4th ride out with Seli and Momo

Today was 15 degrees cooler, no sun and breezy. Mag snorted a little on every exhale on our way to meet Seli - the cold makes him edgy.

I thought it would be the perfect day to take a longer ride, but she explained that it's Fathers day and all the fathers would be out in the woods with their wagons full of Schnapps. I'd never seen that in this region but sure enough, by the end of the day I'd seen a large group with a flag, loudly making their way down the street.

We met near my house and as we passed it, I asked J to come out and catch some photos of us. He commented that we were swapping horses and she said, "It's fun to ride a race car once in a while."





We led the horses over the streets and finally got on in the woods. I'd ask that she bring Momo in his western saddle because my Wintec rolls around too much on his sausage back. I hate how loud the saddle is, and how freaking huge, but at least it stays in one spot on his back.

I had a great time on Momo today - he's starting to figure me out and I began to be finer in my cues and expect more from him. Seli rode in the lead all day, I didn't want to interfere with her fun with Mag. I started trotting repeatedly to keep up with her, and finally she asked, "Can we trot?"

First time ever, for Seli on Mag.

It was the perfect spot, where I'd planned it actually, a long winding hill that most people use as a gallop stretch.

As I trotted up alongside her, she cued Mag to trot and he said, "Really, we're doing this?!" and he sprang forward, tail even higher than before.

About a third of the way up the hill, Mag stopped trotting and coughed. I'm afraid that cough will be with him forever: ( Then he trotted away again, but then he realized how much work it was, and he chose to walk. I was just cruisin along on my sofa horse Momo, enjoying. He tripped only twice today, thankfully, she'd done his hooves last week. She said, "It's so hard for me to find the time to trim my own horse." I said, "It's the story of the cobbler's kids."

It took us a while to get up the hill because both Mag and Momo kept breaking into a walk again (lazy!) but that's so much better than the alternative. I have very little experience trotting Mag on trail. And again, he exhibited a behavior that perplexes me. With no reason or warning, he suddenly kicked out behind him toward Momo, tail tucked into a J. We weren't close, so I don't understand it. She asked me what was that, and I said, "No idea, he did it with me before, it's random." I think something tickles or spooks him when he's trotting and his reaction is to kick. He also kicks out when standing still, when he doesn't want to. It's a mystery to me. Chiro says he's fine. 

We entered an area at the top of the hill where Mag had never been and he stared at everything and seemed nervous about some newly felled trees, but when she let him approach, he just took a bite of grass.

At one point something really worried Mag, and Seli jumped off him. What what? Finally I saw there was a guy with a dog ahead, and she wanted to put a leash on her dog to be polite. As she caught up her dog, I said, "Please don't tie your dog to Mag (like she does with Momo) - that could end badly." She said, "I won't." and the two dog people thanked each other and we proceeded, after passing through a gate, with too-small a space for horses, really, and both  Mag and Momo scraped their sides against the gate. Yikes - next time I'll bring some trimmers and widen that work-around again.

We got back on and she said, "Isn't it gorgeous up here?" I said, "I am full of good memories riding Baasha here." She said, "You haven't let him go yet."

I could have ridden 3 more hours, and I hope someday we can do half-day rides.

As we neared Hohestrasse (the fast street) I was amazed that she was riding Mag around the corner one-handed, where a semi could have suddenly appeared from behind the hedge. She just doesn't foresee possible issues - she's young and hasn't seen enough bad things happen, so she rides him like she rides Momo.

Then she swung her leg over his neck to dismount, and again his head flew up, "My gosh, something's coming at my ears!" and then she just stood there on Hohestrasse, and I realized she didn't have Mag in hand.

She just walked away from him!

Apparently she thinks all horses will just stand motionless when you dismount, no need to hold their rein/lead line. I walked up to Mag and said to her, "You trust him" and I took his lead rope. Yah, someday, but not today, Mag will be safe to stand on Hohestrasse with no one on his line. Actually, maybe never, it's 100kph. Would you let your horse stand there independently on the shoulder of a highway?

I really didn't want to get off Momo, my mobile sofa. She is thrilled that I enjoy him so much, and said again, "If you'd only ridden him the last 16 years, you'd expect every other horse to behave so." I suppose that could be true, but I doubt it.

We gave the horses treats and I shared my ice water with Mag but Momo jerked his head away when the water touched his lips.  As if, "How do you simulate Winter water temperature - what magic is this?"

Mag stood there gnawing on Momo's mane and neck and nuzzling him all over. Adorable!

Seli said, "It would be nice if we could get Momo more fit." I replied, "I've got the time, if you can ride out more often." But she doesn't. We'll see what happens.
 
I love the photos, even though we weren't mounted at the time. I love how my husband just snaps several in a row of us not posing.








These two horses are both 150cm.




She had some treats in that little bag and both of them were totally focused on it.









I wear the vest because I figure it gives cars a better chance to slow down in time (do you remember where this vest is from? My Best Story Ever.) I guess I'll quit wearing the vest someday when I'm more able to trust Mag.