She got me on the horse today and my fear was reduced by her relaxed style on Mag's back before my turn.
It's Sunday! We had so many trail users to deal with. I looked back on my blog to February 2019, "Mag kicked out, both hind hooves, at a bicyclist. We must ride out more on Sundays."
So many bikers & hikers...*sigh*... it's a sunny Sunday in Germany. Which is optimal for my time with this trainer. I would be honestly a little disappointed if she could only be here on a weekday morning.
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This is how good #4 is at talking: as we rode through the swarming horseflies, I asked her what she does for a living, if it's not just riding horses.
She said, "When I was 20...." And there we go, the next 15 minutes were full of delightful conversation. It's not the casual lightness between Americans, but close.
I wanted to get some pics/videos for you but felt unusually hesitant to whip out the camera (that blue thing below on the breastcollar). But then she said, "Would you mind taking a photo of me on your horse for my Facebook page?" Yes! And next time I'll dress Mag up a little nicer (and after seeing my photos she said next time she'll put her heels down).
Why do I have the two tiniest people in Germany riding my horse when he clearly needs to work a little? I'm thinking about weighing him down like racehorses are.
Taking a shortcut down a slope that's not a trail. She's gushing about how sure-footed he is: )
I did my best to get a nice photo but the horseflies were biting Mag, and in every single one, his tail was doing something crazy.
I think they have the same expression: ) She's so happy on his back, it's wonderful to see. Normal Germans do not smile this much. I told her she'll have to explain why there is an extra riding helmet attached to the saddle. It was simply too hot and humid for me to wear it.
She's telling me about her job in this clip.
This was funny cuz she saw the log at the base of the slope and said, "Can he manage that?" You can hear me chuckle pridefully, "Oh yah." After the log she looked up at me and said, "That's amazing!" I thought it was cool that he did it with bicyclists below. I often seek out fallen trees for Mag to step over and sometimes he gets stuck on the big ones, still not sure how to get his second half over!
Then I got on and rode a while and he was noticeably "noticier" about things but I was enjoying my time with #4 so I was able to enjoy the feel of the movement of his back under me and turn down the volume of the scary voices in my head.
I showed her how Mag can do some leg yields even on these hills and she was surprised he can do it. It makes me miss my massively un-reliable trainer Mel, who rode Mara through her panic with Mara's body bent like a noodle. Mel was the best trainer I've had in Germany, but she could not keep an appointment to save her life.
#4 called Mag a "Blickfanger" - a new word for me meaning eye candy. She said what a pretty sight it would be to see Mag and Bintu together on trail. I agreed, but Bintu will gallop off if a bicycle appears. She also taught me the word "Arabitis", the condition of being addicted to Arabian horses. I have a feeling she is being quickly converted!
11 comments:
I should have my DIL’s mother translate! Mag looks very good, your forest is beautiful.
Camryn, Please do! Also, these woods here are a dry shadow of what we have in the Pacific Northwest. It is pretty here, and I appreciate that it is not completely barren,and flat, but if you're from the PNW, you get spoiled and a little pompous, sorry. : ) However some people like to ride the steppe and the sage plains and Washington state also has that, so....I don't know where to turn people. If you like green grass fields.....there is a lot of that in Gemrany - they call them "Feldwege" - basically dirt tractor roads between crop fields, and all Germans ride them every time they ride out. I hate them. I want my single-track dark with pines. But I appreciate what I have, cuz it could be Niedersachsen (ask your DIL). Everytime someone asks me, "How do you like living here in Bergischem Land?" I answer, "It's better than Niedersachsen." : ) No offense to my dear friends who live there and have much, much more fun with bicycling. Camryn, Mag is so fat it looks like he's carrying twins. Trying to hide that in the photos.
Amazing! She sounds utterly lovely. I would love to spend the afternoon with her riding in the woods! Congratulations on finding her and keep up the great work!
ND, how much money do you pay someone in America/Canada to simply ride out with you and boost your confidence? I daresay zero. Cuz why on earth......ok then. I'm in Germany, and I have a dearth of reliable people. I'm stranded here in our little secluded paradise, and my riding has suffered for it. My horse, it seems, is turning out OK. Isn't it amazing when you have someone you can connect with about your horsey passion whilst riding, and the conversation never stops? I have missed that so!
To be honest I'm still sending out testing feelers on her, I'm so hesitant to trust.
Her riding style is so similar to Ani, with so much leg, but she doesn't do anything with the reins, so hrm. Her attitude is different.
I hope she understood me when I told her it's important to train through difficulties on trail, and not just let the horse escape them, as Ani does, as a "passenger".
I hope she has the certification required by German law at her level to grasp what I mean.
NATD, I choose your woods please.
Lytha, when my horse was just learning to be a trail horse I paid a trainer/coach to trail ride with me a dozen times at $25/ride so that we could introduce cantering, and all the regular trail obstacles. It was wonderful because it was on my agenda at all times. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Friends are nice to ride with, but when you are riding and paying for a trainer you get to “train”. I was able to practice leading, following, side by side, at all gaits and however I wanted. It was a key foundation for myself and my horse. I didnt feel bad about enforcing my agenda because I was paying for it.
Whatever you need to do, do it! So far, its great progress!
ND, I sincerely hope it goes well with #4, as it did with your trainer. I think you are the only person who has understood my perspective, due to the lack of anyone freaking else here to help me, I'm relying on a profi and putting all my money and hope on her. I still do not trust her. I hope to. I know that in America I'd have a big support group for free, picking me up in their horse trailers, helping Mag learn how to be OK with horse trailers. And then on to the mountain tops.
I have my very own farm, a dream. And I am without horsey friends/trainers I find reliable.
Lytha, you are building your trust in #4, even as you are building your trust in Mag. Give it time. It appears to be worthwhile!
I totally get your feeling about woods vs. open. We’re where we are in the shrub/steppe because it’s what we could afford. I would much rather be in the trees. At least it only 30-40 minutes to lots of mountain trail heads. Right now, however, Kate and I just don’t get out much...I think we both have ptsd from the barbed wire incident...SIX years ago! Although I have riding buddies who are willing to go out with me, I do hate to impose on them, so your solution of paying a trainer to accompany you makes total sense to me.
I remember trying to find someone to help me with Carmen when I first started. It was so frustrating that I cried. So I understand how you feel Lytha. I love riding out on all terrains- single tracks, fields, roads through the woods. I am so envious of Nat's trails.
#4 seems like a good fit for you and Mag. He looks so proud of himself.
EvenSong, I remmeber your barbed wire accident - horror! I know you still don't like to step off trail because you visualize possible coils of hidden wire. I recently found 4 coils of barbed wire directly next to the trail and I carefully picked them up and hung them on a fence so no horse steps on them. They're still there.
Teresa, I remember when you found the trainer that made the breakthrough with you and Carmen. He had a funny name - Bjorn or something. I was so jealous! The PNW has the best riding, if you like being closed in by massive cedars in the danger of mama bears and mountain lions! Where you live seems so exotic to me. I follow your journey every time you post, even if I don't comment.
A lot of riders here are still on self-imposed lockdown :-( Let's just say that I've been doing a lot of solo rides lately. I've stopped inviting people, even. They'll show up when they are ready.
I am currently paying my trainer $25/ride to put some educated rides on my mare. I pay $35/hr for a lesson for myself. Most of the trainers worth their while in Whatcom county, WA are $55/hr+ for lessons. I lucked out because this lady has trained with Olympic riders (not just cliniced but spent months with them) and rides grand prix jumping herself. She is just trying to get her legs under her here in a rather tight market, so I am getting a deal using her!
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