Ambulance at the barn today

I'm having trouble figuring out how to tell what happened today. OK chronologically.

12 Noon. I get to the barn and Moritz's lease teenager saw me and gave me this look, kind of rolling her eyes and sighing. I thought well that's weird. Then I noticed her sister sitting in the farrier's van. Then I noticed lots of people gathered around, including Gabi. I went up to the teenager and said, "What?" She said, "Wolke ran off and my sister fell into a tree."

I wanted the details with burning curiosity, but it wasn't the time. I picked out my stall and just tried to listen. I heard bits and pieces, "She went bucking huge bucks up that hill."

Uh oh, this is the second time Wolke has dumped a leasor running for home. Remember Jasmin and Birgit? How they just disappeared one day never to be seen again? It was the day Wolke dumped Jasmin and ran for home.

I thought back to my lease horse at this barn from 10 years ago, how she put someone in the hospital in the exact same scenario - running for home and throwing her rider into a tree.

A few minutes later the ambulance arrived and they put her on the people carrying thing and went to the hospital.

Then Claudia was crying. What? Bettina took her into her stall where Argo was, close to my stall, and tried to comfort her. Why would Claudia be crying...oh...wait...I started to put the pieces together. Claudia had been there. The adult in the group, and a kid ended up hurt.

Betinna said, "Those two (Moritz and Wolke) will never be leased again."

Remember just yesterday Moritz' kid asked me if I would lease my horse to one of her friends, and I said it's too risky.

I remember Jasmin telling me that Wolke is one of the best behaved horses in the barn on trails, that she'd be happy to take me out to help Mag. What happened?

At 1 PM I got on Mag and rode out with Bettina and her horse Alex. Except that Bettina was leading Alex, because she had no time today to run him for an hour before riding, as she usually does. WHAT!? Oh boy. I had so much trust in her, and she didn't trust her horse to get on him with me. Nice, huh? Thankfully her giant horse just walked politely behind her down the mountain.

I asked her what happened. She said, "Wolke simply took off, and the others did too, and they split up, running for home. Wolke's not bad, she just wants to work, she wants to go fast, she's bored with slow work."

WAIT A SECOND.

No, no, no. I'm going to speculate here a tiny bit and say that  these horses do not want to WORK, they want to GO HOME, and home is up the hill, and they ALWAYS get to canter up the hill, so it's their routine, and their reward is to be home, where they get fed buckets of mash directly on arrival. Tolima, my TB, did the same thing, but I never let her go faster than a walk on the way home, and I managed it.....

So this is my theory, and I wasn't there, but I've pondered it a bit.

This barn is in a very, very bad spot for horses psychologically - it's at the top of a little mountain. Since horses generally like going faster uphill, and riders too, it means you're usually cantering HOME.

I've seen it many times here. A few weeks ago, Claudia was letting Argo power up that hill at a canter, nearly home. And truly if you want to canter, there aren't many other options. It's just down and up again. But in my opinion, you need to find other options, ride further, find some other hill facing away from home.

Back home (Seattle)  the barns were mostly at the foot of the hills, because that's where the pastures are. And the hills back home are simply too steep to build barns on. So we always had this steep climb leaving the barn, and eventually the horses were warm, and then we'd run to the top. And then we'd have a perfectly dry, rested horse by the time we returned because you couldn't go fast down that steep of a trail. Well, not on Squak Mountain anyway: )

I hate to think that Gabi has perpetuated this serious problem by letting her lesson kids canter up the hills for home. But I know they canter out there. I cannot say what happens, but I know they all get a bucket of grain on arrival, making hurrying home even more relevant. I know from experience that people emulate her.

I've never boarded at a barn where running for home is an epidemic like it is here. Not always ending in injury, but I know of three cases and I have not been there long.

I'll try to get more details and I'll be sure to clarify if I'm mistaken in my ideas today.

***

I mounted Mag from a little wall at the barn and Bettina stayed on the ground the entire way down the hill. Then I realized the 13C weather had brought everyone out of their homes. Yes, this is exactly the environment he needs to experience. Just, ugh, my nerves. A loose dog ran out in front of us. A bicycle wasn't far behind. A group of teenagers were walking behind us at exactly our pace, which makes Mag nervy, "Why are they following us, what do they want from us?" I remember back here at home Mag was always unnerved when someone would follow us down the road at our pace.

We crossed two bridges with the creek rushing full from the storm. We passed a very suspicious fallen tree but Mag held it together. I asked Bettina if I could ride alongside her, so he wouldn't just follow along. That was more difficult than I realized cuz her horse is massive and mine is tiny in comparison, and sadly Mag does not have a very forward walk. We did our best and she waited for us a few times politely.

Suddenly Bettina stopped, "Look at that!" she pointed to a tree, and sure enough, there was a ....piece of a jacket? She said, "This is where the accident occurred this morning, that's the rest of the girl's jacket!" I said, "Let me take a photo." Yah, I got a photo but still don't have a single photo of myself on my horse at this barn. Oh well. 





We encountered a bench with three little old ladies sitting on it, immobile. In Germany, you come across very, very old people in the woods. And walking to the grocery store. Old people don't just stay home here. Thankfully Bettina greeted them and they all said Guten Tag to us, and I did the same so Mag could see they were not statues, they were just very, very still humans.

I asked if, when we turned for home, if I could lead, because last time we were here it was very problematic. I forgot to say I'd asked if we could take that same trail back home that Mag had so much stress about last time, with Claudia and Argo.

Bettina said, "You can just let your horse follow mine, it's no problem." I said, "If it's possible, I'd like to TRY to take the lead, and see how he reacts today to this trail that worried him so much."

She complied and we came to that bench. The same bench he refused to pass last week. Bettina said, "You need to breathe, I can see your breathing is shallow." I thought, "How the heck can she see my breathing?" Oh well, I took some deep breaths and Mag walked right by that bench, and then that awful stump that really does look like a monster. And then I knew everything would be fine.

I found myself riding one handed, turning in the saddle to talk to Bettina. Isn't that a nice feeling? Aren't you a great horse? I praised him as he passed each thing that worried him last week. I let him trot when he offered, which he did a few times, because hill walking is hard.

Then we heard a horse running behind us and Mag naturally spooked, whirling around. I grabbed mane and stayed on. This lady had run up on us, and apologized. I said to Mag, "This is the first time, but not the last. In fact, it will happen the rest of your life, that a horse will run up behind you on trail." I asked if she wanted to pass but she was fine. She seemed to be talking on a phone. How odd. Was she talking on the phone while riding full blast up this hill around blind corners? Hm!

A lady and her three dogs were suddenly in front of us and one dog ran right up to us barking and the others stayed back. The lady ran to catch the bad dog, and ended up holding all three, crouched over them. Bettina said, "It would be nice if you would stand up and speak because otherwise you look terrifying to our horses." The lady complied and I thanked her too.

The whole time this black horse was behind Mag's butt, and he was upset about it. Why were we two but now three? WHO IS THIS!?

I tried to comfort him until the lady finally turned back down the mountain. I said, "Oh, she's going down again!" Bettina said, "She's from Dorner Weg. (That big fancy riding club nearby.)

Then we were almost home and Mag was just fine. And then two strange Haflingers appeared in front of us, with another loose dog, and since we were almost home, I jumped off.

Then Marin and Angela appeared, riding their young Paint horses toward us. What? It was 2:15 and I had a planned ride with Marin at 2: 30, what? She said, "Hey, blah blah blah can we ride out tomorrow instead?" I said, "Yes of course!"

Then I felt bad that perhaps she heard I went out with Bettina and ditched her. I did not, I planned to just take two rides in one day as soon as I got Bettina's text message this morning that she only had today at 1 for me.

Right before I typed this blog post I sent Marin a text, "I had planned on riding with you both, I hope you don't think I blew you off"! But unfortunately I have no idea how to say "blow you off" in German so I hope she gets it.

Ideally, she'll be there tomorrow with the PRE. If not, we'll see.

***

I cannot stop thinking of the girl who got  put on the ambulance today because of a lease horse (a horse you pay the owner to ride).  I hope she's not seriously hurt. I hope she has not lost a love of horses. But if she never rides again, she may actually live longer.





Is this my first ears shot of Mag? I think so, correct me if I'm wrong. Wish you could see how huge Alexej is, but I'm glad to have proof that Mag does not need to tailgate. Hate tailgating.

It's supposed to storm again tomorrow, which might make my ride with Marin interesting. I don't care. I'm excited about it. Mag was freaking amazing today. I think Bettina's impression was that my horse did not need her in any way at any time. She didn't say anything, but I'm super proud. Especially cuz we got through that trail that scared him so much last time. And all the users, how he's able to keep it together.

What next Mag, what shall we do next!

***

I'm so confused. I just got a text from Marin saying it's no big deal, but she was confused by my text. I ..what?

Oh, hello, I just got a wave of pleasure looking up at Mag's ears in this post, Yay: )

My first text from Marin says, "I hope I have the right number. Can you ride with me tomorrow at 3? Kind regards, Maren and Diego."

Please forgive, as always, my spelling errors in these German names and horse names, I know I'm inconsistent.

I answered, Yay, let's do it. I'm there.

Then the whole thing above happened, and I texted her back, "I planned on meeting you at the time you suggested, but bettina asked to go out this morning and I thought why not, two rides won't hurt, in one day." Then we saw you on the trail, and it's fine that you and I go out tomorrow as you suggested. I was worried you'd thought I'd forgotten you, cuz I hadn't. See you tomorrow."

Then I get a text again from Marin, well, "Marin": Hey, no problem. But you've confused me with the other Marin. I am the one who is never at the barn in the morning. You switched me with the Marin who owns Chinook. I hope you have fun tomorrow."

I was so humiliated. I have never met anyone in my life named Marin and now I've got two of them?

And now the Chinook-Marin (the buckskin bay) is totally confused, probably, from my behavior on the trail, and the PRE-Marin thinks I'm not worth her time. Best case scenario, she leaves the air in my car tires.

I don't know Chinook-Marin's telephone number, so I cannot attempt to explain via phone.

Maybe she'll show up tomorrow and I will try.

Maybe she'll think I'm not worth it, the language barrier, and she'll never puff her e-cig on me again.

What will happen?

Have you ever heard of someone with the name Marin? Come on.