Riding in the storm

Thinking about how Mag did not panic at that tying incident I wonder if I am partly responsible. There is a strange exercise I do with him from time to time that I've never seen anyone else do.

Challenge! Let's all try it with our horses. Take your lead rope and toss it over your horse's neck directly behind his ears. Take the end of the rope and pull straight down (gently).

This is going to put a very new type of pressure on your horse's face. It's a strange sensation and there is an awkward sideways pull on the halter as well. Guaranteed, your horse will throw his head up. But since you're very gentle with the pressure, the horse will eventually give and drop his head a tiny bit, and you'll release. I am curious if this is as difficult an exercise as I have observed it to be. I don't know if it helped Mag not panic but it's possible. I'm curious to know if anyone in blog land does this.

***

Today is Rosenmontag, the culmination of Karneval in Germany. The big parades. This morning I knew we had a few hours of open hours at Aldi so J and I tried to go get groceries. As we saw clowns and bears walking down our street we realized with dread that we were too late, the street was closed for the parade. The darn store is open, but you cannot get to it. So we tried another store in town (there are only 2). We drove around for a full half hour seeing parts of our neighborhood we've never seen before, weaving between clowns and lions. How frustrating! It took us forever to just find our way out of that maze. We had to drive to the next town to get food! And all the checkers were dressed up in the Karneval mood.





It's 3:39 in the PM and the entire region is drunk by now. They started at 10 AM. With their costumed little kids in tow. Unbelievable. As usual there were also cheerleaders with bare legs and you feel sorry for them in this freezing weather but then again, they've got large amounts of schnapps so they're good.

Right now the wind is lashing my house again, just like during my ride today...

***

Nina was a little early but told me to take my time warming Mag up in the arena. I let him roll (5 times) and then made him walk around for 10 minutes as always and then encouraged him to move a little. It was 15 minutes total and the arena walls were trembling from "Storm Front Thomas 2" as I nicknamed it.

Mag seemed very zen as he watched Nina tack up the Leitstute next to him. Maybe he knew we were going out together.

We led our horses out to the trailhead and over us the oak trees were slamming into each other. Leaves that had lain on the ground for 5 months were swirling vortexes over our heads and beside us on the ground. Good heavens, why, I wanted to shake my fist at the sky.

Nina jumped on her 14.2 HH Peruvian Paso from the ground. How nice that would be. I led Mag to a concrete block and he lined up nicely. Then there was this minature horse turning the corner directly in front of us, he stared at it, so tiny! Then a huge Friesian also being led up the trail. Mag remained still but his eyes were huge, "STRANGE HORSES! GIANT AND MINIATURE!"

The lady leading the Friesian offered to help me get on my horse. This is the second time this has happened as I've mounted in the woods. Horse people always want to help by holding the other stirrup. It's nice but I didn't want her strange horse coming up to Mag and complicating things. So I said, "No thanks, it's just that we're new here." And she said, "Then I really should help you!" Nina said, "No, it's not necessary, thank you." And she finally quit trying. How nice though. Later I realized she could have just handed her Friesian to the mini's person, oh well.

I got on, Mag stood like a statue with the storm whirling around him. Then that crazy guy appeared, coming toward us on his soaking-wet grey Arabian. I said hello to him and he did too, but I felt this dread in my stomach from all the tales I've heard of the accidents he's caused. You remember, he's the one who had his two Arabians in the woods running loose with no halters on? Danger guy! I kept turning in my saddle after he passed, scared he'd take off running but he didn't. Nina said, "Don't worry. Also, strangely, I never seem to see that crazy guy unless I'm with you." Hrmph.

Everything was fine til we got to that little woods hut and there was a stroller parked beside it. The Dowager Countess lost it for a moment, spinning around, "OMG!" Mag looked at the stroller but did not flinch. Nina urged her on and for a second time the mare spun around, "I cannot!" and Mag looked at the mare and at the stroller. I had him standing still. A third time they tried to approach and the mare refused. I knew what might happen that might ruin our day - the people in the hut would pop out of it suddenly, and probably with a child. So I jumped off Mag and marched right up to the stroller/hut. Sure enough, there was a mother, father, and child inside and all three yelled in unison, "Hallo!" I said hello and kept moving and Nina's mare followed meekly behind Mag. They offered to move the stroller and Nina said, "No need, our horses just wanted to look." Understatement, yes.

Nina felt sheepish about her normally brave mare's fears but she pointed to the trees over us that were hitting each other loudly.

I got back on (and no one offered to help, lol) and we came across a work truck parked next to the trail. Something abnormal. Again the Leitstute spooked a little and Mag also twitched, staring it it - he knows by now it does not belong. Nina said, "She spooked at it yesterday too." I patted Mag's neck, "It doesn't belong here, and you noticed! Bad truck, good boy!"

We turned for home and I couldn't do it. I couldn't lead, which was my plan, what I'd been looking forward to for days now. It was all I could do to stay in the saddle. I thought of that book I read, "Never ride DESPITE fear." Well, I was certainly doing it today. I looked up and thought, "Surely a tree will fall on us and kill us. And as I always say, if a tree kills me in the woods, it's my time to go." I remember riding Baasha up Squak Mountain in the most wicked of storms, making the barn owners worry. The sound of those pine trees lashing each other was unforgettable. Like an ocean's roar. This wasn't THAT bad.

Suddenly there were some people in the woods off trail, peeing apparently. I turned Mag's face toward them to be sure he saw them. He didn't worry. By this time I was calling on all my calming exercises. My pockets on the saddle. The ball in my belly rolling quietly forward. My feet both on skateboards rolling easily. I listened intently to everything Nina said, and tried to procure conversation from her. I found myself grasping the saddle, something I never do, so I quit that. I thought about what a wonderful breakfast I'd had, which I will not type here cuz you don't want to know about low-carb weirdness.

A couple people with dogs passed on adjacent trails, no problem. I walked alongside the mare as often as I could to give Mag an approximation of leading. It was hard cuz she's a quick stepping gaited thing and flings her hooves up as they do, Mag cannot keep up with her. So I trotted him up a few times. Oh, and Mag pooped and walked, although he's not great at it yet, while her mare had to stop completely. I find that in Germany people usually do not ask a horse to move while pooping. I find that ridiculous, horses must know this skill.

Back at the edge of the woods I jumped off my horse and Nina wanted to take the city street back rather than the muddy trail. I was fine with that and the Leitstute balked at something again. Nina felt bad, apologizing,  and I pulled Mag into a jog (practicing our trot-outs!) alongside and passed her and then we led all the way home. Nina said, "Look at your horse, with his eyes half shut in this storm!"

And she said, "Did you notice how when my mare spooked three times at that stroller, Mag did not? He was not affected by her fear." I said, "Hm, you're right." She said "He's really, really good."

Almost home I asked her if she thought Chinook, the buckskin pinto would be a good role model for Mag. I know he's only 5 but last night Marin offered via email. Nina said, "No! In fact, if you go out with him, MAG will be the role model!" I reached down and stroked Mag's neck, "He can't, he's a baby!" Well.....maybe......

We'll see about that. I may go out with Marin just leading Mag to see how Chinook does. I know they've been on trails for the last 2 years with him. It might work.

And from what you all commented yesterday, I need to clarify that the other horse going out, Blue, is also not considered trustworthy by Nina. It would not have been a good idea to accompany.

And the other group I saw leave for the trails yesterday and felt bad, well, Nina was part of that group and came to me to say "Tomorrow I'll take you out" so asking to tag along wasn't quite appropriate. She'd had a fast, long ride planned and I had the promise of today from her.

I hate the feeling of having "survived" a ride in the woods but that is how I feel, after riding in Storm Front Thomas 2. I'm also incredibly proud that my "baby" horse can hold it together when his rider is doing everything in her repertoire to remain calm.

Nina told me that Marin does a lot of Parelli with Chinoook and doesn't always do it right. I said Parelli has done more right than wrong, IMO, but he lost me when he said "You don't need a helmet if your horse is well-trained." Especially considering his target audience, that is what the Germans call "Leichtsinnig."

She said, "Like Gabi (the barn owner) says, 'Wer nichts zu schutzen hat, braucht kein Reithelm."

It means, if I can try, "If you have nothing in your head, there's nothing to protect."

The wind is still hitting the windows beside me as I type but ha ha, I did not have a bad day cuz of it!

***

My husband just gave me a printout of the letter he composed to the barn owner for our official leave-date. How sad, and how eloquent he is:

 CONCLUSION OF RENTAL AGREEMENT FOR STALL # 4-16

Dear Gaby,

Herein we would like to cancel our rental agreement on the date 31.3.2017.

Mag and I are happy here, but from the beginning it was a short-term agreement and it's time he comes home.

Should we need a stall in the future, we will ask you first.

Many kind regards,





As much as I love this barn experience, I look forward to my horse having the opportunity to stretch his legs at will. It will be a bittersweet thing.

But for Bellis, only sweet.