Wednesday the 7th

December 7th.

In the German radio news they actually talked about Pearl Harbor. Wow. Countries normally keep to themselves and their neighbors about what news is interesting.

I've been to Pearl Harbor and think every American should go. It is a solemn place. Actually, you are not encouraged to talk. We throw flowers into the water over the Arizona. Go to the museum afterwards, become aware of 1941.

Can you imagine the racism you felt if you looked Asian in the 40s and 50s? "No, I'm Korean, Japan occupied my land!" Or, "I'm Japanese  and for years a part of your community, and I don't have information about why those battleships were destroyed with their men inside."

How has racism changed in America since then? Obviously we're not scared of the Japanese or the Germans.  But anger's root is fear. How can we be this afraid? Germans and Americans are dangerously afraid this year.

I don't talk politics here, but thinking about Pearl Harbor makes me wonder about how racism in America in the 40s compares to German and American racism today.

November 1941, Japan held peace talks with the United States. Thing changed.

***

My routine.


I get up before dark nods to dawn, and I'm not thrilled about it, but I've got great reason.

I should be cleaning up my pasture but lately, it's impossible cuz I cannot disconnect the poop from the grass, so it stays, until we get above freezing temperatures.

***


Dec 7th I didn't have much time, but I intend to ride whenever there is someone else in the arena, or willing to help me. Well, being there between 9:30 and 11:30, no one was around : (


So, back to work with the lunging cavesson, over a variety of poles. Today I pulled out two cones and during our walk warmup, I tried that figure 8 exercise that is so tricky - for me, not the horse. I stand to the side and send Mag in an 8 around the cones .....without moving at all myself. It's not as easy as it sounds, the horse has to follow your hand gesture and your whip position. But what a great warm up, the 8 is very small.



I've decided I really don't like Tanja's cavesson I borrowed because it's the typical style which, no matter how tight I crank it, it shifts and flops down on his nose during work. The Barefoot model does not shift or fall forward at all, because it's one solid piece all around the nose, gotta get one of those.


I agreed with Tanja's idea that if a horse is too green to balance at a canter on the 15 meter circle (the arena is 15X30), and *falls down* while trying, it's better to just ask for the canter, get the canter for a few strides, and be happy with that. So that's what we did. Over and over and over, I transitioned Mag from trot to canter and back again. Maybe 7 times each direction. I think today he learned that a kissing sound means canter right now *lol* and he was great - and since I wasn't pushing him to continue the canter, he was able to do it with little fussing (some tipped back ears, some scrambling when I insisted, but eventually he just got it). At one point I told him, because I talk to him like he's a person while I work with him, "Now you are acting like all the horses I've lunged before. Accepting all gait requests, getting what I'm asking."



I forgot to tell you about the other day when Tanja saw me lunging Mag in the frozen solid outdoor arena. He saw her and got totally animated for some reason, doing that show-ring trot, tail over his back, prancing, *SIGH* but Tanja said, "OMG he's FLYING! Is that what Arabians do? Is that normal? OMG!" I sighed because I don't need this show ring behavior. I'm going for 1. Calm and 2. Focused Submission but ....well, it's a green Arabian.



Well today suddenly Mag started "flying" again and I looked over and saw Tanja's head over the gate, watching us work. For some unfathomable reason, Mag thought that someone standing at the gate was a reason to flip out and he really did, full speed, snorting prancing, and she said, "He's an airplane!" Oh Mag, after 15 days at this place, 13 of those working in this arena, you still get upset when someone pokes their head over the door? This must stop!



Then she brought Mia in. He lost it again, and I said, "Mag, if you wanna get all animated and work yourself into an actual SWEAT, that's your choice, so go on..." When he does this, I just go with it, encouraging the movement, because he's by nature lazy.



Tanja started doing groundwork and I stayed on the other end with the poles and Mag finally dropped his head again.



Tanja said, "Hey, let's turn them loose together and freelunge them together!"



"Well, I'm not quite ready for that. I mean, Mia was such a dear on our walk despite Mag touching her, but I need to be convinced, that they won't hurt each other and end my time at this barn suddenly."



She agreed, and then asked me something strange.



"Do you believe in warming a horse up before work?"



I said, "What  huh?"



"Do you warm your horse up at a walk?"



"Yes, because he lives in a stall now, and has no movement whatsoever, in Summer it's less critical, but I warm up at least 10 minutes at a walk in any season." I thought about the endurance rides where I was too lazy to get up early and used the first few miles as a walking warm up.....



"Because two boarders here believe that a warm up time is unnecessary, because horses are flight animals."



Excuse me!? Flight animals don't need warm up....??!?!


It took me a while to think about it before I responded. I specifically did not ask who had said that. I don't want to know. I want to respect everyone as much as possible.


"If a warm up cannot hurt, but most likely helps, why would you not do it?"



How odd!






This is my Barefoot Physio pad which I loaned to Tanja. I spent this much money on such a thing because of its weight distribution for heavyweight riders like myself, and the girth pressure distribution, it's the coolest thing. I love having it for any time when my saddle is not fitting optimally. And when I'm brave enough to get on without stirrups, to be honest.





Hoof trim day. (Hoof bock in the lover left corner of the photo). Since Mag was down there alone I gave him a sack of hay to make it easier for him.



Willy poked his head through the "curtains" and said, "Hey, you know, your horse is really good." I said, "I think so too, and I hope so." As the man who moves Mag very day from stall to padock and back again, I hope he  knows how to assess behavior.

And he said, "You know, he knows what I'm saying when I speak Polish to him."

I grinned like an American, "Of course, it's the first language he heard from the humans who birthed him!" So, my horse has Polish, German, and English...........and, 'Hey, tell me how to tell him good boy in Polish!"

Our conversation continued in the next days. I apologize that I have not caught up with my blog, but I realize the reason is I get home in the evening and I make dinner and take care of Bellis and I have no energy left for typing.

Mag, I hope you are the horse I think you are.