A snorty blowy Arabian stallion

Today was a big day for Mag.

First I noted with pleasure that when I tied him up this morning, he stood rock solid, no fidgeting at all. I had the rope halter and NH lead on him for the first time because today we were to take our first neighborhood walk. I noticed immediately how awful a rope halter looks on him, like he's a ranch horse. But I needed it for my own protection today. And gloves, check.

It occurred to me that the way to make his first time out of the property easiest is to simply take him to the street and stand on the other side of our fence, so the view is the same.

Amazing how just being on the other side of the fence makes the world look entirely different. He finally settled down enough to graze, and I leaned against our gate and let him graze a half circle around me. (Mara took a long time to relax enough to snatch grass.)

Eventually I was bored, he was bored, and we began our walk. We'd gotten no further than the next door neighbor's house when their yard scared him at the same time a car came. Since they have a fence, there was no where to take the horse off the road, he'd have to just stand sideways to let the car fit by. Our road is not big enough for two cars to pass each other unless they both go slightly off the pavement. Man a sidewalk would be convenient at times like this.

The driver of that car saw a horse having problems and me having trouble getting his big body arranged parallel to the street as he snorted and danced around. The driver could sense the impending vehicular damage and wisely waited and then passed very very slowly. I love it when people are careful like that. I let Mag graze a little in a sheep field and other cars passed with no problem.

A jogger was coming toward us and he did his staring thing but wasn't overwhelmed with fear. He was snorty, but breathing and not gasping for air.

We made it down to the road/trail intersection and I was glad to be off the road.

Onto the trail I looked for the deer at the deer farm, but there were none to be seen. I sat on the bench and hoped Mag would calm down. He did not, and bounced around from left to right repeatedly, trying to find a way out of there.

There is a house near there and they turned on an ATV and the entire family was cutting down bushes and throwing them into the ATV. Mag was not dealing with that very well at all. I had to stand up to protect myself. He escalated rather than relaxed. Suddenly he swung his hip into me and I yelled at him, poking him out of my space. That's the 2nd time he's done that but I think he'll catch on that it's not allowed. He doesn't like to be yelled at.

I made him back up very quickly 3 times after that, and he really can turn on the reverse! The backing was to get him thinking about me AND the ATV. 

He submissively lowered his head and reached out to touch my gloves. He has a thing for gloves, I don't know what it is, but on our first walk he was doing it to comfort himself, it was clear. Every time I backed him, I rubbed him afterwards for doing it so well. He seems to really need that comforting.

Finally I thought we'd better just go back home and by the scary noisy family. They saw the prancing nervous horse and I made Mag stop right in front of them as they worked, as he stared at them and finally calmed down. Then the family waited for us to leave before moving the ATV into the path.

I took Mag over to hang out by the sheep but he didn't see them, they were way up on the hillside above us. Some walkers went by and he stared, and then a car raced by full speed and that was OK too.

I was dreading the walk home because I remember how barn sour he was at Haegerhof.

Let's get it over with, but slowly, I reminded myself, no hurrying home.

Every few paces I stopped and he stopped, but if he didn't immediately, or if his head came level with my shoulder, I backed him up, then praised him, waited a few beats, and then proceeded.

I know, I know, this is a lot to expect of a baby in a new place. But I need to show him I will always expect him to lead politely, even when uncomfortable.

I wish someone had a video of our walk (not the boring parts where we just stand there) - his tail was straight up like his father, and although he wasn't jigging or prancing, he was walking in a most lofty fashion.

Funnily, the thing that scared him the most was something unexpected. Our next door neighbor kid has discovered video games, or something. He plays with his window wide open facing the street, and spontaneously will start screaming cuss words. He did it right as we passed his house. It scared Mag out of his skin, I could actually see his heart beat in his chest (but no trembling). I said, "I know, I know, he's got anger management issues." Then I pondered why people love to play games that make them angry.

As we walked home, I realized Mag was calmer on the way back, the opposite of what I expected. Not calm, but holding it together. Good boy!

Entering our driveway he saw his reflection in our windows and did the most beautiful Arabian halter pose, stretching out to touch the glass and blow steam on it. I've never seen anything as beautiful.

I put him back and tied him up immediately and he stood nicely.

Then I got the clippers and with them running, ran the handle over his neck and up to his face and let the handle touch each of his ears and he didn't mind.

So I gave him a bridle path.

Not a long one, only a functional one, 2.5 inches, to make haltering/bridling easier.  (Baasha's and Princess' were  6 or 7 inches - traditional for Arabians).

I was going to ask my blog readers, poll fashion, if Mag should have a bridle path or not. Then I realized most of you would cry "no" -  So I didn't ask.

Why Mag and not Mara? Mara had the most gorgeous, thick, grabbable mane, and she wasn't a purebred, so I just didn't think she needed one. Mag has an awesome neck, but with a thick throatlatch and wimpy thin mane. A bridle path could only help him. And it did. He looks awesome.

It's so short it's barely noticeable, but makes him so much tidier. I'll try to get pictures soon.  If you think it should be longer than 2.5 inches let me know: )
Update: Pics!












J's sister sighed when she saw my clippers, "Americans." Truly, I read an Arabian Horse World article today that said, "Some people are showing their halter Arabians with no bridle path, trying to achieve the European look." Strangely, Europeans are more likely to bang an Arabian's tail than give a bridle path. I'll admit it, I'm a typical American and I like to trim ear hair, jawlines, and fetlocks. I've learned to ignore whiskers but that's cuz I'm not in the show ring. (Here that is actually illegal, and trimming ears is considered cruelty.)

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The last couple days Mag has stretched his safety zone further and further into the danger spot, with his neck and his front toes getting closer and closer.

I took your advice and fed carrots in that spot, but he got so stressed he pulled ahead of me and went through without me, to the end of the lead rope. Then I tried taking off the halter in the danger spot, and that worked but it's a pretty narrow spot to stop in.

Today I put the donkey's bucket down directly in the danger spot. She stood there eating and Mag watched intently. Then I went to the donkey and was going to take the bucket just past the danger spot, but as I approached, I saw Mag out of the corner of my eye, taking a step with me. I said, "Yes, come WITH ME!" Don't make me halter you every day for this.

I got to the bucket and picked it up and the donkey followed me and then, for the first time, the horse followed us without being haltered. You did it! Bravest horse ever!

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Mag, or time, broke our gate. I swear, the only things safe in this place are things behind electric wire. Anything else is going to be destroyed. The post the gate latches to had broken off at ground level. I saw white hairs on the gate this morning. I wonder how many of our wooden posts are decaying in the ground? It's only been 7 years! Are the only posts worth having T posts?

J came out and hammered some reinforcements into the ground, and put up a diagonal support to keep the post upright. I could lean on it pretty hard and not budge it, so it will be OK I think until the guy who built our wooden fence can come replace it. I wonder if it had been set in concrete, if it would have broken. Perhaps, and then what do you do!?

So much to learn, owning a farm. Most of it having to do with fencing!

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I came into tell J about Mag's success today and then saw that both donkey and horse had come back to the barn. It's a beautiful sunny day out and they prefer the barn? Is our hay that much better than our grass? I chased them out and - success - Mag followed the donkey through the scary spot with me waving my arms to encourage him. Woo!