Trotting into comfort

Back on school schedule with my man, woo! It's so much nicer to share the commute with someone, and I really prefer being at the barn at 8 am and having lots and lots of time.

Today as promised Claudia was there but I saw she was planning on helping Tanja learn to lunge her horse Mia (Tanja's new to horses). I was a little sad that she may have forgotten about me until she said, "After I help Tanja, I'll be there for you!"

I sent Mag into the trailer without me today, using a bucket again, cuz otherwise he won't stay in there. And he needs to learn to be alone in there. A little cat was playing on the ramp and being very affectionate with me, so I picked it up and held the cat where Mag could see me and hear my non-stop talking to the sweet kitty. So loving, I wish I could hold my own cat!

Then I came into the trailer and asked Mag to leave and for the first time, he really rushed out. I think his nerves were frayed from being in there alone for...5 minutes?

I corrected him and brought him back in and stood with him for a while, no bucket, then asked him to leave properly and he did, so we visited the mares before coming back, when I sent him in again without me. Just a couple minutes then I backed him out again. I had asked Dom's advice and if I understood her, it's more important that he goes in alone, with food, than to stand in there with me, with no food.

I was anxious to see Tanja's first lunging lesson - she's actually afraid to lunge Mia because Mia becomes aggressive on the line, striking and kicking and running at her angrily. Oh my. Claudia used the official German version of lunging - stand perfectly still and use the whip and voice and line instead of body language. I could never do it like that, I need to move a little because my posture and energy are my main cues. I was impressed to see Mia cooperate and even canter several times around - to get that Tanja yelled at her quite a bit, with threats of bodily harm, but it worked! Mag can't canter as well yet. Her Connemara is a little sports car. She actually has a butt, compared to my buttless horse.

Afterwards I told Tanja she doesn't have to listen to any one person or use any one method for lunging - it's her decision and she can develop her own style as she likes. I talked to Claudia later, noting that Mia hadn't acted aggressively, only given out some nasty looks. Claudia said, "Tanja needs to learn how to show the horse who is the boss. Her horse is taking advantage of her." Poor Tanja, it's overwhelming, I'm sure, and to have such a bitchy mare as a first horse! I found myself holding Mia's lead line twice today and she tried to push me around but I said, "No, I'm a post, you cannot move me!" And she gave up trying.

Anyway, I rode! And had another great, inspiring ride that filled me with happiness. It was perfect - Angela was riding her blue eyed medicine hat horse around slowly, around cones, and Claudia set up another cloverleaf cone pattern for me to work in, and I did.

But before I mounted, Bettina was watching us. Bettina is the most experienced person in the barn as far as I can tell. She watched me yank the saddle back and forth on Mag's back, thump on it, slap the stirrup leathers down hard, and she laughed, "That is getting NO reaction from Mag!"

Then I got on and we just stood there, flexing side to side, and Bettina said, "Your horse is really great. Really a good boy, he's doing a great job!" and Claudia said, "And his rider?"

Bettina said, "Her? No, just the horse is great. No idea why. " I cracked up as she said, "No, B, you are doing such good work with him. And he's so affectionate in the barn, did you know?" I said, "Can you say my name properly?" She said it repeatedly wrong and I tried to show her my mouth as I said it and she said, "I'll work on it!" I was just teasing her, she's the one with a sense of humor like my own.

Then I tried to do some turns on the haunches but for some reason Mag was confused today and chose to back up as his answer to the question. I know, it's too soon to ask for difficult stuff, so Claudia came and tapped his shoulder over as I cued him, which helped a little.

Then I took a riding crop and went ganze bahn (out of my comfort zone), working on a proper, marching walk, and not that snail pace he reverts to. It's so hard not to push him along with my legs. He has to be taught to maintain pace, and NOW, before it becomes permanent.

Claudia mentioned that Mag's 5th leg was out again, showing how relaxed he was. Ugh.

Then some trotting, ganze bahn. I still hear the seller's voice every time I trot, "Do not trot on Mag!" and I make the transition with dread. But each time I do, I hope that warning will begin to fade, as Mag shows me he's OK, just ultra lazy. We're on the cusp of an understanding with each other under saddle, I can feel it, and it's delightful, the anticipation.

His ears were on me the entire time, concentrating. Claudia said, "I just love how he carries his head - perfectly!" I said, "That's him, not me, he does it naturally." She said, "I can tell, he's too young to understand head set." How did I get so lucky, to have a horse that flexes the poll but remains slightly above the vertical as I ride, and will drop it lower if I ask!

She also said she loves his white tack. I said, "So many think, white on white? Ugh! But hey, do people with brown horses have brown tack? Hm!"

After my wonderful ride, I put a cooler on him and gave him his bucket in this big free stall in the barn. I kept throwing treats over the panels for him but he isn't fond of my mineral treats. *sigh*

He stood there perfectly calmly, with no other horses in the barn. His belly was full of warm beet pulp, and he was right with the world. I sat there on a padded chair drinking hot coffee with Tanja, and Claudia and Gabi joined us. Then the best thing happened, they wanted to talk about horse nutrition. My favorite thing. Mag stood there, eye candy with his newly washed tail, listening to us.

Tanja said, "I don't know what to do, I don't want to feed oats because I don't want my horse crazy!" And Gabi yelled at her (she yells a lot), "Do my school horses act crazy!? They get oats twice a day!"

Tanja had feed company pamphlets in her hands, she kept going through them. Lots said, "OAT FREE." Gabi said, "Oats have been the best horse feed for centuries, it's the perfect feed for horses." I said, "I agree, and it's hilarious to me that the oat-free feeds replace it with corn!"

Then someone said 99% of horses need no grain at all. I agree, most horses don't work hard. Tanja said, "But I work her 45 minutes per day...is that hard work?" Gabi said no. Whew. I didn't pipe up my opinion on what "work" is because I know I'm in the minority on that.

I said horses get all they need from hay and grass, but Tanja said no, they need lots of other stuff. I wanted to say, "Salt?" and then Gabi talked about Selenium, how the levels can be zero or fine from field to field.

Gabi said the old statement about the most important way to judge if a horse needs something is by looking at it. I said, "We have that one in English too." Tanja said, "Tell us!"

The eye of the master makes the horse fat.

Not sure anyone understood me, but they nodded as if.


I wonder who villianized oats in Germany?

It was so pleasant, talking nutrition with those ladies today, looking at my horse as he calmly watched us. Yesterday there was a birthday party for a horse at 2 pm. I was there, but I didn't go into the lounge to join them, because I'm not fond of parties. That's why today was especially nice.

I finally put Mag out again and told him see you tomorrow and had a half hour to kill. I spent it cleaning up the school horses' paddock because that's a much better way to stay warm than to sit in the barely heated lounge. 

I heard a car honk as Jana and I were talking about how stalls should not be paved in concrete, but they simply are in Europe. I looked up and saw a gorgeous blue Auris Hybrid in the barnyard. J got out and I introduced him to Jana and he told me I should bring some of our stall mats to Wuppertal. I cannot imagine how I'd manage that (they're interlocking) but if Mag were there longer, I would think about it.

Our car is now being fixed, finally, and I was thrilled to see we have an awesome rental. I would purposefully drive over the centerline to see it correct me. It has a camera in front to avoid accidents, and a camera in back that showed me the manure pile as I backed out of the barnyard. Wow. I don't like cars to tell me how to drive, but it's fun for now. It's a sport edition, and has SEAT WARMERS - something I truly love. After 4 hours of cold barn time, I cannot have a hot enough seat to drive in. I'm trying not to like it more than I love my Prius. Well, it doesn't have solar panels on the roof.......

As I'm typing this I'm listening to my man watching the commentary version of King of the Hill, Peggy Hill narrating, and he's laughing so hard he said he may have to miss school tomorrow, cuz he won't be able to stop. It is LOL funny. I love that my German husband loves American cultural humor.

This is from May 2016, and illustrates how Mag chooses to hold his head without my asking. Golly I love his short tail. And I like how I've lost weight since this photo! : ): ) : )



Below is a pic from Summertime when my husband was cleaning out Mag's runny eyes with a tissue, with no halter, which wasn't easy but J trusts Mag.




This is for Aarene - a normal sized manure rake, a couple of normal buckets, and a child's wheelbarrow: ) BTW, the duct tape on the handles, Mag enjoys removing with his teeth, adorably. When we finally leave this place, I'm sure every wheel barrow will have Mag's teeth marks on it.