A perfect moment, and Ani rides Mag for the first time!

Remember that Star Trek film where the alien tries to teach Picard how to stop time to enjoy a perfect moment? Ahhhhhhh, I had it today. A moment of mindfulness on Mag's back. Time stopped. The rain didn't.

At 7:30 I lay in bed and my house was being pelted by rain and the wind gusts were trying to tear our slate shingles off our house. It's really loud when that happens. I thought, "Just let me sleep, storm, the sky is pitch black still."

Finally I got up and discovered a horse so muddy I had to call Ani and say, "Sorry, I need more time, my horse is fully encrusted."

I attached the dreaded rump rug (OGOG We're all gonna die), cuz the rain was coming down hard and it was snow-temps (not under freezing, though).

As always the rump rug gives me pause - I want to make my wimpy horse comfortable, but I know he hates it with the fire of a thousand suns, and I risk my life riding with it. But today the weather was brutal. I spent a long time shaking it around, tacking up, to his dismay. You should have seen his eyes.

I actually rode Mag on the way to meet Ani today, because the trails are so freaking muddy now, it's almost impossible to navigate them if you're a human. His four hooves do much better.

As you know I don't normally ride Mag alone. But I will try from time to time, and Mag was game today. Which is even more relevant when you know I have ridden him twice in the last 6 weeks.





That is, he didn't balk in fear, not once. He was up, cuz holy crap we were riding in blowing wet gusts, but he *listened* to me, despite his Vorwarts Drang (go-go-go!). Every time we approached a slippery descent, I put more weight in my stirrups and said, "Easy, nice and slow" and he actually listened, and slowed down! Every single time as we went up and down, up and down. I praised him and praised him, cuz I could feel how on fire he was to just go, in the storm. A horse that is rate-able  in this weather, I was astounded, to be honest.

When we met Ani, I was surprised to see she was not riding! She's giving Mira time off because of the dental work she had 2 weeks ago. I was so surprised, I inadvertently made her feel bad, I heard her voice get defensive about it. "No," I said, "I"m not disappointed, I'm just surprised, and I don't think we can do the route I'd planned, if you're on foot - it's too muddy. So, let's just ride your side."

So we set off and I felt bad for her in the mud, as I enjoyed the security from the saddle. I told her we should cut it short, and she finally agreed. 

We were on this trail that passes under S1's pasture (but I could not find Bintu, he must have been hiding from the storm), and Mira stopped. She refused to budge. Ani said she has to pee. Indeed, it looked like it, but the mare would not pee.

And perhaps she needs to poop? We waited and waited, and she wouldn't. But she wouldn't move, and Ani was getting embarrassed. I said, "Oh my, she's Black Beauty, telling us there is danger ahead!" She didn't get the reference. Maybe  the book Black Beauty was not publishes in Germany.

I said, "No worries, this is the best 'stand still' exercise yet!"

GOOD BOY MAG! He got lots of treats as he stood there perfectly still, waiting for the mare.

I looked all around me and saw to our right a pond full of reeds with a stream feeding it loudly.

I said to Mira, "Look at the water, it will help you pee." I giggled but Ani didn't find it funny.

Then I realized how lovely the water sounded, and I just enjoyed it for a moment, the sight and the sound of it, this mushy green pond.

Ani begged her horse to either move or poop or pee, whatever......as I realized this was a perfect moment.

Mag was completely with me, calm, easy, waiting with all 4 hooves motionless, just waiting. This is my goal! Of course we had the perfect scenario, a trail-user free day, Mira just standing there, but it felt good.

I was grinning, "It's OK Ani."

And our moment was done. 

I told her to take us on a short loop and that she did, and soon we were back up the hill by this little sand arena that the locals use, including S1 and S2.

I looked at it longingly. An arena......

"Hey Ani, would you consider riding Mag in that arena? I'll take care of your horse, and I'll give you my helmet."

To my surprise, she agreed!

I adjusted my stirrups after she mounted, and she was off.

I have to tell you, I have not had the chance to see Mag with other riders on him very much. Twice since I've owned him. And his seller said to be very, very cautious, in fact, he almost didn't allow me to test ride him, after Mag had bucked the previous buyers off.

But I was confident that Mag would be good in this enclosed space and didn't tell Ani any of his history with strange riders.

She must have ridden him 30 minutes, probably more. Mira stood in the center sleeping, and I organized jumps and cavalettis and whips as I always do in new arenas.

She shouted to me the moment Mag blew out his nose in relaxation, "He's relaxing with me!"

I tried not to watch, cuz I hate being watched, but I know she wanted him to go into the big puddle, and when he did, he started playing and pawing and making waves that I couldn't not notice. Cute: ) Just don't lie down with her Mag!

All she did was ride around, patterns, and such, and finally I asked her to try some lateral movements.

And then she got Mag to do a few steps of side-pass, really, his first!

She was so happy she was shouting, "Look, look, look what he's doing!"

Mag doesn't know what that is, he has no idea where we want his legs/feet/body, so it's important we praise him, and that we did.

What I hadn't expected was how happy Ani was to ride Mag, and make a connection with him.

Someone in the house said, "Beautiful horse" to her and she said, "Thank you."

I wish I'd had a camera, but you would now have to see the muddiest horse on the planet. I could not get those mud clumps out of his forelock, mane, and tail.

As I moved around the outside of the arena, organizing things, Mag kept his eye on me. And Ani kept commenting about it, "Yah, there is your Mama"  over and over and "Ya, da ist dein Mami!"

Mag was kind of locked onto me, that feels good. When I finally entered the ring and sat on a jump standard, Mag came so close that his neck was over my head. Is he an insecure toddler?

Then we made our way back, but not before encountering Ulrike and her husband leading their piebald horses down the street. Ulrike is the one who bought me coffee at S2's horse show last summer, and seems to be a nice lady.

Ani shouted Hallo to them, and then said, "I RODE MAG! And we did lateral work!"

Ulrike praised her. I couldn't see Ulrike, cuz Mag was between us trying his best to touch noses with the ever-elusive Smoke. Mag has always been drawn to Smoke, I had a hard time earlier in this day getting him out of traffic because Mag wanted to meet Smoke. The two same-age boys finally put noses together and Ulrike offered to go riding with me and Ani in the future, assuring me that Smoke is a been there done that horse. "How old" I asked? He's 8. Hrm. We'll see then: )

Ulrike is always smiling, uncommon here, so I like her. I hope it works out.

They went on their way and I told Ani that she didn't need to accompany me halfway back, I'm good.

I used up all my treats on Mag, cuz he was perfect.

Almost home, I saw a falcon on a fence post between two enormous fields we were traversing. Its back and wings were white and brown flecked. Its breast was white, its eyes masked, it was a real falcon! I stopped and Mag waited, for-e-ver with me because I wanted to watch. It would fly straight up and then spread its tail like a fan, hovering above the field to our left. It just hung there in the wind, amazing. I spent perhaps 15 minutes following it to the next fence post, and then watching as it hovered in the air above us again. I don't think I've ever seen a falcon in Germany.

Some kids came on bikes and had no idea what we were staring at.

What a good day, with more than one perfect moment.