Mag gets cuter

I thought he couldn't, but I was wrong. You know how Mag likes to put things in his mouth and gnaw on them? Mostly plastics. It's odd, cuz you'd think he was cribbing. In fact, it's a panicky side-thought every time he does it. I don't even say the word out loud, I just think it, "Don't start...."

Today he found a wool saddle blanket thrown over the gate and when I turned around he had a huge mouthful of it. Eyes half closed, and all his jaw muscles twitching and flexing as he sucked on it, experiencing the wooly texture. I wish so much I'd had a camera. His jaw was wide open around the double layer of wool, and the gate was clinking rhythmically with his movements. In the end there was no damage to the blanket, proving he was just sucking on it.

Have you ever met a horse with an oral fixation? A full grown horse? Baasha used to nibble on us if we wore sweaters but this is more. The other day the vet was here and Mag put the tooth tool in his mouth when we weren't looking and held it. He regularly picks up my mucking tool and enjoys the plastic grip until he lets it drop. He stands tied happily with the rope securely in his mouth, not chewing, just enjoying.

I said to Bellis, "Can you do something equally endearing? It would be nice." I swear sometimes she understands English. She obliged, picking up my trough sponge and flipping it up and down, up and down. What dimension is this? Bellis never puts anything in her mouth that isn't food.

I don't have any photos but these are the most recent of us and they both show the green muck thingy that Mag always picks up and holds.


     






     

It was a perfect day, despite having to wake up early to match Ani's riding schedule. It was the first frost of the year but Mag wasn't freaking out from the cold as he was yesterday, he was totally chill. Why? No idea.

Yesterday he was snorting at everything including the farrier, who mentioned it, "Why is he snorting at me?" "Oh, it's not you, it's freaking everything."

On our ride yesterday Mag spooked big when a dogwalker appeared, and it pissed me off cuz WTH - I was much more shook up than normal from that. I was trembling from it even after Mag had settled down. I had ripped out a portion of his mane in that stunt.

But today he showed me his very best side, especially when Ani finally relented and took a different trail than the one we always ride.What, really? We can turn right instead of left! Woo!

Since we've spent the last year on the same loop, and only twice turned right, normally Mag would be looky but today he was completely at ease on the "strange" trail. In fact, at one point we walked into a clear cut that blew my mind cuz I could not recognize where we were, even so close to home. While Ani mourned the loss of the trees (all Germans complain when people cut down trees), Mag strode forward while I tried to orient myself.

We came to a bridge that Ani refused to ride across cuz she's afraid Rudi will slip on the mossy wood, and before I could ask her to reach up from the creek bed and touch it and tell me how dangerous it was, Mag had walked right across it. Ok then. No bridge trauma!

Mag led part of the time and it was just a perfect ride. I hadn't brought any carrots with me today but I think he understood me when I said how good he was.

As a big thank you, I let him graze along the hay field near home. I stood in our street, dodging cars, but let Mag rip up the remains of an Indian Summer in the long green grass, for about 20 minutes. The donkey did not bray during that time, so I think she was satisfied with her hay bag.

I forgot to say, I'm riding him in a running martingale now, because last time I trotted him he got a little uppity and started throwing his head around. It's always the same with horses - you never stop learning. I'd always looked sideways at people at endurance rides who rode with super loose running martingales, that were "doing nothing" to influence the headset of the horse. (I was taught that the martingale is a leverage device to get horses round.) So why would you even put one on that has no bearing on the horse's head position? Ahhhh yes. It makes it impossible for a horse to flip his reins over his head, which could end badly. Just another safety feature for rambuncious horses. So why not? I was worried what Mag would say about it, but he shook his head a few times and then settled down. I'll have to take a picture - he looks pretty professional *lol*

Tonight Mag got to touch the cat for the first time ever. She is ultra careful around horses but for some reason beet pulp tastes good to her. I started feeding Mag beet pulp yesterday for the Winter, in the hopes that his bones won't be visible through his thick coat this year. The cat loves it and was licking around his bucket, and the horse got to finally put his nose against her and smell her. It was a moment: ) Then my husband came home from work, stepping out of the car saying, "Hi Mercer! Hi Mag! Hi wife!" The horse had a food coma, the cat was licking her lips savoring the taste, and I was grinning, "I had the best day!"

Also I raked walnut leaves, which will not end at this point, and mowed in hopes the frost will finally end the grass growth, and brought more of Mt Wood (our wood chips pile) to our path that Mag almost totally destroyed yesterday when the migrating cranes decided to regroup above our house for almost an entire hour. They yell the entire time, and other flocks join, and it's migration insanity. Mag wasn't scared, but he used it as an excuse to gallop his very fastest around the perimeter of our field and back to the barn, and back to the field and back to the barn, over and over again for 10 minutes. It was like watching a thoroughbred horse race when the cameras are above, cuz I was up on the far hill, and I doubt Mag could have run any faster if he wanted. Our field is full of messy black mud streaks from his repeated flights. The donkey stood in one spot grazing the entire time. When he was done, he was black to the knees and hocks with mud, and slick with sweat over his entire body. He was not, however, stressed. He was just using energy, and letting the birds guide him.

As I led him home today on our street, the sunlight caught his mane and tail, turning them silver. He's full of winter hair but I was amazed at how he gleamed in the light. At that moment he transcended all other horses, with his sweet expression and shimmering coat.

I don't like to use the word love for Mag. I've had that already. But hope springs eternal. Mag is something special. He did not kick the farrier yesterday, and did not fight the vet the day before. He just snorted as if he'd never met them and politely gave the hooves/teeth.

I had a great day with no pictures to prove how Mag carried me confidently over a "dangerous" bridge, through a newly cut wasteland, gnawed on wool and shared his food with the cat. I hope he understands English when I told him how great he is.