Ani & Mira, part 2

The other day I wrote about our ride, before I knew the details I learned the next day. So this post runs chronologically.....

After our teary meeting and much standing there talking about it, I asked if we could get out of the sun cuz I was overheating. We took our slowest walk ever, and our horses were so good about that snail pace. As if they understood our conversation was more important than anything else today.


I respected Ani and we spent the morning being sad about Mira. I told her, since she was on foot, I'd come to her barn and only go for a short loop.

I had the wonderful idea to go down to the creek, wade right in, half-chaps and all, and then get on Mag and ride back from there.

Well, as soon as we arrived at the luscious flowing water, the horse flies descended on us. Both horses walked into the water to drink. I walked in a little but suddenly I had 5 horseflies on me at once, and I couldn't slap them away fast enough. They were attacking the horses too, but oddly, not Ani. No one else gets eaten by them like I do (and conversely, mosquitoes never bite me).

I took Mag once over the bridge and back for practice (I'm more worried about bridges than he is) and then I said, "Let's get outta here!" 

And the horse flies followed us. In fact once I got mounted, I almost had to quit riding because Mag was tossing his head so violently I almost lost the reins a few times.

I pulled his head around and did what I could to wipe them off his face, and he settled down, until a young buck sprang through the forest next to us, and Mag leapt forward. I said Ho! and he stopped as the deer jumped across our path and kept going full tilt.  Hrm.

After that Mag was really up, I could feel his energy like electricity through the saddle. Ani said, "Oh my, he's really upset!"  but I stayed on all the way to civilization, and kept the conversation going so I'd stay calm. 

I waited for Ani to feed Mira and asked her to walk home with me.

Again she pushed her bike in front of Mag and he nibbled on it the entire way. So cute.  He never gets up close to bikes, this is the second time.

I was feeling slightly ill from the heat so we went really slow. You know when you're so overheated you're no longer thirsty?

Then we parted ways and I took a very long time getting up the hill toward home, letting Mag graze.

I got bit in the FACE by a horsefly. This is why I carry medicine in my saddle bag.

Now that I'm home, I'm gonna wait to clean up my paddock and test my theory that horseflies are inactive at 4 PM, the hottest part of the day. What do you think, could it be true?

It's 83F now, and tomorrow they promise 0% chance of rain, instead, lightning storms and hail. Hail in 80F blows my mind.

***

That night Ani texted me that she wants to keep Mira here at our place. I knew she was despairing so I told her I'd see her in the morning. She wanted to move her saddle home to keep that other lady from riding Mira. But when I showed up, she was feeling better. She'd talked to her pastor and I think he helped calm her down.

Also, she told me she will not give Mira up - she'll fight to keep her (or at least to keep things the way they are).  She said Mira put her forehead against Ani's chest and she feels the mare wants to stay in Ani's care. So...nothing will change? Except that Ani will carry her grooming kit on her bike every day because she wants to make it difficult for the other lady.

She asked me if I had a tack locker she could use - I don't. But I have a bicycle cable and a padlock, and lucky for her, she rides western so you can thread the cable through the pommel hole.

I brought her to my house to get those things and my husband was home, and curious about her story, cuz it didn't make sense to either of us.

He told her to start at the beginning. Who owns the horse?

Well, it turns out, S2 *gifted* Ani and another lady, N, the horse. Hm. That's new.

And as she explained the day before, Ani pays most of the bills. N pays 50E per month and comes out a couple times a year and won't sell/give her up.

What was the catalyst for all this stress this week? We still don't really get it.

Ani admitted she is getting financial support (no idea) to help with Mira's costs.

I told her keeping Mira with us would be difficult because we don't have enough shelter for 3 animals, and Mira is not allowed to have full time pasture.

I suppose Mira hit the jackpot when she was gifted to Ani - I remember her standing unused in a pasture, covered with flies, basically waiting to die a few years ago. And now, despite a complicated, drama-filled situation, Ani will continue with her.

I really hope we get to do our all-day ride we'd planned for this Summer. If not, I'll be thankful for what I have.

***

Tomorrow I drive to Lower Saxony to an Arabian horse show. I'd so love to see more of Mag's relatives up close!

***

Our CMO group had a beach play day every February and one year my parents surprised us by showing up and getting some wonderful photos, which popped up on my photo server today. A chilly day at the Pacific coast sounds great right about now. 

     





     

My sister on Baasha, me and Princess Buttercup. I love how all 8 hooves are on the ground, and I'm not even holding onto the mare.


      I'll never forget how my life changed when I suddenly was free to go anywhere I wanted with my horse.