Mag gets a new fan...or two

It stopped precipitating for Ani's and my "ride" today, after three days straight. But it's only 2C out and windy, so I dressed warm. Poor Mag about froze to death, I could tell the cold was bothering him because he was having a hard time walking politely behind me, he kept pressing forward, snort-breathing, and jogging at random times. I'm sure he'd have preferred to go for our walk today with some sort of blanket on. (But I miss actually seeing what my horse looks like in Winter.)

Wow my legs are tired after three hours of muddy hills. It feels soooo nice to sit here in a warm house.


(Since it's November.......November 2015 was when I met Mag, and this photo was taken earlier that year by S1 who had encouraged me to buy him from her dealer. This is one of the first photos I saw of Mag, and I labelled this photo "fatty." You can see how lazy he is in arenas here, being forced to move around, barely moving, and is he glaring? Since it's November, I feel the need to reflect on our past.)

I didn't think about what would happen when we encountered the stream, which is rushing like a river right now. I don't think Ani thought about it either, so right before she rode into the water, I handed her Mag's lead line.

YES that is presumptuous of me, perhaps impolite, to expect her to pony my horse across a rushing, deep stream without asking first. But what was my option? I wasn't going in, the water would have come up to my butt, and that would have ruined my morning.

So I stepped up onto a bridge I've never been on in my life, because I am always riding through, or in Summer, walking in the water.

Mag saw me go up to the bridge and he just decided to climb the embankment and follow me!

Ani said, "Oops." and I grabbed his trailing rope. And together we crossed that bridge, and it was pretty tense because it looks so crappy, and I've never even seen a horse on it.

It was fine, thank God. Mira was up to her stirrups in the deep water and lost an easyboot.

After, Ani said, "Your horse is really attached to you, he didn't want to come with me."

I said, "It could be, but more likely he didn't notice the hand-off and thought he was still attached to me." So Ani got out of her first chance to pony Mag, but that's probably for the best, the way those two horses bicker. I'd feel terrible if Mag attacked her again and Mira fought back and Ani fell off into the water.

A ways later we ran into Ulrike and her dog. Ulrike boards with Ani and we hung out at that Western horse show in August. They talked and talked, giving the horses a chance to be good and stand still.

Mira was having a terrible time standing still today, Ani says it's cuz she switched feeds and it has too much energy. She had to circle Mira around to get her to stop, and several times today when Mag fell behind (due to drinking or peeing) Mira refused to wait for him!

Finally Ulrike said hi to me and Mag and Mag kept trying to touch her dog with his nose, but the dog would back up out of reach. Then Mag licked Ulrike's hand for quite a while, so cute. Then he just held his lead rope in his mouth and she said, "What a baby." I know, I can't think of him as anything else, unfortunately.

I pointed out the lumps on his back as the reason I wasn't riding, and she politely asked about the treatment options.

Then this hiking couple came by and the man pointed to Mag and said, "I'll take him."

The ladies laughed and said I wouldn't give him up.

Mag was naked except for his rhythm bell necklace, and rope halter, so despite his yellow/brown hues and mud ornaments, he did look pretty cute.

Then we parted ways and finished our ride by the ostrich/bison farm. Though we'd been by here dozens of times, the ostriches have always been far enough away that Mag never noticed them. Today he finally noticed them.

They were close, but frozen, as usual, they just stand there like creepy statues staring down at us. Mag arched his neck and posed and I asked Ani to give us a minute. Mag was snorting away but the stupid birds never moved. Oh well, maybe next time. I just don't want to be on his back the first time he sees one move!

Then Ani and I parted ways and I took Mag over Hohestrasse to expose him to more traffic.

And sure enough, a tractor pulling a trailer loaded with Christmas trees flipped him out, I almost lost him. What the heck is his problem lately?

So I stood at the fastest part of the street and parked him under my favorite tree. He didn't appreciate having to stand there for no good reason, and started digging a hole. But it was a great spot, just off the sidewalk, with a fence for me to lean on. I am pleased that I thought of it because I need to find places that are more challenging for standing still lessons. If I just stop him on the sidewalk, he'll stand there all day. I have to seek out difficulties.

As soon as we pulled off Hohestrasse onto our little street, Mag let out a big sigh. It is stressful up there.

Did that guy really want my horse? How flattering! And Mag would have happily gone with them, I'm sure, he is so fond of strangers.



(October 2016)