Finally Herbst

I think the neighbors were shocked to see my white legs finally covered up in pants today for the first time. I walked out of the house with shorts on and stopped and went back in when it was suddenly not hot anymore. The Germans are complaining that we didn't get a real Summer because it rained the first half and wasn't as hot as some like it the second half. I became acclimated somehow at some point, I found myself mowing the lawn at 25 degrees out, and not dying. Now we're having our first real rain since July! I believe God heard my prayer that I needed to keep Mag's hooves dry for a while and that's what they were the last month.

I took him to our lesson on Friday and as soon as Katharina started to lunge him she said he's lame. Sure enough, at the trot, he's short striding on the left hind. HEY, a new bad leg for him! *sigh* She agreed with me that we shouldn't ask him to do anything if he's even slightly sore because we're desperate for him to have good associations with working in that arena. So I carefully led him home, not noticing anything wrong with him but then a little light went on in my head that when I was photographing his hooves this week he kept resting that leg.

Since the trimmer was here on Tuesday, I've called her back. I expect her any minute. I don't know if it's another abscess, or even a hoof problem at all but I want to eliminate that possibility at least.

Buted, he felt so good he was frolicking yesterday as I cleaned up poop in the pasture. I observed him walking and his hind hooves stepped into the prints of his forehooves equally. At the trot, I saw nothing, and he didn't seem to mind tearing around at a canter either.

Poor Mag has so little haircoat and if I need a light jacket, probably he does too because he's such a cold weather wimp. All his hairs are standing on end, and they're so short it's sad, but apparently it works cuz he's not shivering yet.

I clean his hooves every day like an obsessed person and still don't feel comfortable about his back feet. The pain memory won't let go. Someday it must! I'd been putting Betadine in the thrush hoof (LH) the last few days.

You know it's Herbst when.....I bring out a bucket of warm water to wash Mag's tail and both donkey and horse stick their heads in at the same time and drink til it's almost gone! I'd forgotten how much both of them love warm water in cold weather. OK then. I'll have to get a pic of that cuz their heads barely fit and it was pretty cute.

Yesterday I was halfway across the field from him and he was rolling and rolling in the grass and then he leapt up and cantered directly to me. I held up my arm, "Close enough!" and he stood there and then meekly followed me as I walked around cleaning. He follows me and if I turn to him he starts to graze, "I was just eating here." It's obvious he considers me part of the herd, and it's flattering the way he keeps tabs on me, but respects my space. He doesn't want to be rubbed on (unless I rub the donkey then he changes his mind), he just wants me to reach out and touch his nose and say hi. All this time not riding him is so frustrating, but our pasture time together is really sweet.

I know that Herbst means endless leaf raking (why can't they just be evergreens, all of them! You can keep your walnuts and your leaves!) and it means soon we'll be shoveling snow. But I today I feel nothing but happiness that I can put my AC unit away, defrost my frozen water bottles, and enjoy the lovely different smells that the rain brings.

As I was out there, suddenly a drop of water hit me on the forehead. I thought, "What is that, it feels like water from the sky."

It's gorgeous, coming down sideways.

Update: The trimmer was just here and she says that it's the thrush in that heel that is suddenly bothering him. She saw it on Tuesday and said not to worry about it, but now we can worry I suppose: ) She packed it with Magic Cushion and wrapped it up with an Easyboot over the top and as I trotted him out he threw up his tail and pranced like his father in Aachen last Sunday. She was cracking up because he was moving more extravagantly behind due to wearing that boot (his first time with a boot back there, totally different, says the horse). I have to say it's so fun to run with Mag when he's prancing and showing off.

The trimmer is relieved that it's something that she found right away, in the hoof, and not something serious. She said he was very good about letting her work on that hoof despite being very tender to the touch, no kicking. She cuddled with him and it's obvious she loves him. She said, "He knows I'm here to help." I always say if I have to part with him, he'll go right to her.

Anyway here are some photos from September:





I'm testing these expensive "coronary band coolers" on a burning hot day and they do not work at all. After this I put them in the freezer and they still didn't work to cool me down. Supposedly they work better than cold hosing. Ha, I know I prefer the hose!





Hoping you can see the personality of the horse in this photo.





The scary rump rug was on the wall, until it became his toy.





This is a fantastic skeleton of a Fachwerk house. See the different material they used in between the wood sections? Fachwerk is the word for these sections. My house too, has straw upstairs.



This statue creeps me out cuz it reminds me of that horrible transporter accident on the Enterprise.





This is how you get hay in Germany. Sometimes it's in a horse trailer, sometimes a little utility trailer.





I wanted to show you the state of our path 6 months after applying wood chips. This is September and it has not rained for weeks, but there is still a little mud here in this spot. However the path is still easy to walk on (it was almost impossible to walk on last year) so we're really happy with how it worked out. I can even run through here. And I do, and Mag sees me go and he comes thundering behind me, but stops when I stop, never passing me. It's so much fun to run with him!





This is what the rest of the path looks like, not so bad.





Oh dear, an empty hay net.





So we ordered another load of wood chips but this time the quality was much worse so we don't expect it to last as long. The good thing is, we applied it on mostly dry, flat ground this time, so that might help. In this photo J is just raking up the last of it.





Mag ate a few pieces, of course. Mag: "First put it in my mouth, then decide whether it's food."





I hate to do this but I have to show you the latest big tick I found. At first glance I thought, "Why is there a snail crawling up my couch?" Oh dear, much worse than a snail. J removed it and crushed it with his shoe and SO MUCH BLOOD came out (in 3 different splotches) I screamed a wail of horror that the entire neighborhood could hear. If you wanna see the blood photos just ask.





Ah, a much nicer photo to end with. These are the matched grey ponies that go by every week. Such athletes, mostly they are trotting, trotting up these hills. If only I could tie Mag to the back of their carriage and let him learn stuff...