3 hour ride with Chili

I got a chance to show S2 my personal little deer trail today, and she enjoyed it even though it wasn't easy. She reminds me of me. She said, "Oh, I've been in this area before, I think, when I got lost and was out 11 hours after dark...."

First I had to lead Mag to meet her at the traffic circle in the middle of my town. That meant leading Mag past all the shops and since it was garbage day and he kept ramming into garbage pails, I finally just led him in the street with traffic. People would come bursting out of the bakery with bread, jump out of their cars with packages at the post office, and a little girl on a trike stopped and pointed and her father said, "She's taking her horse for a walk!"

At the traffic circle, S2 appeared on her laid back bay horse. Mag's eyes lit up, "Funny meeting you here!"

I led our group on foot all the way down back into the hole (the same hole I live in) and got on Mag. As soon as I put a foot in a stirrup, a tractor drove by us pulling a horse trailer. WTH! S2 confirmed she has also never seen that before.

I got on and we were off, onto my special secret trail, that I named after myself, that is not really suitable for horses, and unmarked (all horse trails are marked here). Although I blogged I would never go there again, after difficulties simply leading Mag there, when S2 said she wanted to see my special trail I could not resist.

She said, "Up that hill?" and I said yes, and suddenly it was way steeper than it had ever been, and I grabbed Mag's mane directly behind his bridle, trying to help him up, like Cougar Rock. I hate not having confidence in a horse's balance, and that was a big one. Then we had the other side to descend, and Mag skittered around down the wet slope, my saddle riding up his neck. Ugh.

Then we had to step over two large fallen beech trees, and around some holes.





Then there was a tight turn with a fallen tree and I called it off, I jumped off Mag and led him around. She managed to ride Chili around but it just looked too nasty for me.

Then I had to pee so I tied Mag to a tree and for the first time, left him tied in the woods, although Chili was right there so I knew it would be fine. You should have seen his face when I finally came back "Where were you! We're a team, we don't split up!"

S2 is so compliant to these things, she didn't seem bothered by having to wait.

Then I got back on and it was a tricky spot. It was a blackberry covered rotted stump and I managed to get on, but as soon as I asked Mag to move he found himself on an embankment and lost his legs. He started to fall down and I said, "This is it" but he somehow caught us and heaved back upright. I said, "He almost just fell down!" She said, "I heard it!" Indeed, there was some thrashing.

I was completely unnerved, an as our ride continued, every time it got muddy Mag would hesitate, stop, try to find another way, and often we'd have to follow Chili through the hillside slop. I was glad I hadn't put my Easyboots on (I finally got my 2nd Easyboot yesterday in the mail). Testing hoof boots on this day would have not been good, and now I have a baseline for how much my horse slips and thrashes around with his God-given hooves.

Way more than normal, in my experience, so when my husband said, "Did you have fun?" I had to say, "Yes, except when trying to stay upright." *lol*

Then we got to the prettiest place ever in this area, a wild place, so amazing we hid a cache there to show people the area.

Then everything was fine.

Better than fine, cuz she agreed to help me teach Mag to descend steep hills slowly, what is funny cuz her horse needs a lot of urging on just to walk down the trail, and goes even slower down hill. I said, "That's perfect. Can you please let Chili just walk his chosen pace down this hill, so my horse can learn it?" With Chili's big brown po in front of us, Mag had no choice but to go slow down hills and not let gravity drag him forward recklessly.

Chili's big brown butt was a comfort to me today on the many, many descents.

Mag also trusted Chili and walked in his steps, to avoid the rocks. Chili is also barefoot but walks on the sides of the trail most of the time (which I consider a sign he needs hoof protection, but I would never say anything).

At the furthest out point, I told S2 she can decide if we keep going (I can put another 2 hours onto this loop!) but she opted for back home so we turned at the Icelandic horse farm.

Riding on pavement again, cars passing us, ugh. But Mag doesn't care.







Cars passed us with and without horsey respect along this street. I always wave and thank the ones who slow down.

Then we got back to the Talsperre trails (the watershed). We went up and down and up and down for the last hour of our ride, never a single moment of flat, and 3, maybe 4 bridges had to be crossed.

I was nervous and dismounted for the first, and then said, "Screw it" and just rode Mag across the next ones. Apparently Mag has no bridge trauma.

We passed a field where Mara had a coniption fit, refusing to go forward. I felt tension course through my body.

Mag looked around at the field, and then a breeze engulfted us with the scent of some Spring-flowering plant and I was overwhelmed with the perfection of the moment. That smell wafted over us in this most despised by Mara trail. It's all different now. I thought, "This is the plant that keeps people with allergies indoors. Thank God I am not allergic to this."
 
S2 commented how hilly it was, and I said, "You will appreciate your vacation in Saxony Anhalt next week, getting back into the flat." She said, "Chili loves it there, where he doesn't have to mess with hills."

Mag had never been where we were at this point but we were getting ever closer to home.

I noted that Chili and Mag do not snark at each other, and pleasantly sniff noses. However on the way home Mag gave him a dirty look a couple times, and at one point reached out to bite his butt. Hm. Chili does not deserve any of that, he stays mild the whole day. 

Several times (4) we had to bend around "no horses allowed" gates and I was certain I'd lose a knee, but Mag was fine. Amazing. I asked S2 if she was OK breaking the law and she said she never saw the no horses allowed signs, we are simply too engrossed in conversation. *lol*

Finally I chose a trail that would take us back to the main road (100kph) and later J told me we could have just stayed down by the Talsperre and added another 2 hours to our ride. Good to know, it hadn't occurred to me.

We passed a church with people singing and I was flooded with a feeling of serenity, and wishing I knew the songs so I could sing along.

Then our trail ended at the fast street and ...

I KEPT RIDING.

On the 100kph street.

I've never done it, but I knew Mag could, and I knew I could if I had the right companion.

I noticed exactly where we passed the point where we could have returned home, I mean, when Mag noticed it. He turned his head, "Home?" And I said, "No." So we followed Chili another 30 minutes past our area. I was amazed that Mag stepped forward cheerfully after that, "OK, ANOTHER LOOP!?" Cuz I've experienced his "quarter expiring" before, insisting on going home. Maybe today he was actually having fun. We entered the fast street.

Chili spooked at a garbage can.

But we continued along, cars and busses whizzing by, and then Chili spooked BIG, cuz suddenly there was a Fjord horse, who had just popped out next to us. S2 got a little ticked off, the only time I've seen her scold her horse. Mag was protected by Chili so he did not spook, but was delighted to see the Fjord (with a mane intricately carved, gorgeous!).

I said, "Wunderschoen!" as we passed them.

Then on to Grunewald, the village that precedes our halfway point. I've never ridden there but today I felt confident. I could do this.

I would do it, I would ride my horse through this tight village with houses on each side and cars and people and dogs and their own cemetery.

As I did it, I said to S2, "Please, get a photo, no one will believe I'm riding in Grunewald!"









As I told this story to my husband he corrected me repeatedly cuz I was saying Grunewald wrong.

I did it! I passed. With Chili's help, of course.

Not that I want to do it again....

At the end of Grunewald, we parted ways and I thanked her, and thanked Chili too, as I always do.

It was another 30 minutes to get home, for the both of us, but I had stayed with her to this point cuz I didn't want her to have to ride the entire hour through towns alone.

Mag had a little sweat mark under his girth from his first 3 hour ride.

3 hours Mag!  I left the mark there as a badge of honor.