Straight Russian mare

I was so happy that my destination was only 1.5 hours from home, but soon I was caught in a vortex of construction detours, and I was ignoring my Navi which kept telling me to go to Cologne. Yes, that was the fastest way without all the detours, but I was determined to go my way.

At one point I sensed I was heading toward Cologne again and I tried to turn around on a side street. I found myself in what I thought was another detour line of cars waiting for the temporary camera-sensor traffic signals but it turned out that we were all waiting in line for a car wash.  !!! I didn't even know they had these in Germany, where you stay in your car. I quickly got out of line and defied my Navi some more, and I was right, I made it to Autobahn 3 via backroads, whew.

When I arrived a very sweet lady met me and I was surprised cuz the ad says it's a man selling the horse. She took me to meet her little herd of straight Russian Arabians.

I must say, I am still smitten with this type of Arabian. They are all so amazingly powerfully built, and this mare at almost 16 HH was broader than Mara and gave the impression she could carry my man and myself together through the mountains no problem. Russians are great. Pretty faces, not extreme, but just so strong. And the legs were great too.












She has a "table-top" back - hard for me to photograph, but maybe you can see it here. None of my photos do her justice.




If my priority were conformation I'd buy her. She beats Mara there even. And for only 3500? With such good bloodlines (Balaton) and her conformation, she'd be perfect for reproducing.

However, due to lack of clarification, they were not prepared to ride her for me, and I don't get on sale horses without seeing them ridden first. She and her husband both apologized for the misunderstanding, and promised me they'd have her trainer come out and ride her next time I'm available. That seems fair.

So we brought the mare to their immaculate barn, and I observed. The mare scooted all around, trying to get her friends in the pasture in view, and knocked over the grooming kit with a forehoof. She danced around as the lady tried to clean her hooves, and the lady had to keep moving her over again to get at her feet as she squirmed.

I asked when was the last time she was worked - 2 months ago.

Why don't people who are selling horses work with their horses before the sale? Don't they realize the horse makes a much better impression if it's been reminded how to lift its hooves when asked?




Pretty girl.



Immaculate. I liked how each stall divider was only hip-high - each horse can groom its neighbor over the wall, and they can see practically everywhere.



This is the father. As is typical for our region (even though this was Rheinland-Pfalz), the fence was a one-line electric rope between him and the mares. Hm!


The mare is 11 years old. What have you done with her in these 11 years, I asked. She said their niece used to ride her but discovered boys and quit. She'd been to a Western trainer twice in her life, other than that she has lived at pasture in her herd.

Every so often I'd catch her scent - she smells exactly as an Arabian should, a healthy rich smell. I loved it. I kept saying, "Omy she smells so good." It's been 3 weeks since I've smelled healthy Arabian.

"So she gets in a trailer fine?" "Well, not if you're in a hurry, she can sense that." OK then.



I think I'll call this "My Tour of Germany's Worst Hooves."



I know what the farrier was trying to do here, cuz one tried it on Baasha.



All four, bad.

The lady was nice enough to offer that we take a walk in the woods with the horse. Although her pasturemates were screaming for her, she walked with us without calling. She walked politely, even stepping in puddles and deep mud with no issue. We passed the pasture of her father, and he raced around.

I got along with that lady so well, especially in comparison to the bay's owner. This lady was so easy to talk to and agrees with me about Arabians and how breeders are not always ethical, separating papers from horse, and breeding for faces instead of legs, and she knows all the German breeders I've visited the last few years, so it was fun to talk about them and their horses.

Finally I suggested we turn back and when we arrived, she put the horse in a stall in the big empty barn. Her husband was there to talk to us, and he was curious about my impressions.



Petjera ("pet-YAIR-ah") fussed in the stall the entire time, tossing her head in circles to be let out again with her herd.

I said I'd return next week to see the horse ridden, because she's such a quality horse.

Unfortunately I think it's a case of a horse standing 11 years in a field not being used, which makes her mental maturity about the same as a 3 year old.

I'll invite S to come with me on Oct. 4th to see her.

It only took me 1.25 hours to get home, so that was nice.

My husband asked me immediately how she was, and I said she's an awful lot like Mara, but typical in her behavior for a horse not used regularly. I mean, she's typical for a horse who hasn't had much done with it, while Mara was atypical because I'd done so much with her, and she acted like an untamed thing.

The bay gelding looks better to me now, but the owner is not answering my emails. I fear that it's a case of someone being interested in your horse, and you realize you cannot part with him.