If this is Mag on a bad day....

...I should be thankful: )

He was pawing the ground nickering at me to get him out of his paddock and then as I led him out he got a little too far forward so I reminded him to stay behind me, which he did.

Gabi had all 13 horses free lunging and as we walked by, it was a lot to see, and Mag got excited and I said, "Let's just hang out here a while til you can be calm about it." He was like, "I'm calm, yawn, see? Can we go?" It sure is a beautiful sight, 13 horses free lunging together, all their personalities coming out, either playing rowdily or conserving their energy. Mag tipped his ears back a few times as the herd raced by us, mere inches from us.

I went straight to the indoor because I wanted to give Mag a chance to run around loose before everyone else in the world showed up. But for the first time ever Mag forgot the rule about standing still while being blanketed/unblanketed. He fidgeted around making it impossible. I corrected him and he was so distracted he had no idea what I was talking about. Then I tried again, and he just left, again, needing to go somewhere. WTH. STAND HERE! I yelled at him. Finally he did. I realize now that I've been taking it for granted that he seems to know that rule. Anyway, my plan went perfectly - I had an hour to play with him in there before the masses arrived from across the snowy city. But after he rolled he jumped up bucking and ran himself around while I raked the arena, something new.  So it's that kind of day huh? Every other day he just moseys around and must be forced to move.

Must be the weather - we had a new snowfall last night, I'm so freaking sick of snow. This morning when J opened the window and looked out, he said, "Ugh" and I knew what that meant. But less than 5 minutes later the snow plow arrived, freeing me from my home. Then it started snowing again and I shook my fist at the sky.

I locked Mag in the big open grooming stall to eat his bucket as everyone showed up and tied their horses all around him. I was keeping an eye on him as I cleaned my stall and asked if they'd like me to tie him but they said he politely said hello and then went back to his bucket. Whew.

Marin the e-cigarette lady was there, surrounded by a cloud of e-smoke that smelled like the Puyallup Fair (cotton candy). I asked Leonia if anyone was in the arenas and she said no, empty. I sighed and flopped into a chair, with a fully tacked up Mag in front of me, "Then I'll wait." Marin said she'd join me, but first she said, "Do you know, I find your horse so beautiful. His face, his expression, his ears always pricked, and he's so friendly. I don't even like greys but I like it on him." I said, "I had a dream last night he was a bay, it was such a good dream." *lol* Then she said, "The only thing I find sad is that you're not over the moon in love with him." I said, "Well, I am starting to dream about him, so that's something. And I realize that he is not as freaky as most young Arabians." As we spoke Mag stood over me politely with his pink nose investigating everything in reach. I told Marin, "Wouldn't it be cool if horses understood German, so he'd know what you just said?"

In the arena I lunged him but it's so frustrating - he resists the concept of a working, forward trot. He will jog all day or canter. I realize now that cantering is physically easier for him than trotting. Hrm. So I very carefully show him the difference in my requests for the two gaits and keep him close enough that I can touch him with the whip. I guess I was spoiled my whole life having such motivated horses on the lunge.

Nina came in with the Dowager Countess with the respiration machine and started doing groundwork. I'd asked Nina and she'd agreed this week to take me out on trails with Mag. (This is the third person I've asked for this.) But today she said she has a sore throat and might not be able to commit to next week. Agh. It's already the 11th of February and my goal was to be trail riding by the start of February. I hope she can help me. She's already assured me her mare will teach Mag not to tailgate. Scared of that. In fact, Marin let her horse come up and put his nose on her butt and Nina  quickly said, "Don't let him do that! She'll kick out without hesitation!" I thought everyone knew that, geez.

Marin's horse Chinook is a half Connemara, half TB/Arab/Paint mix. He's a buckskin paint, with great conformation, and I love his black nostrils and black ears. He's 5 years old and between Marin and Jana who leases him, is worked every day and it shows.

Chinook was calm in the arena today as we rode around and Mag was ultra focused on that bloody door. Truly riding him outdoors seems easier now. He almost seemed too forward at his walk, like he was scooting, and it made me uneasy. He did everything I asked, but with his attention also on the door the entire time, people walking by.

When I got on Mag, he was fine for mounting, but completely forgot to give me his head, touching his nose to each stirrup, even though I've never, ever mounted him without doing this. He kept squirreling around, "Do you want to go in a circle?" No, I want your nose on my stirrup. Like EVERY SINGLE OTHER TIME I've ever ridden you. Geez. I know I'm clear in my aids because "touch the stirrup" involves nothing but a single rein aid, nothing else.

I wasn't having any fun riding him, so I decided to mimic everything Marin did with Chinook. That's always fun. But they were just walking and stopping, repeatedly. Well, we can do that. But today Mag's walk was *too fast* so we kept ending up beside them. Which is fine. Then I was finally able to relax and enjoy myself as we started talking. She is a Parelli student and assumed I was too, cuz I'm American. I told her I appreciate some of their work, like Linda's "Game of contact" and the concept of making games with horses, so things seem fun.

Since I was riding closely behind her for so long, I saw her really concentrating on her stop to walk transitions and I asked what her aid is for walk. She said it's a Parelli thing, a 4-phase request. The first is the energy in your body, the second is you throw the reins forward, the third is you curl your toes (which tightens your leg muscles) and the fourth would be actually using your legs, if you need to. I told her I only have 3 phases: )

I went to my go-to calming exercise, the spiraling in and leg yielding out on the circle, and I was amazed at how well Mag is getting it. He can leg yield ONE, maybe even TWO!! steps at a walk. I really, really need video of this. Argh, I'm at this big barn and am not comfortable asking anyone to photo/video me.

Finally Marin and I just sat there on our immobile horses talking and it felt really good. Chinook repeatedly tried to come over and mess with Mag, and Marin would wave her crop at his face to get him away from Mag. It would be fun to let Mag and Chinook play, but he's shod all around and is very, very rough in his play style.

This morning my man said, "Have fun with your horse today" like he always does. Today was not fun, but if this is a bad day for Mag, I should appreciate it.

Since my husband is a schoolteacher, when I got home, I said, "I could never do what you do. I could never deal with students who just will not focus, day after day. Every day you experience that!" He asked how it went. I leaned against the wall and began.

He said, "Is this a long story or a short story" and I said, "Well, you asked, so it's not short" and then I told him all of the above.

And he's a good listener. I lovingly made him dinner and showed him all the chocolate I'd bought him. He is a true chocoholic. But that's not a bad addiction to have: )

I haven't heard him play the piano in months. I know he spares me and does it all when I'm in Wuppertal with Mag. He tends to play a lot of Queen, more than normal people can handle.

S had promised me she'd come visit me and Mag tomorrow but she's sick too so that's three people who've had to apologize to me for illness this week, for not being there to help me with Mag.

Along with appreciating Mag's "bad" days, I should appreciate my health.

The two videos below are from a recent Winter where my husband did not know I was taping him playing. The snow today is the same. I enjoy hearing him play the two songs below.