Mafia mare

Ani surprised me last night with a text asking if I'd like to go for a short walking loop with her new lease horse. The mare had been lame so I hadn't met her until today. The owner said she'd come along too. I was curious who this person is, one of the rare people who keep horses at home.

Ani said to meet at the bench and I tied Mag up and started traipsing around in the brush. It had been pouring rain as I tacked him up - the saddle was soaked as well as the horse. I don't have a covered area to work; design flaw! It's 32F today, snow expected in higher areas.

15 minutes late, Ani called me and asked where I was. Uh oh, wrong bench. She said her horse Rudi (isn't that a gangster name?) was freaking out as they waited on Hohestrasse. I said I do not want to take Mag on that street anymore, that she should come into the woods and we'd meet there. She didn't get that and she stayed on that busy street almost all the way to my place and then turned into the woods. I stayed in the woods, saw her bench from the edge of the trees, and no Ani. So, we'd passed each other.

When I finally found her, she was leading a soaking wet dun QH mare with a lot of extra weight. I stepped aside to let her go first and the mare kicked out at us, her hind hoof inches from my face in a threat to Mag. Oh my. I stayed way, way far away from her after that! What a nasty animal - Mag and I were just standing motionless - no need to kick.

So I showed Ani the trail that she didn't know about that comes closest to connecting our two barns. Unfortunately it only goes halfway and we are forced to take Hohestrasse.

The rain had stopped but the wind was whipping us in gusts, shaking the trees so violently we were getting pelted. I laughed cuz I somehow find myself in the very worst weather with Ani. And since her accident, I am afraid to wear a rain coat on Mag. Right now a rain coat is hanging next to his hay bag, getting tossed around in the wind.

As we made our way down the fast street, suddenly two Haflingers came galloping up to us in their pasture, frantic for some reason. That never happens. Rudi threw her tail up like an Arab and started barging into Ani and trying to run around her. Ani only had a soft halter and short rope and had a hard time holding onto her. Mag did the same, head and tail up, wanting so badly to run around me in a circle, but I stopped him and told him to stand there. Cars flew by and when a city bus came, the driver saw the stressing out horses and actually slowed down to walking speed. That's never happened before. I waved and thanked him. Wow.

Rudi did not calm down for a while, and Ani kept asking the big mare to back off of her and walk politely. I wished she'd had a rope halter and long rope! Later she said the owner probably won't allow that, she's an English rider and doesn't do much ground work.

We had to pass a herd of young cows and they were those curious ones who come right up to meet the horse. Ugh, just keep eating!

Mag was extremely excited, but we finally made it to her "barn" which is just a tent shelter in a huge pasture. As we arrived this little bay German riding pony came tearing across the field toward us, neighing the entire time. She said he's 28 years old. He's beautiful, but tried to get Mag to engage over the fence, and Mag would have loved to but I kept him carefully away.

Ani turned the mare loose and then we started our journey back.

I really didn't think I could make it, I'm just mentally done with that street. One last time!

Ani told me how the mare's owner has odd ideas about horses - she said she was not allowed to ride today because the mare's back was wet from the rain. I told her I remember being a kid and thinking you couldn't saddle a horse with a wet back. Now I know that's silly, if they're clean, and then there's towels if you still feel bad about it.

But Ani says the mare is often uncontrollable, so she doesn't mind staying on foot for now. I said, "I hope you're not paying too much to ride her!" She said she pays nothing, perhaps the owner understands no one would pay to ride that horse?

Ani said she doesn't act like a Quarter Horse, she acts like an uneducated pushy Arabian. I laughed, "If you want Arabian behavior, may as well buy an Arabian!"

Ani is desperate, she said, and is still looking for a lease horse she can enjoy. The Haflinger Moni was great but for some reason they don't want Ani riding her anymore.

Ani took me all the way home, cuz now that she's on my side of town, we live in between her house and her horse.

I think she finally believes me when I say I'm done with that street.

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Update: It's snowing/sleeting out now. Also, I just got my blood test results after a Hepatitis A & B shot last month, and the doctor says I'll never have to have another Hep shot the rest of my life. That would be just great: )