I let Seli pick where we rode, as usual, and she chose to go right through a field where we'd try to mount from a bench in the middle under a weeping birch tree. I'd always avoided this because the tree envelopes the bench. As expected, Mag feasted on the tree, and Momo did as well, there's nothing you can do when the tree is hanging all around!
As earlier this week, Mag was on fire to move forward and fidgety whenever stopped to wait for Momo. He fussed by trying to rush backwards, and would slam his butt right into Momo a few times. I didn't like this mostly because Mag kicks out randomly and I didn't want a broken knee. (Aarene, did Fiddle used to kick out at other horses/riders on trail? I assume she earned the name Dragon somehow.)
He didn't kick Momo or me, but he did kick the ground angrily twice when he backed up in resistance, and then found himself backing into a hillside he didn't expect to run into. He punished it with both hind legs in a row. Seli, "What's he doing??" "Uh, he didn't expect to run into that hill."
Happily Seli is taking Mag's education more seriously now and without my asking, she'd stop him and say, "Let's just stand here a while." Mag thought he would surely die, but he did it. We only ask him to stand for a few seconds when he's so fired up, just until he holds still for like 1-2 seconds. Not good, but not nothing!
On my favorite single track, Seli offered to stick Mag behind Momo to see how he'd handle that. He tried to pass a few times but Momo is very wide, and I could cut him off, or wave my whip in Mag's face. Finally Mag gave up. Seli, "Huh, he just totally calmed down all of a sudden." Hm. I told her we should do that more often, I told her how Mag is really good at following Mira, but that Mag gets excited when she rides him. It's clear Mag prefers to lead, but I'm so pleased he can also follow. Now to just extinguish the kicking out!
Since she was volunteering to do more standing still sessions with Mag, I told her what I have been wanting to, "Please let moving forward again be your idea, with a signal, whatever signal you like." She understood. I'm so happy she's willing to not just sit on him, but also do some training.
For the very first time, we encountered other users on my favorite trail. Two horses from Momo's barn approached on huge horses and let us squeeze past. They asked why Seli was riding (that other Arab at her barn) and she said, "No I did not steal him!" Funny that people can't tell grey Arabians apart *lol*
I was having such a fine time, Momo and I are starting to get each other. I can swipe horseflies from his face with the whip, and he only rarely tries to eat with me either on the ground or on his back. He just gets it that I don't like that. Unlike Mag - he won't stop munching. It's just so lush here and food is surrounding him continually, even from above *sigh* Also, he always acts like being ridden 2 miles is like 25, and he's starving and dying of thirst after. *shrug*
Although I hate that huge western saddle (that seems to always want to list to the left) I feel safe on my Haflinger, and that is what makes riding fun. I think I'll try riding him bareback next time. Next time won't be til mid August due to my medic class coming up.
Her good dog Lupo was too hot for shenanigans today - for the first time ever, he stayed with the horses. Hence the word "good". (You really don't want to ride with his hunting outbursts that occur at random in our woods, on a horse who has no dog experience.) And of course her puppy was being puppy-sat, otherwise she cannot ride. I told her today I had a dog once. She stopped dead, "You had a dog?" : ) One and only, she was that good. My German Shepherd, when I was a teenager and a dog was the closest thing to a horse for me living in the industrial part of Seattle.
Seli told me how much more comfortable my endurance saddle is, and I told her how inexpensive it is. She laughed at me at what I call inexpensive (1200) but admitted she paid 900 used for her Deubner Western (Deubner is a great brand here).
She told me to look down at her saddle horn for a scratch. I couldn't find it. Finally I saw one on the pommel and she told me how she got it at gymkhana, from falling off while wearing spurs. I told her, "BTW, the horn is the part you tie a cow to. This is the pommel. The back is the cantle. Same English and Western. No idea in German, you?" "No, no idea." *lol*
When we got home, I was surprised to see sweat on Mag's back, girth, and behind his ears. "You worked hard enough to sweat? Good boy!" No, it's just hot out. I took a wet cloth and wiped down all the sweaty spots, I know that felt good behind his ears. He still hates cloths/towels, but he's learning sometimes they're OK. "It burns, it burns! Wait...it's OK, I think." Cool and refreshing, no?
He didn't cough under saddle today, but did a couple times this morning. Seli noticed the lack of coughing too: )
I'll sure miss our rides. Love the feeling of being able to just ride anywhere, esp on streets in traffic. And I love watching Mag's non-reactions to things that would startle most horses. I'm 100% honest when I say Mag has never spooked with Seli, even though he's mostly in the lead. And, well, he doesn't really spook with me either, I just expect him to. This is such a great experience. Thank God for good neighbors and Haflingers/German Riding Ponies.
Again I have no current photos, but I do enjoy my archives....
Winter 2016 in Wuppertal, this is Mag tied to the wall, but coming around the corner, trying to follow my movements. More than one person said Mag would watch me wherever I went. It really bonded us, sticking Mag in that big strange barn for 4 months. I was his "familiar." I'm so grateful for the time we had there, it pushed us to another level, even though I didn't make as much riding progress as I'd wished.
And Olivia! Teresa! He did lay down to sleep in that tiny little stall. I didn't believe it but a lady took his photo sleeping at midnight. Mag was raised as a foal in a huge open barn, I would never expect him to "require" a stall to sleep. We'll see what we can do here.
Two halters because this was our first hard tying day in Wuppertal. One halter to break, one to stay. Happily Mag does not need such precautions. (Though Mag has never been cross-tied in his life, and I don't feel the need to teach him that.) These kids are standing on the dam, and Mag and I have just come up from the bottom of the water wall, where I'd tied him up for the first time off premises. Yah, under the dam, with water squirting out the bottom! Not a place a horse would choose to take a break.
Back home, Mag learning to be tied. So far this has never been a problem, it's remarkable, some of his talents, when he's such a baby in other ways (he nipped J'g privates yesterday).
Since this is an ex-pat blog, I should try to remember that. Would you like a cultural tidbit?
I just made my husband a snack that you will never, ever find in any region in Germany: Veggies and Ranch. The Ranch came in the mail (of course, it doesn't exist here) and the veggies I cut up into dip-able strips. Carrots, cucumber, and red bell peppers. To my delight, my German husband enjoys this purely American party food: ) Though, cuz he's German, he prefers a fork: )
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5 comments:
A fork?
KB, Although he will use a fork, he says he will also use fingers. OK then.
After a long time trying to figure out why Fiddle was a kicker, we came up with at least 2 stimuli that caused kicking:
1. She was in pain, or thought that close proximity of another horse might cause pain.
This died down dramatically after her ovariectomy, because the cystic organs were gone and gradually she grew to understand that the pain was GONE. This wasn't instant--it take a long time to re-write expectations, especially if the expectation involves pain.
2. I learned to be so proactive about keeping her rear cannons out of firing range of other horses, and eventually she interpreted my response as a CUE TO KICK. Seriously, we finally clued in that (post spay) she would only swish her tail and kick out at horses/riders who were annoying ME or were making me think that Fiddle might kick them. So then we had to teach me to quit (inadvertently) cuing the kick.
In Mag's case, it probably isn't you acting as the stimulus. But it *might* be either a pain response or a response to expectation of pain. The pain doesn't have to be real, in this case--if he THINKS something is going to hurt, he'll react. You've had the vet crawl all over him, so the pain may not be real. I would hope that when he (eventually) figures out that the pain never arrives, he'll stop reacting.
Ranch dressing. Hmmm.
I hope that the stall works for him to sleep. I was reading a book about the Lippizans during the second world war and there was a section on the polish Arab. What an interesting history.
Aarene, the kicking out is random, sometimes it's because he feels a branch tickle his legs, sometimes we just pass by a tree he takes objection to! Twice he's kicked at horses behind him while trotting, and I think that's insecurity about being followed because he really hates being followed by humans or horses at speed. (Speed, ha, Mag?) He got twitchy with the trimmer this week, with his "very special left hind" and I told her how I flew through the air, landing over there while photographing his hooves. It's random but does seem to involve a lack of body awareness/spacial awareness. Seriously a TTEAM clinic would be awesome, if we could find one in the area. Strange that you were "helping" Fiddle kick. I really wonder how you made it through those first years!
Teresa, What book is it? Unfortunately despite bedding the stall deeply, he still won't lay down in there, and I am against locking him up at night (I'd have to lock them both up, as well). So we'll try to make him comfortable - I've made a bed for him under the walnut tree where he likes to doze/roll. I haven't seen him fall down since May, maybe things are better - if not we'll re-evaluate and adjust. I will lock him up if it's the only option. My gosh Teresa, you would not believe it, but honest to God, Baasha's first day here, he went out under that tree and lay down and slept deeply. Totally alone! As if he knew, "Finally, I'm home." No one picking on him anymore. And then he got a donkey and she was his queen.
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