Learning new things and a separate Christmas

I was looking at my local village facebook page (which says we are the most petty-minded in the entire country of Germany --- wow, we WIN?) when I saw an online Christmas market. 

Christmas markets are something every one should experience once in a lifetime. There's nothing like them. Sadly, none are open this year. I've learned how to roast my own chestnuts!

This dude named Roland in Aachen is selling his crochet items. I was blown away at how beautiful they are. I contacted him and he encouraged me to try it out.

I ordered a set of hooks, a roll of yarn, and yesterday I started. I have this feeling I've done this before, cuz turning the hook felt natural to me. I asked my mom if I'd ever done it and she said I'd watched her and her mom do it. 

Holy neck-pain Batman

Leaning forward, concentrating for long stretches of time is bad ergonomics. I argued with the hooks and with the yarn and I was tempted to yell and cuss. I honestly wonder how much cussing occurs at knitting clubs.

My dear friend Tami from Seattle helped me and I was able to start to attempt ...something slug-like. The knots were so tight I couldn't get the smallest hook through them. What does this say about my personality?

Progression from day 1, yesterday, to day 2, today:

 

At this stage my husband asked me why it was getting smaller. I said, "I was wondering that myself."

Apparently crocheting is really, freaking hard.

Then I ripped it out, out and out again damned yarn. Focus and nearly a headache gave me something squarelike at the end of today. 

LOOK HOW SQUARE THIS IS! I ran to J. He picked it up, took the needle, and started working on it.

Apparently he knows how to crochet. WHAT....ever.

***

Mag is ripping it up in the mud; he caused a group of riders from across the street to halt and simply appreciate his antics, leaving several piles of horse poop on the street as they watched Mag's show. I waved a them, they seem nice. Wish I could ride with them.

A 4 in-hand of grey warmbloods went by with Christmas bells on each horse. Loudly rocking around the Christmas horses!! Mag thought it was the best thing he's seen all year. I heard, from afar, the driver saying BRRRRR to the horses (whoa in German) and I think he was talking to Mag. I always thought, in driving, since you only have the reins and the voice, you don't overuse the voice, yelling at a neighbor's horse. Hrm! I empathize with people riding or driving horses by our field. I know that Mag will not make it easy for them, if their horses are not solid.

***

Tami pointed me to a Warwick Schiller podcast where he interviews a horse trainer from Washington State. It was pretty cool, she did an experiment where she tried to discover if a horse would ever choose to be ridden, given Every Other Choice, literally.

Her name is Else Sinclair and she took a Nevada Mustang for one year and made it her project to see if the horse would welcome her to get on its back, with no tools at all.

She did it, in 9 months.

With no food associations, not even hay. I found it fascinating that she promised the horse she would keep herself between the horse and the mandatory 6' fence. She didn't want the horse to feel trapped. (To be clear, she had to use an enclosure the first few months, by law, if you adopt a Mustang you must have a 6' fence and she couldn't afford more than about 100 meters by 100 meters, so.....honestly the horse was somewhat trapped the first few months. However she said the horse was approaching her on day one for touch, and as soon as the fences went away, they did work in the pasture. This was very important for me cuz I know Monty Roberts tried to tame a wild horse on the range, itself. From the back of another horse. He round penned it out there.)

Her philosophy was that the wild horse never associate her with food. Cuz that would be cheating.

Many tears ensued as the mare said, "No, thank you, my friend, I'd rather you not sit on my back."

She learned to re-interpet the "no" response as "would you rather.." because the mare was so forgiving, always offering touch rather than departure. This was interesting to Warwick Schiller because he, as we all, would have interpreted that as a definite NO.

No ropes, no round pen, just ....well, 6 hours a day 5 days per week, nine months, which is much much more time than most of us have to question if our horse would actually prefer to be ridden, than not.

Fascinating, cuz it worked. Eventually she got on the mare, foal at side, at Long Beach, Washington and just let the mare decide what they did. Now she gives lessons to people who want to learn how to let their horses show them what they really want. 

People who don't hvae 6 hours a day can incorporate freedom of choice into their horsey routines. It takes longer but I believe it helps the relationship. I do it on the most minimal level, I don't tie up my horse to tack up because he doesn't have far to go. But today he walked away when 3 out of 4 hooves was enough hoof cleaning for him, and it make me think, "That LH again."

***

We're spending Christmas alone this year. Just J and me. I feel guilty. I'm the reason his mom cannot see her firstborn son on Christmas. I refuse to join a party of 9 +4 kids. My reasoning is, why have we been so careful for 10 months, to suddenly not be careful?

Now she knows how my mom feels, every year since 2007.

Holy crap. 

She just showed up at our door, wearing a mask, and giving us Tupperwares full of my favorite Christmas dinner.