5.5 hour walk with Mag and Bintu

I'd planned a three hour walk but it turned into 5.5. Walking with Mag that long, I think we know each other better.

But before I could begin, I experienced something terrifying with Mag. I had put his surcingle on for our walk but didn't realize the lead rope was underneath it. He suddenly realized something was wrong and he began bucking like a rodeo horse. I mean, Calgary Stampede. In circles, cuz there was no where to go. The odd thing was, the rope was not tight, not putting pressure on his head, and the line was dragging on the ground, but not caught on his legs or anything. He just went berserk and I was helpless to do anything but stand back and wait. At one point he stopped and I tried to rescue him, but he began bucking again and his hooves were flying about face-high so I backed up into the tack room again and said, "OK either stop that or go ahead and kill yourself, there's nothing I can do."

So he stopped. When I finally went up to him to unbuckle the surcingle, my hands were shaking so badly I almost couldn't do it.

Then I threw the rope all over him and lashed it around all his legs, as he stood there. He knows sacking out, but a rope under the girth is something else I guess. *sigh*

I attached my snugpax set to the surcingle (with breastcollar for stability) cuz I knew it would be a long walk and I wanted him to carry the map, my water, the tissues in case I had to make a rest stop, and money for the waffle stand. I wisely (?) chose to keep my cell phone in my pocket cuz I didn't want any more rodeoing.

I walked as fast as I could to get to S's barn which is an hour away. I was freaking exhausted halfway there, the sun was beating down and though I was covered in sunscreen, I could tell my face was red. My arms were too.

Once there I had to sit down but there was no chair so S told me to bring Mag into the only stall and I looped his rope through the bars to keep him from rolling in there, and leaned against the hay bales stacked in there, and drank some water.

Mag met Bintu through the bars for the first time. So sweet, the way they nuzzled and nibbled each other, with the safety of very close bars so we didn't have to worry. My hair had sweat beads dropping down onto my shirt. I took off my hat and Mag put his nose in to experience the horrible sweat and wetness.

S said how gorgeous Mag is, how much prettier than in his sale photos:



.....and also prettier than when she went to see him for me last fall. (I agree, except for his dropped sheath this horse is not the horse I bought.)

Standing in Bintu's stall she said his neck looks like a conditioned show horse neck, and his face is so pretty. I said "I think the reason he didn't sell for so long was their crappy sale photos of him. I think so too, that in real life he's nicer looking, but also, he's not fat anymore."

After I caught my breath we headed out to the Trasse (rails-to-trail project) and I was excited about what would happen when we had to cross the Eifgen, the big creek in the valley. She assured me there is a horse-safe bridge, but I could also go through the water if I like. I have only taken Mag across two small bridges, so I opted for the bridge.

We followed Bintu on the bridge but suddenly Mag fruck out and started jigging and bouncing and there was nothing I could do - the bridge is only about 4 feet wide, and about 30 feet long. As soon as we were off the bridge Mag scooted around in a circle, facing it, terrified. I was shocked, because he was so good with the other two bridges we'd crossed.

I looked up and saw we had a big audience of two groups of hikers. They stopped what they were doing to watch. Nice.

I said to S, "Wait, I'm gonna get him back on this bridge." She said, "It was probably the sound of all their hooves on the bridge at once, that's different for him, it's much more loud." It turned out she was right, even though I'd never thought of that.

I wished I'd remembered my gloves, because he pulled back and I insisted that he come forward as I stood on the bridge. Thankfully he's a reasonable horse and he consented, and touched his nose to the hand rail. I said, "Touch it. Love it."

The audience was enthralled.

He finally stepped one hoof, then two, onto the bridge, and I stepped in front of him to stop him and praise him, telling him that's enough, two feet are perfect. Then I backed him off of it as if it were a horse trailer, and then asked for his forehooves again. The audience couldn't leave the area, and I think S asked them if they wanted to cross the bridge, but they were content to wait, cuz it was the most exciting thing they'd seen all day. 

Mag offered all four hooves but I told him it's not important now. But he wanted to, so I let him, then immediately backed him off the bridge.

Then I said it's good and we went on up the hill. She said, "That was so cool, the way he looked to you for direction and obeyed you, and the way you handled the rope. You don't keep it tight on him. I like to lead my horse like this, with his face at my shoulder." I said I feel safer with him behind me.

We encountered a large group of hikers who all moved off to the side of the trail, and one of them was putting some loud garbage into a trash can, and another said, "Shh, you'll spook the horses with that noise!" and I thanked them, and as we passed, one of the ladies said, "Ganz brav, alles gut" to the horses, trying to soothe them. How nice!

Across a little stream Mag leapt as before on the way there, but this time when I made him go back again, and then again, he had a little less leap to his skip. He even eventually stopped halfway over tiny streams and drank. 

Almost to the top of the hill where the old railway was, I asked to stop and catch my breath again, but S wanted to continue a little ways further than the steep part we were climbing. I couldn't, I stopped. And Bintu pulled out of Mag's sight. And Mag was not happy at all. In fact, he started to offer to rear, and I just yanked the halter, all I could do, to dissuade him from leaving me. He was looking left and right for an escape route, and going up in the air a little to threaten me. I wished I had a rope halter on, and gloves, again.

I realize this is one of the hardest things to teach a horse. To behave and obey when the herd goes out of sight. I know this will take a lifetime for a typical Arab to learn, if ever. But we began today.

He finally consented with his hooves, but not his head. He stood still, but he waved his head about like a flag, protesting. S called to me, "He's given up, he's good now!" but I wasn't satisfied.

I didn't want to impose on S to wait for complete submission, so after a while I proceeded up the hill to meet them. Now I know S thinks I'm too hard on him. And I suspect some people reading this think so too. I know some would say he'd be easier to ride if I let him do what he wanted more. But that's not me, I can't ever let him think it's easy. We didn't train Baasha that way, either. We were pretty strict with Baasha when he was young. If he wanted to go left, we'd go right.

I know it seems extreme, but I told S that in the future I hope she'll let me work on this with Mag and Bintu. Because eventually, someday, a horse we are riding with, is gonna go some place else.

We made it to the  Trasse but it was an area I was unfamiliar with, but S knew. She told me we should go there. But there wasn't anywhere to hang out, really, just a street crossing the trail. A million bikes went by and tons of cars on the road we were on (why so many!?) and she said she didn't feel safe there. Bintu was nibbling dandelions peacefully, but truly, cars were passing more than I would expect for such a small street.

I did some circling with Mag an he demonstrated both of his resistances: Suddenly stopping and changing directions, and suddenly backing. The thing was, though, we were doing it in the street with all those cars, and he kept it together. I did not let him have a single dandelion there. His changes of directions were on point though!

S said she didn't feel well there, and she refused to take her horse onto the Trasse. I was disappointed. I had 20 Euro in my saddle bags, to buy her a waffle at the waffle stand that was 500 meters from where we stood. She said it's not legal to bring horses on the Trasse. I didn't know that. Why did we come then? And for only 500 meters, but she said, "No, I will not take my horse on the Trasse if we find no exit for 3-5 kilometers and we encounter trouble, and I cannot take him off of it!"

I wondered why the Trasse is so different from a street that she must use with her horse, but I said, "OK let's go home then."

I both appreciate and wonder at the way she is hesitant about doing things with her horse who is now 12. I told her I would not expect her to TIE him at the waffle stand. I'd tie Mag, and I'd hold Bintu. She said, "I will never tie my horse in the open!"

We went home to her barn but before we arrived I must mention the most remarkable thing - every single horse pasture we passed, one or more horses came charging the fence. Reaching over and loudly greeting our horses. Very nearly touching them! Every field with horses, one would come galloping up to us like a guard dog! I'd never experienced that before. I yelled at them, "GO EAT GRASS!" but no.

Mag handled that OK but Bintu was annoyed and kept balking, which made S reach out and tap him with her dressage whip to keep him moving.

We encountered goats, and Mag looked and looked, "New things!" but was OK.

Then we made our way back down the valley.

At the bridge again I asked if I could test her theory and take Mag over the long bridge without Bintu being on it. She agreed, walking him down to the water to drink. I got cocky and started running toward the bridge, and Mag trotted behind me. Then he walked across it like it was never a problem.

On the other side, but with his back hooves still on it, I asked S to come across, and she refused until Mag was off. So I let him get barely off and Bintu came. Mag again did not like the sound of another horse on a bridge, and scooted around a bit. I thought that was interesting.

Then we made it up the hills and back to her barn, where I led Mag into the junk area. The entrance to her barn is full of junk. There's only room for one horse to stand perfectly still to not spill down rolls of wire or fence posts on both sides.

Mag saw it all but stood politely.

S came over and said, "Even the barn owner's horse will not stand here calmly! Wow!"

Then I led Mag back to that stall from earlier and actually hard tied him, so I could take a drink of water (it had been 3 hours). Then she let Bintu out, so he was not to be seen, and Mag did not like it, but stood tied like a grown up horse. I was amazed. S said, "Your horse is standing in Bintu's stall. But Bintu never stood so quietly in this stall. He's so good." I said, "Well, yes, but I don't want to push it, so I think I'll untie him now!"

I said I'd be leaving and I gathered my iPod together. She asked what that is. Is an iPod unknown now?  I said I can hear music with it. She asked how I hear my surroundings. I answered it's so quiet I can have conversations with it playing no worries. She asked me to SMS her when I arrive home.

But that took a lot longer than she expected.

Cuz I was so pleased with Mag, I let him eat grass alongside a field with a few cows and several of their babies, and one antique Haflinger. This Haflinger was pitiful. Not only did it have a haircoat that was unprecedented for this time of year (each of its legs looked like two legs), the poor thing was gasping for breath, just standing in its field with the cows and their babies. It actually rested its head on a tree for support as it panted. What is that? I know the horse is somewhat happy in its herd of baby cattle, but it's unable to breathe properly.  I wish I knew what it was, and how to help. Cuz this is Germany. No on abuses animals here without the neighborhood going nuts.

Then we arrived at Socha's place, the old guy who does/used to do endurance with his gorgeous bay Arab Ibn, and then his huge bay Standardbred Star Island.  I noticed that his car was there on my way over, and again on my way back, and even though I led my horse with his loud bare hooves by his tack room, he did not exit to greet us.

I was shocked. Ibn is old, I know it, but 2 years ago Socha rode out with me and Mara and Ibn was a powerhouse. Now he's hanging onto his winter coat, and every single rib shows on his sides. And his hips, and.....and he is no longer able to move Star Island,  out of his way, so he stood there on the hillside nibbling grass (so much acreage, but he's so thin).

I noticed that Star Island had a bony growth on his left front pastern. But, oddly, as he chased Ibn around, he limped on the other foreleg. To see poor Ibn be herded around was sad. To see it by a young Standardbred, limping terribly.......I felt terrible. I know that Socha calls the meat truck to take away his horses when they're no longer useful. So why are they both alive? How much longer do they have?

I hung out there a half hour. I wanted Mag to have a nice reward for his trouble today, and eating dandelions along the fenceline of a horse pasture seemed to fit.

Aarene, I wished so much I'd had my camera then, (and J asked me to bring it, but I thought there would be no chance.)

But this banana headed gleaming Standie put his head over the fence and with the softest eyes you can imagine, he touched Mag's nostril. And over and over, and then as Mag continued to graze the fenceline, Star Island limped his way along and held his head over Mag's body. I began to pull up clumps of dandelions for Star, and feed him. Mag was like, "What, you're feeding him?" Yes.

Poor Ibn, I would rush Mag around to give Ibn  a handful of dandelions before Star could get them for himself, and sometimes it worked.

Star would reach his head over the fence at me and turn it sideways becomingly, begging. Despite the danger of ticks I couldn't refuse him.

Then suddenly all three horses spooked. Star and Ibn ran full speed up their hillside, and Mag almost ran me over in his charge out of there.

A couple of hikers were the reason, appearing out of the blue. I said, "You scared them!" They answered, "I thought they hit the electric fence!" I said, "I thought that too at first!"

The two bay horses stood halfway up the hill, ears and tails all SOS.

My horse had almost ran me down, but was calmer than the other two as I said, "Can we go home now?"

Nearly home there is a tiny trail that I'd tried to teach Mara to cross water with. It is not so safe, it is too narrow with pine branches.

But it had been 5 hours. I wanted to put my feet in a creek, and I wanted to see if my putting in of the feet would convince Mag to at least put one foot in, or drink, perhaps, cuz earlier he had put his nose in and drank at a tiny puddle in front of a family down at the Eifgen.

I found a fallen tree in the creek and sat down, letting my Keenes fill with water and mud. It felt so good, especially knowing I was close to home.

I didn't ask Mag to join me. I just sat there. He knows my thing now, that often I won't ask, I'll just wait, so he squinted down at the water's edge and paced back and forth as I sat there doing nothing.

Finally he let his front hooves sink into the mud and he took a touch of the water, and then a sip, and then a drink. After that drink, I got up and we went home.

Again I let him graze up the hill on the way home, and when we arrived, I felt like we had bonded. He stuck his nose directly into the water trough and I stood back, letting him drink until full, before I took off his surcingle and halter.

As promised, I put up the ladder and threw down a couple of bales of hay for him, and they are happily eating them now.

What a day. I learned so much.