I think I've moved past that first stage of Summer misery and now I'm in the acceptance phase; I've resigned to staying in the house as much as possible close to my AC unit and fan, and not letting undone garden chores trouble me too much.
It's interesting to me that at first I freak out completely at the awfulness of Summer, and then I push into a zone where I can function, but all the while thinking, "They might just find my body on this hillside."
Trudging up and down hills today was worth it even in this heat. Cuz it's "Wednesdays with Ani!" and I will not let weather keep me from an offer to ride with someone. At least, not yet: )
Clever me, I remembered I had pockets in my breeches for my cell phone. Not so clever later, I'd forgotten and sprayed myself down completely with the hose, getting both my camera and cell phone wet. Good things it's the temperature of the surface of the sun here, they shall dry.
On our way to our meetup point, Mag had a lot of trouble with this tiny creek. I don't understand why, perhaps because it's a deepish cleft, even though it's narrow enough to step over, he refuses and leaps every time, and does a lot of balking before the leaping. (I'm still on the ground at this point.) I decided to ask him to go over it a couple more times and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. By the end of the 3 times we were late, and I was completely soaked with sweat, simply from standing there signaling him to cross. There was no water, it was just mud, I could stand right in it, but he refused to see it reasonably.
We had 4 other water crossings today and none elicited the leaping. Hm!
When we crossed the busy (70kph) street, a semi was coming but I thought we could hurry in front of it. It was close so I hurried and then Mag caught my energy (that thing I've been teaching him) and he pranced across the street, ending with a spook so big his tail made a J and his entire back end tucked under himself. What was that about? I need to not hurry in front of semis.
Then Mag's eyes got huge when he saw Ani and Mina at the next intersection. She agreed with me that the traffic is not so nice here. She was leading her mare and I noticed Mina walking odd with her LH, not sure if that's just the way she is or if she was lame. I didn't say anything, it seemed to get better with time.
Ani led me on a very extensive tour of the area, places I'd never been. Single track littered with fallen branches that made the horses think, she apologized and I said, "This is good training!" Kati, my trainer, will be thrilled tomorrow when I tell her about it. She's always trying to get me off trail.
We went through some towns, on little paved streets, and honestly I don't enjoy that as much - I'm not on Baasha afterall. But whenever we came across someone in their garden, we shouted Guten Tag.
There were goats, donkeys, calves, and cows. And more calves and cows. And more goats. I had only a vague idea where we were, and said to her, "If you were to disappear right now, I'd have a problem." She laughed and I said, "Don't disappear!"
Then we rode through "Feldwege" - dirt/gravel roads between corn and hay fields. I didn't like it when the road would narrow to a single track with barbed wire on BOTH sides. I was happy to let Mina lead through those corridors.
So far Mina has not spooked at anything in these two rides.
I kept putting Mag behind Mina to teach him to slow down, and hated to have to constantly remind him to not get too close to her. He just wanted to move out at his fluid walk, but he has to learn to follow his elders patiently.
Eventually Mag would creep by and if I let him, he'd put quite a distance between us. Keeping him slow, Mina would sometimes tuck behind him for a rest from leading, even if I tried to let her pass serpentining, she'd just follow, very cute.
On one long descent I had Mag in front and he was going nice and slow, cuz I say, "nice and slow" over and over, and Ani said, "What is he doing with his hind legs? He's xxxx-ing!" I have no idea what that word was but the way it feels, I can imagine what it looks like. It's very uncomfortable. I assume he's not picking up his hind legs. I hope there's nothing seriously wrong with him.
On an even steeper descent I had to jump off because he was getting attacked by horse flies and he was thrashing his head around and actually knocking himself off balance and I was pretty sure he was gonna tip us over.
When I wanted to get back on there was a picnic table with benches and I led him over and he immediately grabbed a bench with his mouth, then the table, then the other bench. Ani was amused because I said, "He has to taste-test everything."
Our ride just went on and on, and happily the busy trail was free of users, I've never experienced that before.
Then we had one more creek crossing, a wide one the horses must walk through. Mag followed Mina right in. Next time I'll see if he'll lead into that creek.
Then we finally split up (after I made her drink her water bottle) and promised we'd time how long it takes each of us to get home from that spot. For her, 20 minutes, for me, 30. Not too bad, but I have to go on busy streets. In fact, a school van (there are no school busses here) stopped and the driver said, "Don't you want to ride your horse?" and I said, "OH, I just did, but I don't enjoy riding on streets." Geez, if I had a nickel for every time someone has asked me that!
I made it home at 11:30AM, and had left at 8:30. Mag was FAMISHED when he returned home, even though he'd had his big bucket of mash at 7 AM. I laughed at him, "Wait til we trot."
He's flecked with blood from horseflies, and there is nothing I can do.
I sprayed him off with the hose and for the first time ever, I realized my horse wanted me to spray a particular spot, at least, I think so, he kept putting his nose into the spray and then raising his head up. I sprayed his throatlatch and jaw and he seemed to enjoy it!
I felt really bad for all the horses we saw today who were standing in their pastures with no shelters to get out of the bugs, covered with biting flies and face flies. One Haflinger was covered in sweat from standing there. My donkey is not coming out of the stall, no way, she knows better.
Now for some random photos....
The other day I thought my pasture was on fire because "smoke" was billowing out of the ground where the sun touched the grass in the morning. No, it was just the water we have to breathe here.
My horse hurts himself regularly, usually hocks, pasterns, and this week, the knee. How does he do it?
Looking out my living room window, these silage farmers are the best around. This is their SECOND cutting this year! They are on it! They'll get at least 3. I love watching horse food happen.
This is why I won't buy white Zilco anymore. "Holds its color" is what the website said. Phooey!
I broke my wooden latchhook tool thingy so I cannot finish this project. I altered the template with a pen to make it more Arabian looking.
While mowing I found a fire ant nest. They live in the ground, not in hills, so you never know where you're gonna find their homes. I've got three bites so far this year. I was trying to make a little video of the ants, when horseflies started attacking me. It's a funny video, the camera spinning crazily and me going, "Oh, ouch, stop it!"
My favorite rosebush, it smells sooooo good!
Intruder alert. Security to bridge.
Our plum tree has an infestation called "Leaf-curl plum aphids" and the tree sheds them by the thousands every day. Everything under the tree (our gate, my horse trough) is sticky with their poop. They're less menacing than annoying.
MENACING. When a horse fly follows me into my house, which happens often, they hunt by sight, the hunter becomes the hunted. I take too much pleasure in killing them.
Not a bad sweat pattern.
Maybe bridging on this side, not sure.
I LOOOOOVE seeing sweat on Mag, like a horse with a job to do!
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7 comments:
I'm so glad you have people to ride with now. I know you've been wanting that for a long time. Yeah, that white tack definitely looks yellow against the white wall. Mine is hanging by a window, but I haven't seen any evidence of yellowing yet. I like making those rugs too, but the hooks always break. I ordered two plastic ones online and they've held up so far. I know your shopping options are limited. The saddle fitter who put on a clinic was talking about sweat patterns and he claimed that you don't want solid sweat in the shape of the entire saddle. I think he was saying that there shouldn't be any sweat over the spine. Personally, I think the horse is going to sweat anywhere where he is covered in the summer, and it doesn't mean that the saddle is sitting directly on all of those points. It's the pad that makes him sweat. Anyway, the guy claimed that over 80% of horses are asymmetrical and need custom saddles, which is why most saddles don't fit. Saddles are symmetrical, even though it is rare for a horse to have two shoulders and two hips that line up perfectly. Interesting point.
Yay, another ride out! So glad that is working for you. Will you be able to trot when Mina is around?
Horse flies, bleh!
Sweat patterns, yay! You can shim your saddle asymmetrically, of course. Fiddle was very lopsided when we started (she's left-footed, I'm right-handed, we meet in the middle), but is much more balanced now after 10 years of practice. She got really lopsided again when she injured her stifle, so I keep a close eye on sweat patterns and shoe wear so I will notice if things begin to change again, an early-warning symptom!
Can you order from Amazon or do they ship over seas?
NM, and also the movement of the saddle - the cantle tends to have more movement than the pommel which is held better by the girth - will cause less of a sweat/dirt mark. But then if the horse is out long enough, the mark will change, and the terrain, so I need to go out repeatedly short and long rides and then try a different saddle pad and see if anything changes. Here is the article (Jochen Schlese) about the movement: https://schleese.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/11/Saddle-Fit-Dust-Patterns-and-Sweat-Marks-EENov2016.pdf
Aarene, Mag had three additional lumps on his back after our ride, but they seem to be going down. I called the vet today and he told me to put medicine on the original lumps since they are still there. Actually he told me to use lavender oil, forgetting that it caused a bad reaction.
Ellie - yes, but if the product is imported from America, the shipping can cost more than the product: )
NM, here is a better article that ponders Schleese's theory, but includes the info about movement: http://www.trailwisesaddles.com/wordpress/?p=775
Ugh, you're so right on Zilco. My stuff by them faded horribly and is discolored now, too. I'll never buy again!
And have you ever tried to get your body to acclimate and be better in the heat? I struggle really badly in our hot, humid summers, too. I hate staying cooped up though so I've begun trying to electrolyte more and force myself out in smaller increments. It's slow going, but I'm getting more comfortable with time. It's kind of liberating!
Thanks for the links.
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