Fun with Mag

With everyone at the barn today I had to park way up the street, but where were all the boarders? All the horses were in their paddocks, but I couldn't find all the people!

Then I thought I could go into the lounge/kitchen and see if the propane heater is on, and see if there are fresh coffee and snacks on the table. Sure enough, I was right - it was another clinic. There were several "Musculature of the Horse" diagrams on the table. The people were all in the arena, I didn't see them before for some reason and they were somehow silent when I passed by. OK no arena today. And the outdoor was a real mess from the snow, not inviting at all. They were all taking a massage course that cost 400Euros, for 7 hours. Respect.

Jana and Michael got on Chinook and Blue, the two flashy paints, and took off on a trail ride. I was tempted to ask them if I could come along but both of those horses are young and unpredictable. Also, I hate to just invite myself when people obviously have plans. *sigh*

But the streets and trails around the barn were full of people. Everyone in Germany was outside today enjoying a sunny Sunday in the woods, because the snow had melted for the most part and the temp was above zero.

As Mag ate his beet pulp I noticed he was shivering though. WTH, he has a full Winter coat, how can he be so cold all the time. Good thing I didn't clip him, like I'd planned. I put the cooler on and that helped. So even with all that hair, apparently I cannot leave him uncovered for a minute.

Dogs and hikers and riders kept passing the barn on both sides, on all sides, and I knew it would be a great day for Mag to go into the woods. If only someone would go with me. Oh well, I saddled up just in case.

But I had no cell phone with me and after my bridge accident I never ride without it. Agh.

OK let's practice mounting in the woods then.

Every time I came to a bench or stump, I lined Mag up and got halfway on, one foot in the stirrup and laying across his back, insisting that he stay in place for that. He only moved once and got in big trouble. It started to get fun, finding things to mount from, and Mag was happily watching the hordes of woods-users as they passed us. Since the woods are naked of leaves and there is no undergrowth, you can see great distances into the hills and valleys and watch people on various trails simultaneously. Mag seemed to be in a happy place, doing so. "Oh, there's more hikers! Oh, there's a dog person!"

A bike even came up from behind us but aside from raising his head a moment, it was no problem that the bike passed us, whew. Good boy.

I caught a glimpse of two people leading horses and recognized them from my barn. It was the bay mare Brownie and the yellow mare Cheyenne! These were the mares Mag greeted politely yesterday at the tie area. If I could catch them, I could ask them if they'd babysit me as I rode my horse!

I was ahead of them so I waited. And then they were just gone. Vanished. Mag peered into the trees, I know he could hear them, but I could not find them. I took off through the woods, determined to find them. It's the perfect day for a first ride in the woods, come back! But they had disappeared without a trace. Freaky, cuz the woods are not vast, and they were on foot. And I'm fast!

Then I found this "no horses allowed" blocking obstacle and thought, "I can get Mag through that!" OH man, I'm bad. My whole life I've squeezed horses through these things - Arabs are so much smaller than they expect. But I realized once Mag was halfway in that his saddle was going to catch on one or both sides, dangit, if he'd been without saddle we could have done it. So I backed him out, with him snorting at the obstacle. Then this old man with a dog saw us and glared, oh, if looks could kill!

I was off trail at that moment looking for the trail I thought the mares were on. Off trail is not allowed in Germany. That man's eyes were sending laser beams at us both. Pew pew! I looked around frantically, obviously lost, and finally found the trail, not far at all. I laughed to Mag, "You realize what excellent restraint he showed, in not scolding us?" *lol*

I should explain why I wanted to get through that barricade when the risk was so high of being caught. On the other side of it I saw Christina's house! The lady who is letting me use her trailer. How fun would it be to surprise her and show up in her garden! Oh well.

Since I never found the mares, I decided if I see ANY HORSE AT ALL I would ask for accompaniment to ride Mag. And ironically, there were no other horses at all by this point. Back at the barn I'd seen lots of horses go by but now....poof.

I'd stop to rest, panting up those hills, and realized Mag was panting too. He is so out of shape, he actually pants with no rider on his back on hills! Good heavens what's he gonna do with a rider? As I rested he'd reach out and grab branches overhead, anything he can get into his mouth. He even ate dirt. I am trying to teach him not to graze unless given permission but I never think of things like branches overhead and the dirt itself!

Then I realized Mag was having fun. And I was too. Having so much going on around him, and seeing how cool he is about that, really thrills me. If I could guess, I would say that exploring the woods is going to be his number one favorite thing to do, just like it was Baasha's and mine. I whispered to him, "The exploring part is the best part of riding."

And the trespassing*.

* - (My moral compass allows me to trespass on public lands, but I would never trespass on private.Exception - golf course. But since I've done that, I don't need to do it again.)


Again I apologize for old photos, this one obviously from Summer. But I love looking at Summer photos in February, I depend upon them, always have, since living in Germany 9 years and 10 months.