smartie pooped (stationary) 6 times. Good boy!)

Then my old friend took Josie out of the barn and out to pasture, and Mara was alone in this huge dark barn, the only horse. She called once, but then settled down. I think she's more used to German barns than I am.

A half hour later we were about ready to go home, and I realized I hadn't heard a peep from Mara in that big lonely barn. I thought surely she was dead.

She was just standing there in the dark, waiting for me peacefully. Oh Mara.

She went right into the trailer this time, and we went home.

I'm in awe. My horse learned so much today. We can go out in a group, and nothing bad will happen. I can just walk for 3 hours. I can keep a distance, even though others ram into me repeatedly.

I need to go buy carrots now.


Photos and video to come - I just can't bother with that right now. Carrots to buy.