Ani's eyes were big when she saw my bare arms, she was decked out in a shiny poncho and rain pants that covered the tops of her rubber rain boots (how cute that she rides horses in actual rain galoshes!).
I think it was an hour into our ride when I realized I couldn't adjust my reins, give Mag a pat on the neck, or any other thing that requires movement of my hands.
I couldn't help but whine a little, "I can't feel my hands. I can't move my hands." Ani assured me her hands were fine, when I asked, because she had dressed appropriately.
Besides the horses slipping all day in the mud, it was a noneventful ride, and Ani and I each sang. It took me a while to get the nerve up, but she recognized the song - she loves worship hymns like I do, the ones from the free church.
This is the one I sang for her, which many of my readers already know, cuz it's popular:
I joked that I could just have my husband drive to us and deliver a coat and gloves, but that wasn't necessary cuz we were eventually gonna pass by my house. It's been so long since I've had the option of upgrading my gear mid-ride, since I boarded Baasha in the neighborhoods I lived, in SeaTac, Burien, Normandy Park. But most of my life I boarded far from home.
We rode into my driveway and my husband had been playing the piano and he opened the window, "HI MAG!" Mag jumped back, he'd never seen our house windows pop open like that. I asked him to please go get me my rain gear and he said, "Since you seem to know where it is, I'll just hold Mag here at the window."
I handed J the rein and of course Mag tried to follow me away, not comprehending he was attached to someone in the house: )
I heard J chatting with Ani a little as I found my things.
I put on my favorite wool flannel shirt (over 20 years old) and then my rain jacket (no longer rainproof) and a pair of polar fleece gloves.
I thanked my husband and we went on our way.
10 seconds later I felt warm.
Ani said, "So, you were cold today? I will remember this. The day you were cold."
I said, "It feels so amazing to be WARM!"
And then I got on Mag's back and the coziness extended up there too, and it was bliss.
Now I need good gloves.
I've read reviews that Seal Skinz riding gloves are the very best. 100% waterproof, but 60Euros a pair. Do any of you have experience with them?
***
I have to tell you about the silly side of Mag that showed itself today. I was leading him down our little street, following Ani on Mira, and Mag started to tell us what he thought about passing by our house and NOT being done for the day.
He was walking politely behind me at the end of the (8 foot long) line and without warning he just turned up the neighbor's driveway. He was halfway to their front door before he ran out of line. I cracked up, "Do you wish to visit the Huttes?" (our neighbors). Very funny Mag.
Then he did the same at the next driveway, Frau Hilde and Herr Ingo.
And the next little not-driveway, no one lives there.
And the next open area by the trail, he just made a 90 degree turn and wandered off.
It cracked me and Ani up, every time.
Mag often walks off trail when I'm riding, but this is the first time he's done it as I've led him.
***
Something new. I've been in Germany a long time, and I've never experienced what happened today on our way home from our ride. I was leading Mag down Hohestrasse when a little fluffy dog was jogging right toward us on the sidewalk.
Alone, no person in sight, and at Hohestrasse, where you can see a kilometer or more in all directions.
The dog walked right up to us, Mag reached down and sniffed him, and the dog said, "How do you do?"
I answered, "How do you do?"
The dog squeezed between me and Mag and then carried on, purposefully. I turned to look after him, and he peed on a tree, and then trotted on. My analysis was that he had just let himself out for a walk.
How odd. How America.
In one of J and my favorite shows, Northern Exposure, a loose dog crossed the street to the town in every single episode.
This made me smile.
Update: Today I saw the dog again, on leash in front of a house where it was headed, so all is well.
***
Some pics of Mag in my new favorite blanket of all time, and October.
Not totally adjustable under the neck, but more adjustable than Horseware.
A pattern that seems to say, "Black-hole resistant, when used in Outer Space."
I cannot emphasize enough, the poop free area here. Every day I clip and unclip these snaps, and every day they are shiny and poop free. How extraordinary! Horseware has a back-end strap that catches all that passes, and you cannot unclip without your hand turning green.
When it was brand new.
Do you see the hay lying to be gathered into bales? This is the FOURTH time this year for the very industrious neighbor farmers out our windows. You can see some Hagebutte (rose hips) that I have tried to cut back. Supposedly they are healthy for horses, and sold as supplements here.
I love watching the farmers work. This was before they soaked the field in fermented cattle sewage, it smelled so bad it burned.
Not pretty, but newly trimmed by Seli, I wanted to test her. I like and dislike what I see. But only a few more rides will tell if his hooves hold up to her style. He will fight long toes, underslung heels his entire life. Today I wanted to Mustang roll his hooves so badly, but I will give her a few more days to prove that he might not need it. Hm!
What is this? I found a little pocket at each corner of Mag's new blanket. What could they be?
OH my, I know. They are built-in drainage holes for water, when the blanket is washed. If you've ever washed a blanket by hand, a blanket with filling, you know how the water gets trapped in the filling (cuz only the outer layer is waterproof). It takes days to drain out. Well, Weatherbeeta built in a drainage system! Cool. In Spring, when I wash them, I'll get to test their system.
Why they don't include this as a feature in their blanket description. Perhaps cuz most people do not wash their blankets by hand every Spring.
This just makes me long for a rain jacket of my own, that actually keeps water at bay.
"I think I see a detour I might make, in our future outings." - Mag
"Less planning, more grazing." - me.
4 comments:
That blanket looks like a good one! And Mag he sure has a lot of character
There's nothing worse than cold rain. It chills to the bone. Mag looks lovely in his blanket.
Crystal, it's too long in the drop, but makes up for it in other ways. Mag really is starting to show more character. He actually nickered at me the other day because I somehow surprised him, and it took him off guard, and he wanted to express his thoughts about that. It was like a scolding, "Don't surprise me like that!" *lol*
Teresa, I need more pics of you and your horse. One per post is not enough.
I read your post and then grabbed a wool sweater to wear to work today, lol!
The drain feature in the blanket is interesting. Fiddle is currently wearing a Weatherbeeta rain sheet (it doesn't fit well, but everything else is too insulated and it's still 50* and warmer most days, even with the rain) to see if it has that feature
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