Lunge #3

I'm not going to keep numbering things  - well, not forever, and don't ask how many times I've washed his tail cuz it's embarrassing.

Today we were invited up to the fancy sand arena and it had just been dragged and the sand was pure white and sparkling, exactly like a beach. I felt bad leaving hoofprints, but Mag isn't Mara - he doesn't dig it all up freaking out. In fact, just as last time, he simply walked and gave me a slow jog. No spazzing out.

Some continual resistance to the overall concept of lunging - he's still telling me it's stupid and if my mind wanders for a moment, he'll slam on the brakes and change directions - he's testing his boundaries, challenging the rules. One time, in fact, he was relaxing and stretching down at the trot, and to reward him I let out about one meter of my line. He noticed immediately and said "Aha, NOW I CAN DO WHATEVER I LIKE" and he instantly stopped, backed, tossed his head and tried to change directions but I was too quick for him. I said, "OK so you won't be getting that reward again for a while!"

I want this behavior extinct before I do anything more than simply walk, jog, transition and change direction when I ask. Which he's getting, but trot to walk is sticky because he will try to stop or face me and back up.

I had to touch him with the whip only once, when he did a random direction change (the third time, so I escalated) and I saw the thought go through his mind, take off, run! But then he changed his mind, oh, there's nowhere to go. Phooey.

His walk to trot transitions are just perfect. I just increase my tempo from a lazy walk to a slightly springy walk and cluck once and he springs into it, but with no anxiety.

Some ladies rode their horses right by the arena - the arena is next to a public trail, and Mag completely forgot he was being lunged for a moment. But I saw them coming and had his circle quite small so it was fine.

The TB and Arab watched us the entire time, nickering to Mag and fighting over who gets to stand closest to the arena. I think Mag enjoys having an audience.

***

The couple who lives there each have their own horse - the lady has the Arab, the man the TB. (And yes they have breed wars about which is better, *lol*) They invited me and J for breakfast yesterday - wouldn't it be great if they let us become closer to them, friendship-wise? They showed me pictures of his father and brother racing on turf, they were all jockeys. I teased him that his socks were outside his 1950 style jodpurs - so long ago people wore their socks outside their pants?!?!

The husband encouraged me to bring Mag over "anytime" but the wife is really picky about her things, she's just like me. I know she doesn't want me there on a regular basis, but I'll take what I can get.

He said, "Bring Mag over tomorrow, I bet you money he'll be worse this time than he was last week, because like a child in a new place, the first time they're more subdued, cuz everything is new." I said something like that's crazy but I'll be sure to let him know. (He was wrong, as you see!)

Then the wife was telling us about her riding test last month, she got her Abzeichen, which is a certificate saying she passed a test that says she can ride Western at a beginner level. You all know how I feel about these things (Germans and their pieces of paper!). She said she was having a lot of trouble getting her horse to calm down in the test location. He riding instructor told her to quit giving him grain for a while. I laughed and pointed to J and said, "That is exactly what he told me last week, and I stopped (beet pulp) too!"

The husband said, "Cutting out grain won't make a horse calmer."

I laughed, "It's you against a stack of literature, but OK!"

They are the ones who gave me a bag of grain "For race horses in full work" in February. I think it must be interesting in their house as they differ in their views of horsekeeping, but both take care of their horses equally. I bet he doesn't let a hot horse drink its fill, I'll have to ask him.

After breakfast, I asked J his opinion about the lady and he said she's strange all right, but strange in the same way I am. OK then!

***

Mag's hooves had sparkly sand all over them on the way home, and a polished look. I was pleased that he was so relaxed on the way home, and now he's sleeping in his paddock, the donkey eating some large hazelnut branches that I cut down.

It was a pretty good day, and J's sister agreed to come out on Sunday to ride Mag with me. Looking forward! Maybe there will even be a chance for a photo!

***

Non-horsey unrelated:

Saturday we took my lawn mower in to be sharpened after I mowed and it was a pathetic effort, caressing the grass rather than chopping it. As I was backing up out of the parking lot an employee waved to me to roll down my window and said, "My goodness your car is SILENT!" Then he saw it was a woman at the wheel and directed his conversation at my man, cuz how could I talk properly about cars. (I'm more of a car person than my husband.) I thought it was a great example of how rare Priuses are here. It was obviously this dude's first encounter with one in electric mode. Having a Prius in Germany is awesome.