My cloud server opened to this photo and I'm enjoying it so much. Imagine a time you can see your breath!
Below is my favorite photo from Sunday - I think this is the one I'll have framed for my wall. Strangely, the elderberry tree branch in the foreground fell down yesterday, so if we'd had the photo shoot later, it wouldn't be a "character" in this photo. I love it!
***
On today's ride with Ani I had that familiar dread again, and rehearsed all the things that could go wrong. We were early so I sat on a bench with Mag tied to a tree for a while, after filling in a hole that looked dangerous to me.
I had lots of time to plan for all the things that can go wrong on a horse today.
When Ani joined us I said, "Let's use this bench to get on" and she said, "I can't. I can't back Mira up into that slot." I pondered that for a moment and realized that this bench was mostly surrounded by brush, only open to one side. It never occurred to me that backing a horse up to a mounting block could be a problem. Mag showed Mira how it's done (and I'm really glad I filled in that hole).
Ani said she wanted to go to my favorite trail today, and that's a little bit of a longer loop than normal but I was happy to go there. I didn't have the courage to ride on our street today, especially when our hay farmer rumbled by in the tractor that spent the night in our pasture.
The farmer had swapped it for his car, and as we passed our pasture Mag was very disturbed to see a car, a CAR! in his field. I know, that's new for me too!
There was a lot of traffic on our street, and a delivery truck worried me as it squeezed by us, but Mag was fine. Two people were weed whacking directly next to our path/street, yeesh. Two loose dogs disregarded their owners and ran up to us rudely. Two nordic walkers paused politely to let us pass.
Back in the woods, we got on and rode up to my favorite trail, where Mag took the lead.
He happily strode forward and didn't mind when I asked him to stop and wait for Mira every so often. He never spooked, nothing bad happened, but I imagined a pack of wild dogs coming around the corner and killing and eating us. Where did that come from? There are no wild dogs here. See, I run out of reasonable things to worry about and start inventing things.
Something else new today - an elderly lady was working in her garden and she had forgotten to put on a shirt. She was wearing a bra. Not a sports bra, a typical older lady's bra (beige with lace). She was clearly a C cup, and stared at us as we rode by. I was, "WTH!!!" I've seen topless people at the beach here, but not this. Should I have said something? "Excuse me ma'am but you forgot to finish getting dressed!": ) (It was not a hot day today, so that wasn't it.)
We're planning an all-day ride (the longest trail I know of) during Summer break, when my husband is home, and I told Ani I'd like it if we could have a picnic at the furthest out point, where there is a covered grilling area. And I could ask J to bring us lunch so we wouldn't have to carry it on the horses. It's about a 15 minute drive, but it will take us 3 hours to get there, I estimate. I'm actually really looking forward to this, our "big adventure" riding all day. It's important to have dates on your calendar you can look forward to. It's been a while for me.
She said we'll have to do it soon, because her horse "isn't getting any younger." She's worried that long rides will be impossible soon. I don't see any signs of lameness, but I trust Ani when she worries.
Walking Mag home, I let him graze along our street. He's starting to leave his penis out - all the way out - on our walks, and Sunday I even trotted with him to see if he'd put it away, and he didn't. This is embarrassing for me but the Germans don't mind. I read that it means Mag is really comfortable with me, and I shouldn't worry about it.
.JPG)
10 comments:
it's always good when the wild dogs don't get you :)
I sometimes imagine the worst case scenario. Then I get mad at myself.
Whenever my boys have "it" out, it means they are formulating some practical joke they are about to play on me, so I have to head it off at the pass by saying, "You better not!" Most of the time they are thinking about goosing me as I walk by or stealing something from me and running off with it.
It does mean he is relaxed. He’s a good boy.
Pre-riding anxiety is a familiar companion of mine, but in my case my horse has set a consistent disastrous precedent, which is why I don’t ride her anymore. Riding with friends like you’re doing is a good way of overcoming it, but do know that you have the power to control those thoughts. Having that power is what got me safely down the endurance trail time and time again. The mental factor was exhausting.
In my case, after so many injuries I’m just over it and see no reason to deal with my pre-riding anxiety in relation to this horse when I know the outcome will eventually be the same: I’ll either get hurt again or outright killed by the mare.
You have a really wonderful horse Lytha. He adores you. He’s not Baasha; Baasha was irreplaceable. But he’s Mags, and Mags is unique in all the world too. We don’t usually multiple heart horses. But sometimes we get soul horses. One love can be just as great as another and still be completely different, and that’s ok. ❤️ “Love” in English is such a limiting word when there are so many different colors, shades and levels to the emotion.
I’ve been lucky to have two heart horses, so it can happen if you’re open to it. I was actively looking when Cloud fell into my lap.
And I’ve found my soul horse with Gracie.
Saiph, I though Lucerno was your heart horse. Who is Cloud?
I worry about you and your TB, but when I see the facilities you have today, I think, wow, Saiph can do anything in that round pen! But goin in circles is not your goal, I know. I just got jealous when I saw it, cuz I could gain so much confidence in a safe enclosure.
Hey Saiph, have you experienced Subcutaneous Emphysema in your practice? I don't know if you saw my post about it recently, a horse puffed up like a crackly balloon - June 17th.
We'll see what happens. Thanks for the kind words. I finally understand that he does love me. He dozed off with his head on my shoulder yesterday. Baasha did that on the plane, cuz they cannot lie down. What a great feeling!
NM, A joke? Really! I'll let you know how this proceeds.
Teresa, the wild dogs thing took me by surprise. WTH. How wonderful that my horse does not let my fantasies upset his fun out there. Gosh I miss Seli and Momo - it's been 2 months. I need to sit on Momo and watch Mag having fun from the safety of his enormous back.
Good thing Mags isn't yet a mind reader! Perhaps the more eerie thoughts you have that don't materialize, the more relaxed you'll become? Oh yes, that pic is a framer for sure ❤️
I loved Lucero because he was basically my son: I raised him from a baby and owned him for 20 years. But he was not my heart horse. That was Tamarindo, the OTTB stallion that was so convinced he was mine, he would only jump for me. Any height, any fence, only for me. No one else, and I saw it with my own eyes. I wanted to buy him so badly but he was priced out of our range. My trainer was furious that he wouldn’t jump for her and sold him to another riding school, where he was starved and abused and died from an infected wound. I grieved for years for him, because he died and I couldn’t save him.
Cloud: I had just graduated from vet tech school and wanted to get back into horses. I was volunteering at this shady side-business rescue being run by a local boarding barn (she was using the rescue to rake in money. I didn’t know it at the time. But it was all kinds of illegal.) I looked online at the SFL SPCA’s available horses and my eye just fell on this gray QH. He was standing with his head high and proud, naked and free except for a bridle on his head. He looked so regal...I had shown the photo to Carlos and said, “That horse. If I was to pick a horse for myself, I would want that one.”
A week later, the lady from the rescue I was volunteering at announced, “I got two horses in from the SPCA for us to foster and adopt out!” My jaw dropped when I realized one of them was the gray. He was literally BROUGHT TO ME by fate or whatever. Of course I had to work with him and I claimed him as my project. 3 months later I had signed his adoption papers. The catch: he was a free adoption.
That horse...he would do anything for me. Trail riding? Check. Jumping? Check. Dressage? Check. Tool around bareback in a halter? Check. Gallop through fields? Yup. I never had a single doubt that he would keep me safe. He did have a history of abuse and was a completely different horse with anyone else on him: a nervous wreck. Me? He became an extension of me. I called him my unicorn.
The lady that owned both this barn and the rescue lost all of her boarders within a couple of months: she scared them off. She was mentally unstable and an alcoholic. I gave my notice too, and she backed up on the adoption papers. She called the cops on us and Carlos and I sat there waiting for them: we had done nothing wrong. The cops sided with us but said because the horse had been free, they couldn’t help us and the case would have to go through small claims court.
I was terrified that the lady would starve him in the meantime and claim I had done that. Cloud was fit, muscular and with not a rib showing. So I let him go. Letting him go is what led me down the road that took me to Lily.
A good friend of mine, the last boarde at that barn, kept an eye on him. He waited for me for months.
He was eventually adopted by a little girl that adored the daylights out of him. I got to see pictures of him...he was happy, covered in painted handprints with his eyes bright and ears pricked. He was jumping for his little one. I was thrilled to hear he had had a happy ending. I asked for a gaited horse with his qualities. I found her in Gracie.
Lily I prefer to discuss via email.
SQ emphysema? Yes. It’s common with penetrating wounds, and can be quite dangerous: it can be a sign of damage to the trachea, causing a leak, which requires emergency surgery. We see it a lot this time of year, when people take their dogs to the park and they get attacked by other dogs. We recently had one die post-op from a lacerated trachea. Couldn’t save him. ☹️ I’ll go back and read that post; I missed that one!
I've been so out of the loop from blogging for so long I had no idea about Lily. That's sad. I'm curious about what happened but I understand you not wanting to discuss it here. I'm very glad you have Gracie.
The picnic sounds like so much fun!!!
I do the worst case scenario thinking too. It's weird because I only do it when I'm riding consistently. If it's been a while I'm so excited I don't even think about it, no hesitation, no fear. If I'm riding consistently and the excitement has worn off I start thinking of all the bad things that could happen. Isn't that weird?
Saiph, I'll try to reach out to you via email. I had no idea about Cloud, and I thought I paid attention to your blog. Did I miss something or did you never talk about him? I know you posted about Lily resting her head against your belly, your thighs, a sign of complete trust. Mag is just starting to do that. Lily finds peace in your company, even though she cannot give it back to you. You know, Mark Rashid said, "In many cases with middle aged women dealing with fear, I encourage them to get physically fit, because balance and strength will help in those scary situations." Hrm. You seem to be, no, ARE, the fittest of us all, so ...hrm. Not that I disagree, but...
Achieve, I agree it's odd that you have less anxiety after not riding a while, I think it means you truly love riding Chrome, because you don't feel worry until later. Leave his mane!
Post a Comment