Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt

It means hope springs eternal, cuz I feel this little hope in my heart that is in a duel with the expert worry machine that lives inside of me. I swear sometimes I can feel my worries rearranging themselves on my worry priority list, like, worry #1 slips into worry #3's slot as Mag begins to accept that cantering on a lunge is something he might be able to do.

And then he fell down while attempting just that today, completely down flat on his side, while saddled. I hate to see him fall when he's trying his best to canter a 15 meter circle.

I told Tanja I needed a half hour to warm him up before my first attempt at riding him at this barn. She got her Connemara Mia and joined me, doing ground work over a pole and cone pattern while I lunged Mag over foam poles.

Then I was ready and she put Mia away and I got on board. I bent Mag to both stirrups and we stood there a while breathing and then I said let's go! Tanja was great, just perfect. I insisted she leave the poles out for us to work over, though she thought it might be too much for Mag. But Mag has been doing poles 10 out of the last 12 days he's lived there, forwards, backwards, sideways, he's fine with poles. Tanja led us through patterns and turns and fast walk, slow walk, it was great. Then I told her she can drop the line and we'd just follow her around and that was fun too, she'd use hand signals, the ones she uses while doing liberty with Mia so Mag was getting commands from her and me and responding great. Totally relaxed, a little too slow for me, but I felt him respond to my seat cues and even ask, "Do you want to trot?" as I asked for more walk.

Finally I said, "Well, I'm totally relaxed, so is the horse, so I think that's enough for today" and I jumped off. She gave him a snack from her pouch and I rubbed under his bridle and loosened his girth, my two rewards for good horses.

Tanja asked if I wanted to take a walk with her and Mia. OF COURSE I would! I had all day.

We went to the TALSPERRE! The Ronsdorfer Talsperre is another watershed with a big, beautiful dam (well not Hoover dam big...) As we walked along those trails I knew so well long ago, I was so excited to see it again.

Mia kept stopping. She's not easy, and Tanja had to carry a whip, and use it a lot, to get her horse to continue. Mia wasn't scared, she was just observing, and a little obstinate about it. "Hey, I'm lookin' at things here, lady!" Finally I said, "Would it help if Mag went first?" and it did, Mag pulled her mare along.

I could not have been prouder. When Mag saw the Talsperre, his eyes got huge. He's never seen a dam before, and as we went down into the hole at the base of the dam, Mag could see the people crossing the dam above us, 100 feet above our heads, and he was staring up there, "Good heavens that's not normal!" and I was laughing and Tanja started taking pictures of us. I know I'm so sentimental about this place, where I rode Baasha, Tolima, Mara, and soon, Mag.

When Mag was in the lead Tanja told me he has trouble balancing, he's very wobbly on the hills. Hm.

But the reason my hope is growing - this was his first time there, and he was the good one again.

Then it was Mia and Mag, sittin' in a tree....cuz our walk was very long, and every so often as we talked and talked about horses, Mag would put his nose on her as we walked, and keep it there, without me noticing. And he'd put his nose directly under her tail. And this mare never flicked her tail once, never bent an ear, she was in love, "you can touch me all you want" and he would phlemen, "Girl!" Tanja got some photos of them falling in love, and emailed them to me.



(She put an E in Mag's name because of the way I pronounce it, I say his name like an American, Mag with a long A that rhymes with bag. In German that would need an umlaut (or the keyboard equivalent, the extra e). But I notice Willy calls him Mog, rhymes with log, or is it Mock? Worf son of Mog...*lol*  I'm really curious what is correct! Anyone here speak Polish? His name is Pustynny Mag "dessert magi" but I have no idea how to say that.)

When we got back her husband was there with cake, brotchen, and coffee for us. I ate a piece of cheese and as they gave me a steaming cup of coffee ...and was overcome with thankfulness and happiness. Hot coffee in this white weather - it looks like snow but it's just frost everywhere.

I thanked Tanja for a great day, and said to her husband, "Your wife really moves fast in the woods, I was exhausted, your Frau is fit!" Again I told Tanja how my day was awesome because of her. She just shook her head, she's so nice. Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen indeeed.


***


Every single horse in the barn was standing, with its owner, in a line.

The Pferdewaage was there. The horsie scale! I'd never seen one. Americans don't weigh their horses regularly, that I know of. And everyone at this barn wanted in on it. How very strange.

Tanja's husband Klaus took Mia's line and said, "I wanna do it, you get a photo of us!" to his wife. I said, "Hey, before any horse gets on, let's make it into a game and start guessing the weight before we get the result!" but no one took me up on that. I like to make games out of everyday things, it's something I do, but this was serious business, weighing horses. I said to Klaus, "Tell me your guess!" and he said, 430! I have no idea, I don't really know kilos, but OK. Mia got on the scale and Klaus immediately yelled to me happily, "She's 420!"  Since she's about the same height as Mag, but filled in, not bony like Mag, I can assume that Mag is somewhat less than that.

Tanja, "You didn't weigh Mag? Why not?"

I said I don't need to know exactly what he weighs, cuz I can look at him and tell whether he is over or under weight. And why do I need to know exactly what my horse weighs? Why?

Yes, why.

I asked a lot of them, why? I got exactly 4 answers, repeatedly.

"You must know exactly what your horse weighs so you can medicate them properly, so you can worm them properly, so that you can feed them properly, and so the horse gets the proper dose of anesthesia on the operating table."

Whoa. No kidding. Let's go backwards through those reasons.

1. If my horse needs to be put under for an operation, I trust the vets who would do the surgery would either weigh him at the clinic, or be skilled enough to estimate his weight.

2. "Grain should be rationed based on weight" - I have never even thought of that. I never think beyond activity level but I don't feed grain anyway.

3. Worming? RIGHT. That is one reason you must know your horse's weight, I agree. But you do not need to know exactly what the horse weighs for this. And giving slightly more is better than too little, so I always give the entire syringe. I know my horse is not over 1000 pounds.

4. Medication? What medication? I asked everyone who said this, what type of medication do you give that you must know what your horse weighs? No one had an answer. Remember, only vets can administer medication in Germany. And the vets know how to estimate weight so you don't need to weigh your horse to know how much Bute to give it.

I had to say, my mineral supplement does not require me to know my horse's weight. It just says, "Ponies, 50 gram per day. Small horses, 75. Big horses, 100." OK then.

Later Gabi said to me, "You did not weigh Mag?!?!" I said, "Gabi I do not have any need to know exactly what my horse weighs."

She looked sheepish, "I don't weigh all 12 of mine every year, I just weighed the new ones." I noticed each horse gets a "Weight passport" with this service, to track weight over time.

I judge my horse's weight based on how he looks, feels, and the girth hole. And sometimes I use a string around the girth with a pen mark on it so I can tell more precisely if the horse gains or loses.

The entire barn just paid 12 Euros each to find out exactly how many kilos their horses weigh. I am curious if the scale is properly calibrated, for such a price.

But the scale guy did have a cool device - a laser horse height measuring device! Wow. I wish I knew how tall Mag is (I mean, how short) but I wasn't willing to pay him to find out.

As I put Mag up in his Winter paddock he nickered to his friends but seemed happy as he turned to his massive pile of hay.

I said, "Tschuess Mag" and look forward to seeing him tomorrow, when Birgit offered to help me ride him.

Here we are standing on the dam, how cute they are!


11 comments:

TeresaA said...

I take it that weight tapes are not used there? that's what I use. I know there's room for error but it can tell me if my horse is going up or down.

Sirje said...

I have a polish friend! He says that Mag means, probably, magician (the other choice was something with the three kings), and that it rhymes with the German word "mach" but with a k on the end. :)

AareneX said...

Look at all the progress you both are making! So thrilled for you.

Um, weight tape? Costs less than $5, I've gotten one free with tubes of wormer in the past. Not a precise weight measurement, but close-edamn-nuf! :-) My horse weighs more than 1,000 pounds. She is huge. And not very pudgy right now, either!

I love the photo of the two greys and the two bundled-up people.

Kitty Bo said...

What a beautiful place! And the picture of you guys is too cute! You look great, too! Does anyone at the barn read your blog?

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

Oh, look at that snow! Hurrah for supportive riding buddies. I like the name "Magi". Mag's name is so short, any nickname you come up with would probably end up being longer, which seems backwards.

kbryan said...

What an enjoyable post to read. You sound interested, happy, and encouraged.

Twelve Euros to get weighed? That sounds like a lot. Better to buy horse treats with that money I think.

Hope your ride goes well!

lytha said...

Teresa, I got blank looks when I mentioned weight tape. I used to use a hay twine with a mark on it cuz that can also show little gains and losses.

Sirje, so it sounds the same in Poland as in Germany? That sounds like how most people say it around here.

Aarene, wish it would rain.

KB, I try to keep my blog for Americans and Canadians only. When Germans find it it freaks me out. So far no one I know has found it, thank God. When I talk about things I've learned in blogland with people, I just say "the internet" - I never use the "b" word!!!

NM, Mag's full name is Pustynny Mag, he's in the P line of Polish horses. That's not snow, it's frost that sticks around all day long despite the sun shining all day on it. It will not melt, ugh!

KBryan, I have to buy my own bedding, 7 euros per sack, doesn't that seem like a lot?

EvenSong said...

YAY!! What a positive, hopeful post! You were certainly due for some successes. Keep up the good work, Team Mag!
As for weighing--when my vet built his new clinic he included a scale in the exam room, and takes a weight each time I go in. At first everyone used to guess and see who was closest. I had overestimated my little Arab boarder (he was closer to 750 than the 900 I had assumed), but we all knew Kate for the tank she is!
(p.s. Check out the blog for some updates. Aarene's blog-hop gave me a nudge to do a post. Maybe I'll keep up this time!)

Mary said...

Tanja's cavesson looks like a riding cavesson as opposed to a lunge cavesson. Reins can be attached to the side rings and often used on young horses - sometimes in tandem with a snaffle. This cavesson teach the young horse how to carry himself without hardening his mouth. My Portugues trainer uses a similar cavesson when starting horses under saddle -often in tandem with a snaffle.

This style of cavesson -and other variations (solid and semi-solid nosbeands) is used in classical Academic riding in countries like Spain, Portugal, France (less in the last century or so) and elswhere..like Sweden. Have not seen one with a center/rop ring like Tanja's...most have several rings but more to the side, for rein attachement. I can't imagine trying to lunge with that cavesson..but it would be great for work in hand or riding.

You could ask Tanja where she got that cavesson...and encourage her to research 'riding cavession'..or 'academic cavesson'..used as much for riding as work in hand. A lot of Iberian, Baroque or classical riding/equatation style catalogues have them.

Congratulations on more riding. I understand nostalgia for a trained horse...green horses are work - but you learn so much. I admire your courage and persistance. Look forward to hearing more about your riding adventures.

lytha said...

Mary, I also saw that Tanja has a riding cavesson, the Barefoot model, very nice.

There are many models here that people lunge with but this one (photo from today's post) is the most common that I've seen. Following your advice, I looked up "for riding" and found this site: http://www.nesthof.ch/reit-kappz%C3%A4ume-z%C3%BCgel/

And this: http://www.peterpfister-schade.de/pferdeartikel/Kappzaeume-Cavecons/Leichter-Reit-Kappzaum-Cavecon-Cavesson-mit-Gebissriemen-FULL::897.html

Achieve1dream said...

Cute photo! I know I'm partial but Mag's face is so much nicer. Love him! I'm glad you're loving it at the barn so much.

For weighing I use a measuring tape (the soft kind for sewing) and take two measurements (girth and length) then use the weight calculator on the smartpak website. It's a lot more accurate than a weight tape because it takes into account the body length. The only thing I use weight for us deworming and I always overdose too. I use my eyes and hands to determine how much to feed.