I can't stop smiling

Trail ride # 2, with "uncle Argo" and Claudia, both of whom I trust and know from seeing Mag chewing holes in Argo, that he would be the perfect horse to ride out with. If he doesn't react when being chewed on, I doubt Mag could get a reaction out of him on trail. I was right.  Claudia had told me he's even better around other horses on trail than he is in the arena. Sure enough, he never tipped an ear back even when I trotted Mag up beside him.

What a fun day - it was freaking 17 degrees out, the sun making it actually too hot even with no jacket. It's been a long time since a breeze felt good, and walking into the cool barn was a nice break from the blazing sun. Several ladies were lounging in chairs in the sun, soaking it up, including the farrier. They were all making jokes, teasing each other.

I had warmed up Mag in the arena as I always do, and omg he has his first vein! *lol* Not that he's fit, but I've never seen a vein on him before. He looks a lot better than he did at Christmastime. He's got a long way to go, but I'm not worried anymore.

Claudia tacked up Argo and Mag stood as close as he could get to his favorite uncle, reaching through the bars and biting Argo's lead rope. Having Argo tied beside him is the next best thing to playing in the arena! It makes me want to bring Argo home. But ugh, warmblood hooves would destroy this place.

Claudia took Argo out for a ride with a friend before our date, and let him run off steam, and he came back to the barn soaking wet at noon. It's 17 degrees! (I wear shorts at 18.)

I stood Mag in the sunshine to let him stay warm and sipped my coffee but suddenly Claudia was back for me, time to go. Bettina came to me and took my coffee away. I said, "Oh, I can't take it with me?" *snicker* Not yet anyway.

Then I mounted up at the barn - something new - and then made a fool of myself forgetting that I had a lead rope tossed over his neck, so when we moved off, it started dragging on the ground. "YOUR ROPE!" everyone yelled. Oops. I hate holding onto so many things but for these first few rides I want a lead rope in my hand in case of an accident.

Although I'm still unable to stop smiling, I know that accidents can happen and it's hard to shake that knowledge for even a moment on Mag's back.

I know things will happen, things will surprise him, and he'll spook and whirl and I may fall, but not today.

Today was perfect. He just followed Argo along, looking at all the other trail users. An old man approaching us on the trail seemed to really worry Mag, "There's a person on my back and I'm witnessing other trail users!" Yes, everything is new when there's a person on your back.

I said GUTEN TAG loudly and clearly to the man and he said it back, reassuring Mag that he's OK.

The only problem with Claudia is that she is a talker rather than a listener, and talking is a good way for me to stay calm. But I got a few words in and found myself gesturing and then realized I was riding along one handed, my other hand resting on my thigh. Like someone not riding a baby. Yeah!

Wish I had a photo of that. But there may be a future where that happens again *lol*

We came to a stream and she asked if I wanted to cross. I looked at the bridge, and the stream and said, "STREAM!"

You know by now how good Mag is with water. Well, "Rider mounted" makes water look totally new to him. Pfft. Argo crossed and waited and Mag stood there snorting, "I will surely melt!"

Then for some reason Claudia turned Argo around and crossed back over and stood next to us, but facing the opposite direction, facing the way we'd come. I said, "With you standing like that there is no way he's crossing this water!" (duh!?) She crossed again and waited. Mag took another moment and then put a hoof barely in. Claudia started praising him, "GOOD BOY!" I admit, I was not impressed, so he didn't get praise at that point, but I did relax my body and did not do a single thing, I just let him decide. And he crossed. Then I praised him and scratched his neck as Claudia GOOD BOY'd him loudly like he'd won a purple heart for bravery.

Then it was just fun fun fun, up and down the hills in the too-hot sunshine, passing and Guten Tag-ing each and every user.

Of course when it was downhill, Mag slammed on the brakes again, "Impossible with rider mounted!" But he eventually went down. Then uphill, his head dropped again, "Too exhausting to hold up head!"*lol* I said to Claudia, "His quarter is up!" (after explaining what that means.)

45 minutes total - what a great time.

The only thing I didn't love about our day was the feeling from time to time that Mag was just following Argo and I was not in control. But I could urge him forward into a jog to catch up and walk alongside, so I at least had some driver and not just passenger today.

She asked if I wanted to go over the city streets to get back, or just stay to the trail and I opted for trail, cuz as good as Mag is in traffic, I still don't prefer to ride on asphalt. Not yet anyway.

Back at the barn the ladies were still joking around and told me I was a horse abuser cuz my horse was sweaty. I slapped his chest proving he was dry and they realized they had judged Mag based on how Argo looked - from his earlier ride he was still crusty.

Mag got a full face massage, he really, really loves those and is so polite about it, he never pushes on me, it's great. My coffee had been in the sun the entire time and was still warm! Yesterday it would have been ice cold by then.

Bettina said, "How did your ride go?" and I answered, "Isn't it great when you have nothing to report, nothing interesting happened?" *grin*

Then I asked her if she ever rides slowly - I know she's a speed demon, former endurance rider  - and she said sometimes. "Then please take me out riding with you sometime."

I'm going to be asking everyone for this in the next weeks. Even the people I don't know, I'll phrase it so, "Just let me ride with you a little while as you go slowly, then you can leave me if you want to go fast and I'll be done." (I hope that works!)

Tomorrow Gabi promised me to take me out. I'm totally excited because she's got that yelling voice and will protect us. I sincerely hope she does not yell at ME, but it could happen. Yellers are not often choosy who they yell at.

I pulled my bench into the shade because I couldn't sit in the sun another minute. But I got a few photos of Chinook, the pretty Connemara/TB/Arab/I forget as his owner showed up and cuddled with him. That would be Marin, the devil may care lady who reminds me of Americans. She was literally under her horse today, picking at his legs, as he ate a pile of bread and rolls. He shifted and moved a leg, bumping her, and she said, "Assface!" to him. The farrier said, "Did you call him assface?" Yes. Hm, that's a new one. I showed her a photo and she said PLEASE MAIL IT TO ME! OK then.

It's too hot for Mag to wear a blanket right now, but I know it might freeze tonight so I cannot leave it off. If he were living here I'd be blanketing and unblanketing as weather dictates, *sigh*

I still can't stop smiling. 45 minutes of that almost-trust, that near-to-perfect relaxation, the hope of those things, the taste of what might come. FUN!

***

Here are some random photos from this month that I finally uploaded. Warning there is a nasty photo of my spider bite, that is STILL disgusting. So don't scroll down if you don't wanna see my bite.



I was visiting J's school and told him to stand there. For Karen at Bakersfield Dressage. It's not funny in German. There were Turkish ladies in hijabs working around us and I'm sure they found it odd that I took a photo here.





This was such an awesome "sandwich" I had to take a photo. I had roasted a whole chicken and deboned it, chopped the meat into tiny bits and mixed in my Christmas Best Foods mayo (mailed by my mom), and a tiny bit of onion and pickle. Lots of salt and pepper. These are the times I don't miss bread at all.




Over a month and counting, this is how it looked a week ago. It's more black now and less inflamed, but still painful. I am convinced it was a spider based on my research.





Opa and Kamikatze. I couldn't resist taking a photo of him enjoying the cat. Note the tiny lit-up Christmas village behind him, which I set up. Once per week I go over and clean his apartment, and I really enjoy it. We don't understand each other much, but the few times we do, those are special. He's 96, and was a POW in Canada. The best place EVER to be a POW.



This is Willy, of course. I love that he wears button-up shirts to work at a barn. I will miss him more than any single other person at that barn, because we spend our mornings there alone. And we rarely understand each other *lol*.





Chinook. If you've gotta be a spotted horse, this is the best way to be. Black points.






Stripy mane, striped lips! The white-rimmed eye is no good. But his black-rimmed nostrils and ears, I love them!




I like the Western rigging on a bareback pad (both sides!) - never seen that before. I walked over and un-girthed and re-girthed him just to remind myself how to use Western rigging. This is right before she called him a bad word. Marin loves him so much. Lucky horse to be so loved. He's worked every single day by either her or Jana, the leaser (student at J's school, so they know each other). And you'd never know he was 5. For all that, I prefer not to go out in the woods with this one.

I feel the clock ticking. Gotta get the horse trained. But I know it will come in spurts and setbacks.

Today was a stride forward that felt like pure happiness.