On the way to meet Ani I thought of all the things that can go wrong. That big construction truck we had to pass wasn't as much of a problem as an entire school class of children walking down the street. That blew Mag's mind, that so many people can exist in one place.
Ani is trying to get me hooked up with her trainer but I'm not too enthusiastic because I've had a litany of good, but not great trainers, all 3 of which dumped me for various good reasons (but I think Mag was too much for them).
I dreaded getting on Mag's back because it's the first truly cool day we've had and he was snorting every stride. He also broke into a jog several times just excited to be out.
So the first 20 minutes I just stayed on the ground, and then finally got on, but had the annoying problem again of Mira refusing to wait for us. I had asked, "Can you please wait for us while I get on?"
Mag is great about letting me mount from little slopes or stumps and today was no different but I knew Mira would not want to wait for us, and that would make it harder for Mag to be good and stand still. So I asked her to please wait for us. And she tried. And again, failed.
Mag saw Mira walking off down the trail and twisted around to see her, so I couldn't get on. I yelled at him more for Ani's benefit, to show her I need her to come back.
I got Mag repositioned and called out to her, "Can you please wait for us?"
Ani said, "I'm trying!" and she turned Mira in a circle. A good idea, but not effective enough, because she never got Mira actually stopped, and her next circle was further away, and her next one was even further. She was almost out of sight by now, and I repeated, "Can you please wait for us?" and she repeated, "I'm trying!"
Hrm. I got on Mag and asked him to stand for a while, as I always do, and he gets cookies for that. He loves that part. And Mira was still in view, so he was OK.
I used to be amused that this ancient mare refuses to stand still for a moment on trail, but now I'm seriously annoyed. I never raised my voice at Ani but I just repeated my plea.
(I forgot to say, when Ani mounted, Mira took off at a walk even though Ani said, "Mira hold still while I get on!" Nope. Verbally saying hold still while the horse is walking away doesn't help. You have to bring them back. Or whatever other method you like, but not just giving up. I know cuz I used to have a horse that did this every time.)
Mag was flustered at first cuz Mira was so far ahead of him, but eventually we caught up (at a walk, no jigging) and I started to be able to enjoy myself.
Mira, though booted up front, continually walks on the edges of the trail, putting Ani's face/body in the bushes and trees repeatedly. It happened so often today that Ani was complaining to the mare, "Stop it" and I even commented, "Your steering wheel doesn't work.": )
Not to be mean, I assume if it's important enough to Ani, she'll teach her horse not to do this crap. It's obviously not a priority, and I cannot make it so. Just that waiting for me while I mount, that's important.
I twisted around in the saddle a lot today, stretching my sore back (too much hedge trimming) and even daring myself to touch Mag's rump behind the saddle, knowing how that sort of thing can be disastrous.
Today he was fine, and it was one of those days he stops from time to time, "cookie now?": )
I like how with Mira, he follows her without trying to rush or pass. No idea why he must be in front of Momo.
Oh, I forgot to mention, on our way to the trail head, leading, Mag attacked Mira twice. No idea, and I've never seen that look on his face before! His ears were not totally pinned, but halfway there, very ugly. He even pinned them a few times at her while I was riding. Each time he did, he got to do a few steps of leg yield.
We encountered bikers and dog walkers collecting their loose dogs, or hiding in the bushes from us (!!) but everything was fine.
Until Mag stopped to grab a bite of blackberry and somehow the branch moved toward us and hit him in the forelegs. He panicked and bolted forward 3 nightmarish strides, the rubber grip in the reins burning my hands. It was that moment I'd been waiting for - Mag is going to bolt with me until he dumps me - LIKE ALL THE OTHERS - this is it. But then he just stopped. Amazing.
I'm surprised because just yesterday I gave him 5 large walnut branches to munch on and walk through/get tangled up in. I put branches in their paths for this reason, I hope it helps eventually!
That was all the excitement of the day, and I'm grateful for that.
I had to laugh at one point - I remembered a story I wanted to tell Ani so I said, "Hey I wanted to tell you something" and instantly Mag jumped into a trot to align himself beside Mira so we could talk more easily. I swear I gave him no physical cue, he just read my mind, "She wants to ride side-by-side now" and he did it. In reality I probably had a moment where I thought "forward" and he felt it. But to feel him respond to "mostly a thought" was awesome.
Mostly awesome because it teaches us that horses sometimes are willing to connect with our thoughts/wishes, and not just be told what to do. Isn't it miraculous, that they seek our guidance at times? They wish to be led, even as they carry.
I'm grateful Mag stands for mounting, stands for cookies, and steers on trail. I'm grateful to have a friend to ride with who doesn't seem to mind how pedantic I am. Someday this twitchy behavior will be gone, I hope.
Almost home, some nice neighbors came out to pet Mag and say how beautiful he is, "In his field with his neck arched and his tail up like a bow - he's gorgeous!" I said, "I enjoy looking at him too" *grin* They cuddled and cuddled him, letting him rub his face (gently) on their chests.
Oh, and the lady said "You've lost weight!" to me, that sure feels nice.
The new nose thing. It looks pretty good with his bit in, but reminds me of a vaulting horse or carriage horse.
Our bounty lately.
More bounty. I'd like to learn to dry it out and use it as air freshener.
Got this photo today - a preview. Still unfinished.
And for the first time ever, Mag licked the salt. And has a curious method......
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11 comments:
Nice work on your part. IT would drive me bonkers to ride with Ani I think. The not waiting can be very dangerous and having a horse that doesn't know how to stand is a disaster waiting to happen.
Yeah, not waiting would have me plenty annoyed. More than annoyed actually. Odd that she has a trainer yet seems pretty clueless about so much. Still she seems very pleasant to be around otherwise.
Sounds like you had a Mark Rashid moment when Mags went up alongside like that.
I adore my minis but, still dream of being in the saddle. Maybe someday.
Teresa, I agree with you - and there was one time we almost got into serious trouble.
Camryn, I have a difficult time assessing her skill level, because she seems so educated. Hey, a Mark Rashid moment, exactly! I dream of being in the saddle of my own horse without so much worry. And having a mini would be cool.
Sounds like a very successful ride! What if Ani got on after you, since she and her mare seem so delinquent about trail manners?
re: Ani Perhaps you could suggest a "teach Mira to stand" day without Mag. I rather suspect she has no idea how to teach/train/maintain the skill of standing still for mounting. I know you know how to do it. So maybe you can help her fill the gap?
Don't expect her trainer to teach this, I've never met a trainer who gave a rat's ass about it one way or the other unless they were teaching tiny children. I think it doesn't occur to them, since "mounting" for a lesson happens once, unlike stuff like circles.
Lavender: Cut it in the morning when it's in full bloom, and bundle it with a rubber band at the stem end. Hang the bundles stem-up in a cool dry dark place (I use my closet) with a paper bag over the flower heads if you don't want them all over the floor, because some will fall off. When they are completely dry, remove the bag. If the flower heads fall all over the floor, they make the floor smell good. :-)
N D, I wonder if I could arrange that. I'm pretty sure Mag would stand until I asked him to move away from the bench we use to mount, cuz she'd be forced to wait behind us. An interesting idea.
Aarene, hey, I did it already: ) Remember, the day I said, "Oh, look, Mira made it to 11 seconds!" and Ani was ashamed, cuz Mag was ready to just stand there (of course I had it set up, a big intersection). Yah, we did it a few times.
I tried to make it a game, "Let's see how long" and almost immediately I learned her horse could not do it, and I am not the kind of person who says, "Hey, GET BACK AND PLAY THIS!" You would have been able to bend her mind to it, I know.
Thanks for the info about lavender, I have so much, it's a shame to just cut it and throw it over the creek (where we throw all our yard waste - without city yard waste fees, woo!).
Paper bag, that will be hard cuz they don't exist here. (Of course there are plastic bags but they cost money so no one uses them.)
Come visit, gather our lavender! And cherries, and currants, and and and...
Aarene, Sorry, I missed your "without Mag" comment. I really don't feel up to walking an hour over our city streets (no trail, just traffic) to get to her barn, to help a situation where she sees no problem - not yet anyway. I wouldn't know how to politely approach the subject. After all the ...."obvious insinuations" I've made over all this time. I'm at a communications standoff I guess.
Sadly, so many people anthropomorphize creatures and think they can merely speak to them, and they will understand. They are too afraid and lack the confidence to be firm and show the creature the way.Mira has Ani well trained.
Khanalee could pick up on my thoughts too, or so it seemed, but really, you do start to whisper your aids to the horse before you actually do it.
I found that when I had a disaster or near disaster, I had to go back in my head and redo it the right way. It wasn't always easy. If the horse spooked and ran away, I would re-ride it in my head and do a one rein stop. I would practice the one rein stop the minute I got in the saddle. I repeated it to myself over and over in the saddle. So instead of your life flashing before your eyes, you are prepared with something else. And the horse is prepared through training and repetition "One rein stop! One rein stop!" The time I was with two other riders, and I was riding Maguire, a young Arabian who was nervous about the brush we were riding in, and the lead horse turned and bolted back towards us, and the others followed (their "wonderfully Parelli method trained" horses they were riding in rope halters." Such bullshit!), I was scared yes, and young Maguire was like, "Hell, if they're scared, I'm outa here!" but I was repeating my mantra out loud, I was my own riding coach, "One rein stop! One rein stop! One rein stop!" and I did it. I stayed on my horse that day, which I can't say for the other riders. Have a plan and practice that plan, and both you and your horse will be prepared.
Bus? I know you know how to use those to get around, you showed us, LOL. :-)
If you don't have paper bags (for the lavender) make a loose envelope from newspaper or brown packing paper. Or just let the flower heads fall on the floor, they are easy enough to sweep or vacuum (or leave them on the floor, smelling lovely).
OR do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=uU84SXfFBgU
KB, thanks for your comment. I appreciate how you share your similar experiences but you don't tell me what I must do: )
Aarene, Ugh, there is no bus that goes to her barn; ( OK I'll start drying more lavender!
Those lavender wands are adorable!
I read that lavender is considered a weed in parts of Spain. Indeed, it is spreading around and coming up through the bricks of my driveway, everywhere. A nicer smelling weed I don't know. Excluding your next door neighbor of course.
I love that salt licking video. He is adorable. I'm surprised that's the first time he's licked it. Chrome acts like a salt addict (of course it's so hot here they have sweat running down their legs just standing around and grazing, so can't blame him). I like Mag's technique. :)
Congrats on the good ride despite the aggravations!! I hear you on the bolting thing. Chrome did that to me on the road once. Scared the daylights out of me!! He stopped though, after three strides, like Mag did. It's incredible how many thoughts can go through your mind in such a short time though..... I'm glad you didn't let it put you off the ride.
You are so patient to put up with Ani's mare's vices. Ugh! I've ridden with people/horses like that and it is so annoying, especially when training a green horse. I'm glad Mag doesn't seem to bothered by them. :)
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