Ani and I ride Mag

There was no weather at all today. None, just an overcast sky (my favorite) and stillness. A perfect day to ride again after almost a month!

I was pretty early at our meetup point so I hung out with Mag on the busy road, at a traffic camera and bus stop. The speed limit is only 50 there so I didn't expect problems, and being Saturday I expected less big rigs. He was fine about a bus and even one of those tractors pulling covered wagons full of tourists (so weird). He did poop twice and I had to clean it up by kicking it off the sidewalk cuz we were in civilization.

Finally I saw Ani arrive, so we waited for a break in traffic to cross over to her. She was down the street and missed the entire show.

Remember how I said Mag had his best behavior, holding it together on a windy day when he wanted to dance around/escape for the hills? Well I guess it's my job to also hold it together cuz he will lose it if I act unpredictably.

As soon as there was a break in traffic I happily dashed into the street at a jog. He shot straight up in the air and ended his leap with an enormous buck right on the center line. Holy crap! He really is just hangin' on by a thread out there!

Ani had brought a rope halter and lungeline for me to use with Mag: amazing foresight, that decision, because he could use a little lunging, and I cannot free lunge him there - the fences are just eyesores, they wouldn't contain an animal.

He settled right down after a few moments of kickiness and surginess, remembering he's basically lazy.

I took some pics and video of Ani riding Mira, and then we let Mira roll in the sand and sleep while she rode Mag. She worked on the sidepass at a walk again with him, and she's so gentle about it he doesn't get too frustrated with her when it's hard. He did throw in his favorite tactic of backing up the entire arena width rather than do one more side step for her. I laughed, "I warned you about that - it's why I don't ask him to back up much."

Below is her video of me riding Mag.



At the end of this clip you can hear Ani ask, "Can I trot on him next time?": ): ) : ) I said, "You wanna right now?" And she said no, next time. I would have told her during her rides, "You can trot if you want" but I know what pressure is from people on the ground, and I didn't want her to do anything that made her uncomfortable. The simple question might have made her push herself and I didn't want that.

These videos show me how far we have to go, and make me really want an arena. Less than once per month is not enough, but I think this is a good example of a green horse who is still learning to carry a rider, but is blessedly lazy which makes us feel safe riding him. (I can hear Aarene's voice - "He's as green as your vest!")

In the clip below he sees a person walking in the distance, "We're not alone!!!!" Oh, Mag, you thought we were the last ones on earth?



Now for some photos, most of which I used a filter, cuz check it out, I made the sun shine!





So what breed would you guess Mira is? My first thoughts were a gaited breed, to me she looks like a small Peruvian Paso.



She's actually a registered Deutsches Reitpony - which is a non-breed, if I understand correctly - you can get your horse registered if it passes certain tests - oh, someone correct me? This is Ani's heart horse - her first, and Mira is not so young. I dread the pain of loss she will have to experience, I tell her to enjoy every moment. And she does. In many of my photos and videos from this day, Ani's grinning. She simply loves being on Mira's back, her "little mouse."




"These reins have a lovely mouth feel." A few minutes later he discovered the rubber martingale stoppers and he blissed out on them. I was trying to take photos of Ani but I couldn't help capture his chewy antics as well. At one point he put his nose in my fleece jacket hood and I warned him not to try anything.




"Pimple grip is my grip of choice," he says. Not mine! I am about ready to retire this bridle and reins because they have faded to yellow, after only 3 years, which you can't see in photos but in real life is ugly. So, chew 'em up Mag! I love his gothic eye-liner in Winter, and how his nose isn't quite as pink.




I made the sun shine shadow-free! Mira is awesome, she does whatever she's asked, but has her own opinions about things like going out in snowfall, and standing still (never!). She was owned by S2, they attempted to breed her but she got beat up by the stallion, and she was gifted, I believe, to Ani, who will love every hair on her body the rest of her life. She is not lame, but she moves wide behind in compensation, to which S1 complains to me, "That horse should not be ridden."





However, Ani weighs as much as a feather in low atmosphere, and rides conservatively, getting off and leading her up hills. Ani's worried about her weight this Winter but I told her more would stress her joints, so try not to worry. She said, "I feed her so much..." And indeed, every day Ani puts two 5-gallon buckets on the handlebars of her bicycle and rides through snow and ice to go feed her mare, and then a few hours later, returns again by bike to turn her out.



Oh, finally her massive forelock moved aside so we can see her eye! She looks so comfortable to ride at a canter. Ani offered me but I won't, the dear old mare doesn't need to carry someone as heavy as me.




The smile!




Wish I had a good camera, but I'm happy I was able to share these blurry but great moments with Ani. She was totally thrilled when I gave them to her.



I just realized, looking at this photo, that she's wearing a rain slicker on Mag, who is afraid of all things slickery. Good there was no wind. But really, is he getting better about rain gear?




I love how she's grinning. Like riding this unknown factor of a horse is absolutely smashing. And I hope you can see that Mag is also fine with this flappy coated rider.




This is the moment where he says, "STOP." I've been doing this side stepping thing with my nose pointed at that half-wall for several, many steps now, and I think we should say "done". How 'bout a snack, or little break?




She didn't have any snacks but she rubbed on him and praised him and he didn't have to do any more of that sideways stepping stuff. I'm grinning and complimenting her on her technique. Because he never got defensive, he never offered to rear when pressured, as he has done before. She kept him comfortable the entire time.

And  Mag, if you stand just like that, you appear to have a butt, which everyone knows you do not, but hey..


I love this conversation they are having. Not sure what it is.




Back home, he gets some hay. I wanted to document his weight, cuz he's so bony now, but this photo does not show it.

Right now I walked out there and saw a horse I did not recognize.

J said, "Hey, I think Mag is back at the barn, but he's completely black with mud. Doesn't look like our horse."

"OK let me go see if he runs away when I call him."

Dang, it was him.