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Lukas was here yesterday and taught me to do 8 separate massage techniques on Mag. Supposedly they are TTEAM massages but some of them were new to me. It was interesting how Mag reacted to each one, how some of them were on the verge of being painful and others felt good. I told Lukas I'd do the massages twice this week but that next week I'd like a ground work lesson. I'm trying to get us back to under saddle work.
He gave me several links to training barns I should send Mag to, and a link to a trainer who is very close to us, at a stable I can walk to in 15 minutes (the Haflinger farm where I went to a TTEAM clinic with Mara last year). They don't let outsiders use their arena, but if I can get into a lesson program with the trainer there, maybe then I'll be allowed. Or maybe I'd have to board there, I'm not sure, but she finally replied to my email today, so we'll see. She's a Western Trainer but I'm not picky.
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The horse flies are horrible this year; I hadn't been to my pasture all week because as I start to walk from the barn, they begin their dive bombing. It was 33C the other day (91F) with such high humidity I got nauseous when I went out to feed. This morning it's raining and cooler so I went out to the pasture wearing my thickest jeans and my rain coat buttoned up, thinking in this rain, there won't be horseflies, but I was wrong. They target any exposed part such as your hand or face, this morning one bit my neck. In the pouring rain. WTH. One was also on my leg trying to bite through my jeans. They can do that too. The horse and donkey have flecks of red. What's weird about horseflies is you don't notice them when they land on you (they often approach from behind, and they're totally silent when they fly). Their anesthetic lets them start feeding before you notice. It's only when they get greedy and the anesthetic wears off that you feel them. Then you have a welt that swells up, and over time the pain gets worse, not better.
In contrast, a tick can be on you all night as you sleep until the next day you notice a rash with a tick in the center. Disgusting, but painless until the rash comes.
But what caused me to finally go to the feed store and buy poison was the fire ants. I don't understand it but three times this year I've been bitten INSIDE my clothing. I know I already blogged about the one in my bra that bit me there, but a few days ago I was just out feeding hay to my animals, no garden work, nothing else, and came in the house to brush my teeth and felt a familiar sting on the back of my thigh. I immediately ripped off my pants, and toothpaste suds dripped on the floor because I had no time to spit. I shook my pants and out fell a fire ant.
I got in the car and drove to the doctor and said, "Can I just ask a question?" to the secretary. AM I THE ONLY ONE? The two ladies looked at me and said, "It was a tick, you mean, that bit you?" I said, "An ANT. Three times so far this year, and if I didn't recognize the pain specifically by now, I also found the ants that bit me each time." They shook their heads, "Never heard of an ant biting a person around here." That is the answer I always seem to get. J's mom too, said, "Are you sure it wasn't a tick?" Why am I the only one? Why does Wikipedia agree with me, that they bite, but no one else gets bitten?
I bought two containers of poison and went crazy with it. Of course there is no way to find all the nests (there are literally hundreds of nests on our property). I just poisoned where I spend most of my time, around my house, front yard, and barn. I have no idea if that poison even works on fire ants, but I had to do something.
I saw a spider the other day and actually laughed at it. Pfft! You can't hurt me! I've never laughed at a spider before.
Although I haven't seen bugs on Mag's face, maybe one fly so far, his eyes are squinty and wet lately and J went out to wipe them. He used to do this for Baasha too. I got some cute pictures of Mag resisting and relenting.
11 comments:
J's intentions or lack of, seem to always allow the animals cooperation. The barn down the road is similar to the barn down the road here as well. You have to be a boarder to access the trails and arena. Since I've been taking lessons there and Camryn has been there for sale it's been quite fun. I do look longingly at the woods just across the field behind us wishing I could ride wheneve. Horse flies are horrid here as well. Had to cut a ride short last week. Looking forward to hearing what you decide training wise with Mags.
Horse flies are nasty here too. The horses hide in the barn when they are at their worst. When they come out during riding you have to trot and canter to outrun them.
Western trainers can be really good so I hope that this works out for you.
Can you get Fly Predators shipped to Germany? Maybe not, as they are live (well eggs), and might be considered non-native/invasive. I've used them for a couple of years now, and they seem to help, even with cows next door.
Camryn, you mean cuz J had no halter on Mag to do this, which made it much harder? : ) I'll let you know immediately when anything happens with the training situation.
Teresa, there is a horsefly in my bedroom right now. Ugh.
Evensong, what is the scientific name of fly predators? I've tried to research it, but I can't even find a wikipedia entry for fly predators/parasites, so I don't know how to begin looking for the German term for these things. Do you have the little, enlongated, big headed ones? Grey? Very un-fly-like in appearance.
I bet you are at the same lattitude as us here we sure have long days, makes a person exhausted and hungry pretty easy if we don't pay attention to the time.
We also have horseflies they are awful! and I don't think I've ever been bitten by an ant but been peed on by a pissant and it burns!
Hope you find some place or someone to help you with Mags he seems so sweet most of the time
A quick tip:
In the Netherlands we use these:
http://www.kylix.nl/en/Producten/dazenvallen.html
After two summer swe are all convinced that they work, never actually counted the flies trapped on there, but that's always because there were just too many :-)
We also use a ziplock bag filled with water and a penny inside and hang these around the pasture, something about the reflection of sun/penny/water deters the horseflies, could be an urban myth, but hey, as it cost <1€, no harm no foul.
Oh, small post script, with some creativity you can just try and DIY one and just buy the glue...although they problably will not be as effective ( they have to be cleaned more so you use a lot more glue)
When ever someone suggests sending Mag off for training, I think, OK, so the trainer gets him trained, but that doesn't mean he won't revert back and test you. It's not like getting a car tuned. He's young, and he's going to test. I often think that you know more and have more practical sense than the trainers you encounter.
ah, just wanted to add - one natural predator I know of in Ger is the Schlupfwespe - farmers use it on their corn fields, and people in their houses for moths and so on.... how effective it is on stinging insects I have no idea :)
OSKnitting, I'm not sure the preis/leistungs verhaeltnis reicht, aber ich habe sie ein paar mal gesehen. Ich gehe jetzt nur spaet abends raus: )
KB, of course, that is why i am hesitant to send him away.
HP, ich habe gerade geguckt, aber habe nichts gefunden, wie die tieren helfen mit bremsen, leider. ich denke, ich bleibe drinnen wenn es stroemt. LOL danke sehr
Mag had such a beautiful face!
I have must definitely been bit by fire ants!! They are everywhere here. I've only been bit by horseflies once or twice thank goodness. It's the mosquitoes that eat me alive. Ticks too but I try my best to avoid them..
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