Riding Mag in Baasha's hoofprints

Until today I'd been so close but never quite got to the part of the valley where I rode Baasha when he first arrived in Germany in 2008. Finally the horse felt good and the weather was agreeable and we went for it.

We left via the mares' paddock trail and got the attention of Mia the Connemara who loves Mag. (and Brownie and Wolke, a little.) The horse on the right is the Leitstute, the lead mare. I have not asked if she is pregnant because I don't want to be rude if she's not. She has total control of this area.


Below, even the Fjord mare Maja and the Appy Joker have noticed that Mag is leaving. It's so sad that Maja has been either lame or coughing the last three months, because she would be a great role model for Mag.  Underneath Maja you can make out the mini Shetty Lucy (see her head under Maja's chest?) Lucy sure put up a fuss when Jana and I returned from our walk yesterday. It's hilarious to hear a mini get loud.



Finally on trail, heading toward the past, it was awesome because the further I rode, the more I recognized. Even little details, it was exciting to see my memories reopen as we progressed.

I was leading Mag for the most part, but intended to ride up the big hill to get back home again. I had told Tanja where I planned on going, to Zillertal, and told her I wasn't sure I could find it. She made sure I had my cell phone (of course) and told me to be careful.

I needn't have worried, Zillertal was exactly where it was 9 years ago.

A couple of ladies rode past on matching bay draft horses. I asked them what was at the end of this road. The lady in the lead took up her reins to stop her horse and then she literally leaned back, throwing her entire upper body weight into his mouth to stop him. Wow. He did not seem to mind but she got him stopped. She told me where the road goes and I said, "Great, that's what I had hoped, that's exactly where I want to go!"

I hustled down that hill with Mag snorting along softly, not sure if he was worried, or if he was just working hard enough to breathe audibly. It was a purring sound. I chose not to worry about it.


At the bottom of the hill we came across this guy. He was not there 10 years ago!



His cup was actually full of real coins. I had to ask him, "So, if I put a guy like you in my garden with a cup, will I get money?"

We were so close but I wasn't sure and asked some  hikers, "Are we near Zillertal?" and they laughed, "In 50 meters you're there!"

What a wondrous sight, that classy old "forest restaurant" (those words are painted on its side).



This restaurant is in the middle of the woods, there is nothing else around except a few old water wheel homes. On the other side of this building is where Baasha lived, maybe 500 meters to a km up the hill.



2008. Baasha at Zillertal.



Today. If I'd given it some forethought, I'd have posed my horse differently to mimic the 2008 photo. Oh well, here we have Mag standing in Baasha's hoofprints. I wish my man had been there, as he had in 2008. I would have been overwhelmed with emotion.



I took Mag to the restaurant's hitching post and he didn't like it at all, for some reason. Could he read my mind, that I fantasize about someday hitching him and leaving him to go eat?: ) I took three photos of him at that hitching post and in all of them he is giving me his dubious face.



I noted from the photo I was also riding Baasha bitless that day too, cuz he didn't need a bit when I rode him alone.

This area of Wuppertal, and coincidentally, our area of Wermelskirchen, were originally settled by people who built their homes directly on the creeks in the valleys, building water wheels for various purposes. I've blogged about this before because I love the fact that many of these houses still have waterwheels attached, with the streams rushing against their house walls. (I always wonder about mold issues, of course homes are not made of wood here, but still.)







The trail we were on today was a designated water wheel trail, with signs all along the way. The  yellow and black symbol on this sign is painted on trees so you can follow the route. I find it fascinating and wish so much I could Doctor Who back in time and see them working with the wheels.

Where we were today, the water wheels were used for blade sharpening. I got a photo of a blade sharpener at work. I love the history of this area - so (relatively) old. J's parents' house is 400 years old. Mine is an ultra modern 1890 model *lol*. But neither had indoor plumbing when built. Can you imagine?

OK back to our walky ride.

I got on Mag, mounting from a garden wall in front of someone's house, hoping so much that no one was home to observe us, and there were people and dogs everywhere right then, enjoying the weather. Loose dogs scampering around (one even circled Mag, but not when I was mounted).

He pulled on the reins and realized he had no bit in his mouth for the first time in his life, with someone on his back. I could feel his confusion; I'd hooked my reins onto the rope halter and that felt strange. I didn't like it. I pointed him toward home and said, "Let's go. Incident-free."

I had my extra long lead in my right hand the entire time, as some sort of safety line if I fell off.

Then I realized I'd mounted too soon and we weren't at the trail yet, we were still in the village. On pavement, riding between homes with ponds and creeks and lawn ornaments and an old man that was not there before, just sitting in his yard!

I said Tag to him and he said Tag in return. Mag went, "Whoa, person that I thought was lawn art!"

I completely relaxed my body and we got to the trail head. Mag was very alert but never hesitated, not once, all the way back up the "mountain." Switching back and back, I love this trail (road) because you can see so much, it seems unlikely someone could jump out of a blind corner. So Mag panted his way up the hill slowly, gimping on the rocks a few times, looks like he will need hoof boots soon.

At the very top I jumped off, loosened his girth completely, and well, there was no bit to take out. So I gave him a face rub and told him he's great.

We trudged along together the last 15 minutes and I kept checking where I could tie him for practice. I turned on a side trail because I wanted to sit on a bench and Mag stopped, telling me, "This is not the way home!" OK then, I hear you. But I sat on the bench.

I did some bushwhacking with him because I want him to have that skill, and twice he went on the other side of trees and got himself stuck. He has no idea how that happens. I backed him around them both times, saying, "You have to learn to stay on my side of the trees!"

He impressed me by sliding down a muddy bank without getting stressed. Funnily, on our way home he wanted to take that bank back up, rather than stay on the road, he remembered our route. I said, "Mag, I'm not gonna ride you off trail, because it's not legal to even lead you off trail."

Then there was that fallen tree again and again I took Mag directly over it even though we could have gone around. It wasn't that high off the ground, it was only knee high, but Mag still had trouble getting his back end over it. He really doesn't know his hind legs very well. Hm, I need to do a lot more of that exercise. I'll be going back to that tree again.




I thought of Aarene's friend Du the moment I saw that tree. I realized it wasn't nearly as complicated as the one she had to deal with. But I took some photos for her anyway.



Like Bart Simpson telling his dog, "Go sniff that other dog's butt!" I often say, "Go chew on that object!"



This is me making beet pulp/hay pellet mashes - two full buckets today. Mag is finally eating more hay, but not normally, but at least I can give him two big buckets of mash twice a day. I gave one bucket to him before our outing, and the second is in his stall now waiting for him to return. He will not be hungry, I'm sure.

***

I'm so grateful to have had this chance to be in Wuppertal. How many of us can go back to where we rode our heart horse (for the first time in a foreign land) and ride a new horse that holds your dreams? It was cathartic when I rode Galim after riding Tolima on these very trails. But when Baasha arrived, I left Galim and went into the hills, riding at night in moonlight, and now I'm finding those trails again with Mag.

Some videos:







What now - oh, let's go on and see what we see....oh! I know this! We came to the big creek crossing where you can take your horse into the water. Finally! I wished I had someone with me at that point cuz I would have liked to have ridden him into the water. But we were over an hour from home, and I didn't trust him or myself.

Very funny Mag, he got me wet. I still have cold feet.