Saturday, April 22, 2017

"Your horse can pee while walking?"

I just got back from a great ride with S2, what I'll call the 2nd S I know, who coincidentally keeps her horse in the same little private barn as S1. The bad part is this is an hour away by foot/hoof and in between is mostly city streets. So it's not convenient to ride together, so I rarely do, with either Ss. (As far as I know, S1 and S2 are not friends.)

The good part is that I live closer to the better trails, so these ladies often ride over here to the Bayer loop. It's called that because the trail begins at a Bayer convention center.

Finally S2 could meet with me today, and from the not-large collection of horsey people I know here, she is the very best. She's laid-back, a good conversationalist whilst riding, doesn't give opinions unless you specifically ask, and has the best trained horse in our town. I think I mentioned before how she can sit in a chair in the grass and her horse Chili will stand beside her and not try to take a bite of grass, however long she sits there. Chili is a 10 year old bay Haflinger/QH cross and nothing ever seems to bother him, he's a walking sofa. S2 wants to enter him in the big Western riding competition in August, the one I went to last year and had such a bad time "crewing."

We met at the halfway point which is  a busy city street so I was leading but as soon as we got off the road I mounted. We did the Bayer loop in one hour, just walking, and it was really nice. We saw no one in the woods today, and it's Saturday!

I was able to relax and ride with one hand and talk with the other: )  There was never a moment of silence, we are both good talkers.

The trail has changed since I've been there last, but Mag has never been there so he didn't notice. We crossed water twice and both times Mag went, "Too scary!" and filed in line directly behind Chili's butt, where it was safe, to cross. I had to laugh because Mag seems to want to lead when he's with other horses, but he loses his confidence easily. Three times he hid behind Chili today, but most of the time walked beside and slightly ahead of him, ears pricked happily, and every so often they'd give each other looks like, "Who are you!?" And only once did they snark at each other.

Mag pooped a couple times but I kept him moving, which he's finally getting. He drank out of a grey puddle, he's always thirsty, making Chili wait.

Then he pooped again and I kept him moving and S2 said, "What is he....your horse can walk and pee at the same time!!!!!" And I said, "WHAT!" and pulled Mag to a stop. Sure enough, he was peeing and assumed he wasn't allowed to stop for that. S2 was laughing, "I was wondering where this water was coming from!" I fell onto Mag's neck, laughing and hugging him saying, "I'm so sorry! You can stop to pee!" Poor Mag, he tries his best sometimes.

We enjoyed the rest of our ride and then I walked a ways through town with her on the most scary gauntlet street on garbage day, with piles of yellow plastic sacks in front of every home. We rode past the American house and I still cannot get over it. Every detail imported from America.

Finally we parted ways and I led Mag the 30 minutes back home on the busy street with garbage trucks going by.

When we got home J stuck his head out the window and gave Mag a treat. He got lots of treats today, and lots of praise. I will now go send her a text thanking her for a great ride with "Uncle Chili."

12 comments:

Camryn said...

Uncle Chili, what a sweet nickname. Peeing while walking! Wow, that'd take some talent for sure. Sounds like a lovely day, hopefully one you can do a repeat soon.

Camryn said...

Forgot to mention Hubs just returned from your old neck of the woods. Bothall, WA (spelling), just north of Seattle.

lytha said...

Camryn, did he see anything good? WAS THE MOUNTAIN OUT!?!? I have friends there. I was told recently the median price of a house near Seattle is 700K. Oh boy.

S2 was telling me her boyfriend bought a Haflinger stallion to breed, but didn't have much luck, and is trying again with his Haflinger mare. I told her to tell him that Haflingers are something special in America, and she said, "I know, he told me he wanted to try to import them!" : )

AareneX said...

lytha THE MOUNTAIN WAS OUT yesterday, I'll post the picture I took through Fiddle's nears.

Yay,, Uncle Chili!

Camryn said...

Yup, the mountain was out yesterday, of course on his way to the airport LOL. WE'll be flying into Seattle late May encounter to Juneau. There are a lot of Haflingers in our area due to the Amish. The Regisrty Association is based very near us actually. Boarding barn now has two I can watch from my pasture.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

S2 sounds like everyone's dream riding partner. Mag peeing while walking is hilarious. I wonder if he was trying to release just a little at a time to avoid splattering himself. That's so cute. How was he with the garbage trucks? Does he completely ignore them or tense up or dance around? My horses ignore the garbage trucks when they are home, but if I climb on their backs, ride away from home, and the trucks come to close, they get nervous. I haven't had a truck come by when I've been leading, but I'd consider that the ideal transition situation.

TeresaA said...

Such a nice ride- S2 sounds like a good person to hang out with.

EvenSong said...

Sounds like a great ride with "Uncle Chili!" Good for you two!
Kate will hold her bladder forEVER, until she just can't any more...then she will pee while walking. I've never known another horse that is able to. 😃

ellie k said...

Did you have to wash his legs when you got home. Walking and peeing is a big deal Poor baby.

kbryan said...

What a lovely owner and horse. Would love to see a photo of Chilli. So glad you had a nice ride, I wish that there were people nearby like her and her horse that you could ride with. Happy for you both!

lytha said...

Camryn, I'm fascinated by the Amish, so outside my realm of experience.

NM, the garbage trucks are fine, and sometimes I lead him down the busy street and actually can keep pace with the garbage guys if they have enough houses to do, but eventually they'll have to pass a field and get ahead of us. I think they think I'm nuts to walk my horse so close to them as they work. The only truck that upset him yesterday was a large truck loaded with scaffolding, stacked high. I assumed it was another garbage truck coming so I didn't look but then Mag was prancing around. Directly afterwards, we saw S2 on Chili ahead of us, and her horse was just standing like a statue as we got closer and I am so jealous of people who can have such immobile horses! When we finally got there I said, "IS he a statue!?"

Teresa, S2 is the best! I've simply got to stay in touch with her. I offered to be her groom at that big Western show in August.

Evensong, Kate can do it too! I was trying to explain to J how uncommon this is, and thus my freaking out about it: )

Ellie, I didn't notice if his legs were wet. He didn't do it for very long, just a couple strides and then stopped, sadly.

Kbryan, I will try to remember a camera next time I ride with her. He has the eyes of a deer, the hair of a Haflinger, and the butt of a QH.

Crystal said...

Sounds like S2 and Chilli are perfect riding partners. That's what I'm looking for someone I can talk with and had a good horse....
Haha peeing while walking silly Mags