Looking good Mag

I'm supposed to be sitting in a classroom in Dortmund right now but there was a mix-up and I didn't get into the class. I'll have to take the one at the end of January. I'm definitely on the slow track to EMT, this is taking me way longer than most.

So I got to go ride today with Ani after - how long has it been? Since Nov 15.

I got the time wrong so I was an hour early. I did lots of leading Mag through holly and over fallen trees. Then I decided I'd get on and ride up the trail to where Ani meets us. I'd never ridden there and Mag was acting funny sort of insecure, most likely cuz I was insecure about it.

So I went back to our bench and tied him to the tree and started walking large circles around him in the woods. He doesn't like me leaving him but he got to the point today where he cocked a hind leg, that's great!

Finally she came and we did that same 1-hour loop we always do, which I don't mind cuz my favorite two trails are part of it.

Though Rudi stood somewhat still and waited for me to get on Mag, she didn't really want to and as soon as I hit the saddle Ani said, "Can we go now?" *sigh* She proved she's not committed to the exercise at that moment.

This time we followed Rudi and it was just fine - we never got abandoned by her hurrying and I was able to enjoy myself. Ani commented on how pretty the woods were in the blazing sunlight, this sure is a sunny land I live in.

At the intersection where we part ways, I said goodbye and for the first time, stayed on Mag's back to separate. He was very uncomfortable with that - usually when the other horse goes away, I'm on the ground which comforts him even as he looks after her. This time he threw his head up, "What's happening!?" and shifted around and acted as if he wanted to follow her. I said, "But we're gonna go home, just like she is, like we always do!" He took a step, stopped in alarm again, and then I talked him into taking another step toward home. I imagined a big door opening in front of us and we had to go through. Eventually he took a few more steps and by this time she was out of sight, so he relaxed.

And so I rode him and he was fine until the mare screamed for her pasture mate, quite close to our separation point. I just started singing Christmas carols and that's how we made it home.

Halfway up the switchback he wanted to stop to rest. Indeed it was challenging today because we had a full day of rain and the steep trail is rough to navigate. He slipped his way up and at the top I got off and caught a wave of horse sweat smell. You Mag? You never sweat!

When I got home he was just damp behind the ears and girth. Hard working horse *lol*



A New Zealand ex-pat vlogger complained about German Winters being so grey. I have the opposite perception - all we get are blue skies and an annoyingly bright sun that makes an appearance almost every day, even on rainy days. I've counted 4 days with no sun at all since Summer.





The donkey  might also be muddy but who can tell.









I spent a half hour washing his tail today with three buckets of hot water and it was glorious until we got home from our ride.




Actually the tail looks pretty good compared to how it looked yesterday.




Lookin good Mag!