I finally visited another barn within riding distance of my home. I'd been curious about it, because I'm curious about all horsekeeping facilites in general, and this one is very close.
It's May's barn. May is the pretty Appy that belongs to a lady we met recently who was looking for a place to keep her horse.
Apart from the fact that it is toture for me to see people tacking up and going out for a ride, I wanted to see this little facility so I took the pain.
May was extremely jumpy in the grooming area as C used a metal curry to get the mud off of her. Even covered in mud May is a lovely thing, kind of camouflage with her coat pattern.
An older gentleman and boy showed up and brought a very old fragile Arabian to stand next to May. They took off its blanket and I was shocked, the poor thing looked like a starvation case - backbone and hips sticking out.
The man rubbed some cream onto the sores on the horse's hip - bedsores I think. The horse looked very well cared for but oh my he was so bony he made Baasha look like a youngster. I wanted to steal him and take him home and feed him beet pulp the rest of his days.
But they put the horse out into a sunny paddock with one other horse and I saw the old guy boss a bigger horse around. Then I saw the old guy's stall and realized he has it pretty good here - living with us would be roughing it in comparison.
He is apparently 2 years older than Baasha. (Looking good, Baasha!) These little plaques are the ride completion awards in Germany for endurance. Every endurance horse around here has these tacked onto his stall. Note the distances: 20 KM and 40 KM.
My friend let me go into the barn and take photos. Strange for a German barn, they do not use straw, they use LeinStroh, which is minature straw pieces. Note automatic waterers in each stall (water buckets do not exist here that I've seen).
They also seem to use the deep litter system common here - leaving the wet spot in the stall and just removing the poop. One grain trough had a bread roll in it, the most common treat for horses.
Most barns have a separate kitchen/lounge but this one is pretty minimal - just a picnic table in the barn. Note the ash tray - smoking in barns is kind of normal here.
I asked where the house is - where the owners live, and she told me they live in another neighborhood and drive here twice per day. What - no one lives here? Nope.
Weirdy!
I was feeling pretty happy that I don't board anymore when workers started chopping wood with one of those screaming loud machines (log splitter?). That did not help May calm down, they were working right by us. Both workers had cigarettes in their mouths permanently as they worked - they just breathed through their cigarettes. I guess that way you don't have to take a smoke break. I did not like the wafting stink though.
May has a current horsey license. These are required by law for trail riders. Riders must pay a yearly fee for trail use which helps cover the maintenance. In a way it's nice because no rider ever has to lift a finger to maintain a trail here, but it's not fair because bikers don't have to pay anything. (I'll take my wild bramble and devil's claw trails back home thank you! The tradeoff for the need to carry loppers on a horse is the absolute bliss of solitude.)
I got a picture of the little water trough the sheep/dogs drink from. These old stone things are common on farms and I just love them. Sometimes people plant flowers in them. I want one! I doubt I could lift it though.
Finally she mounted up and rode off for her 3 hour loop. I went home and made a my little pony out of Baasha. My goodness, he tried to get muddy and failed, the mud just blows right off with your hand because there's no hair for it to cling to.
I washed his tail, his hooves, I brushed his mane and slicked it with silicone (why is that bad if you don't go near the roots? My man is also anti-silicon in hair products but I don't see how using it on the lower half of a tail can affect the natural oils.)
I thought about how C said, "Oh I hate this - I need a new saddle for May."
I said, "I sure wish I had your problem."
But they put the horse out into a sunny paddock with one other horse and I saw the old guy boss a bigger horse around. Then I saw the old guy's stall and realized he has it pretty good here - living with us would be roughing it in comparison.
.JPG)
17 comments:
Lytha - utterly fascinating (still :0)
I rode in Scotland this summer and saw tack rooms and facilities somewhat similar to what you shoed. There must be some European commonalities. Please continue to post more of these photo essays. I can't get enough of it.
I have read through your blog, and please just direct me to the post if you've already answer this, but what don't you ride Baasha anymore? I am sure you have a good reason, but he looks healthy and ready.
My other question, and I mean no criticism: why is it that you are set on an Arabian? I have had many myself and so know the appeal, but if they're that difficult to find, wouldn't it be easier to go with a more local breed? Again, you must have a good reason. :0)
Thanks for writing and sharing. It truly is "riveting!"
This was so interesting, Lytha. Over here, we are so politically correct a about our barns, and in some ways that is ok w/ me, like not smoking around barns. Somehow, life goes on even though things aren't done perfectly like we like to do them here in America. ;-)I think about you everyday, praying for the right horse to come a long for you.
Speedy, Baasha has arthritic changes that make it really difficult to ride him. She is open to other breeds, but because she wants to do endurance, she's inclined towards an Arabian. She also has certain economic parameters. Less expensive horses aren't as plentiful in Germany as they are here. It's a different kinds of horse culture. I hope I answered these correctly!
Speedy, if you really like these cultural posts, I will try my best to do more of them. Are you interested in the magazine reviews I do as well or mostly the barn/facility ones?
Just tonight I was looking at a scratched up, newly purchased beer bottle and I thought, "This just doesn't happen in America. We do not return our beer bottles to the grocery store where later machines scratch off labels and restick labels and leave big scratches and icky bits all over the bottle that people buy again and again!" Even coke, we buy 2 crates of coke zero per month, and the bottles are hard plastic (not crushable) and you can see scratches all over them because they've been cleaned, stripped, and re-stickered. So you buy them ...ugly. Germans probably go to America and think, "Wow, this is the "first generation" of beer from this bottle!"
Asking me about why an Arabian is curious because I cannot imagine anything else for me - it's who I am. I'm completely breedist, ever since I was 14 and saw my first AHW magazing - but I admire other breeds. For me it's Arabians until I can no longer post the trot. Then again, I never thought I'd leave Seattle in a million years, so stranger things can happen. Thanks for your insights on this.
You're right - there are local breeds like Icelandics, Haflingers, and "German Rideponies" that are very cheap. I know nothing of these breeds. I mean, I don't know enough about them to be won over to buying one, due to finances and practicality.
Kitty, thank you for saying it. I don't like to talk about it, and that is why so many people read my blog and wonder why the heck I don't ride the horse I have/love with all my being.
You have a very positive outlook on life, from your comment. I could benefit being around more ppl like you. I am so grateful that you pray. I broke down when I read that. You don't have a blog, do you? I tried to find it.
Lytha, I do have a blog, but I haven't posted there in forever since 2009 because I am more active on Facebook. Are you on facebook? The url for my blog is http://texasplogzor.blogspot.com/ There are a lot of pictures there.
I know what you mean about Arabians though. I go online and look at Arabians for sale all the time, from Craigslist to Dreamhorse and other ones. I long for another Arabian but have this big butted Appy now (that was given to me after I had to put my heart Arabian down) who while not a dull horse (has plenty of go), is not spooky and doesn't have brain farts like my Arabians did. I hate his gaits, long for the lovely gaits of an Arabian, especially that uphill canter. But because of my health now, I don't know if I have what it takes to bring along another Arabian. But I do hold you in my heart all the time, often when I am looking at Arabians for sale, fantasizing in my mind finding a nice one for you and shipping it over there. ;-) I'm sure we all would if we could! My only other recourse is to pray for you and trust God that he will work this out.
Fascinating!
I'm agnostic on the "LDs are/are not Real Endurance" debate, but even I think 20 km is NOT ENDURANCE. I can do 12 miles if I forgot my water and Dixie's boots keep falling off. WTF? Do they really have 20 km competitions?
It's a shame the old guy is so bony, but at least his humans love him. Look how clean he is :O
I think you should have your husband make you a stone trough. He could build a perfect little concrete form out of lumber and fill it with a couple sacks of the German equivalent of Ready-Mix. ;)
I don't know about the silicone; when I read that it makes hair brittle and prone to breaking I thought "well my horse has no shortage of hair" and kept using it anyway!
hi,
That chopped straw sure would be easier to pick than regular bales!
I use bedding pellets, much better than shavings!
You might just look at some Halflingers. I think they are so cute. The ideal "type" is supposed to be Araby. I quess ours here in the States tend to be Cobby.
Reddunappy, the Haflingers I see going down our street (every single one of them) look like draft horses, slightly shorter. When they're babies they're adorable!
Man, Lytha, you made me try and look up the place I once rode over in Germany...It closed, :(
it was called Ferinranch Klaes ( I think, its been close to 20 yrs!!!) In Wiersdorf........
There was also a stable in a place called Kyllburg, I rode all of twice there....Once in the indoor, and the second time rode on a hack out....Its amazing what does and does not stick in my mind!!I could not tell you the name of this place to save my life, but, I can remember how the indoor arena was TINY, and they had built it so that the bar upstairs had a view of the indoor(yes, the owners had a bar to, lol) I remember stalls loaded with straw, but on cement...the ties for saddling up lined the wall.... I honestly do not remember grooming or tacking up though. I think the horses at this place were already tacked up when we arrived...The other place I mentioned, we groomed and tacked up ourselves... I remember one of the ones I rode being in a tie stall, which was a new experience for me... I am wishing for a couple tie stalls, just for feeding my horses in...I may build a few, when we finally get a place of our own....(would be entirely for feeding them in)
I understand your love for arabs, I don't have a pure, or even half, but Boo has a lot of arab in him...it gives him something other horses just do not have.... I am pretty sure your not near one of the American Bases in Germany, but, maybe you would like to see this anyways??...
http://www.militarystables.com/id143.html
I keep hoping for you to find what you are looking for, (I honestly hope that you get that mare, :) )
Tara
Lytha, is there a possibility that an American stationed there and heading back to the states would have a horse for sale? Have you considered that?
It's true that our lovely lytha is extremely "breedist": she likes other horses but in her heart she doesn't think they're very pretty >g<
Fortunately (IMHO) her man isn't a breedist and is open to something Brown and Sensible. Any progress there, lytha?
I lovelovelove the tours of barns and magazines (could you do a tack store? Or a feed store--are they different things? or do feed stores sell tack like here?)
Listen: Star Island and Coin are both hungry for carrots. You take them some, and tell them Auntie AareneX sent you.
Lytha I love these posts! Please keep them coming :)
That bedding, is it like chopped straw? Seems like it would be a nice alternative to shavings.
About that older horse. He seems well cared for other than his weight. Is it possible that they haven't had him very long? Maybe they got him from someone else and his weight just hasn't had time to catch up to his new circumstances?
I knew I forgot something! lol
With that 'deep litter' system. I believe you said they leave the wet and pick the poo... wouldn't that create a build up of ammonia from the urine? Was there a strong odor?
Lytha - I love all of your posts about Germany. The one about the bombs in the river was superb. I love Europe and am fascinated by Europeans. I lived in Spain for a year and have been been to Ireland, Scotland, and London. I would love to visit again. So any thing you write about Germany or horses is of interest.
I completely understand your attraction to Arabians. I've owned four of them. Speedy is a Bey Shah+ great grandson. Mickey Dee was by Desperado V by Huckleberry Bey. My mare, Montoya DSA, was from a long line of Russian super stars. Now that I am no longer competing in endurance, I branched out to other breeds when looking for Sydney. He is a New Zealand Thoroughbred imported to the USA. He is lovely, but he is definitely NOT an Arabian.
I wish you the best of luck in your search and hope that you find a suitable Arabian for your purposes. I am sure that Baasha will love a pal as well.
Karen
That is soo cool!! I love barns. Not very many older barns around here, but I sure love them. if, no, when I build my barn it will have automatic waterers, i dont want to fill buckets everyday.
Sure love all the pics that show what life is like there, glad to see everything isnt americanized and still keeping some traditional things there. (although the riding on pavement is weird to me too)
Kitty Bo, I'm so touched that you're praying for me. I pray about this a lot of course and also promise Baasha every day that I'm working on it.
Funder, I hate to be a snob but here most people I meet who do endurance do less than 50 milers. Which of course isn't endurance, but even the 160 KMs here aren't really endurance cuz I haven't seen any signs that the riders at that level have to endure anything. phooey.
Tara, thanks for sharing your memories of Germany. I am not near any bases, if I were, I'd have some canned pumpkin and KC Masterpiece BBQ chips and ROOT BEER for pityssake: )
Kitty Bo, I don't really know Americans living in Germany. Just my boss: )
Aarene, Well I wrote to two Standie owners today so there!: ) And I made an appointment to see Star Island's owner and ask to go for a ride soon. Coin's people should be coming around here soon I hope, cuz the fish ponds are in need of their help, and when they call I will make a date to go ride and give your carrots.
Tack/Feed stores, excellent idea! I'm on good terms at the feed store and I will have to see if the tack store will let me. You Americans will all gasp in horror at the pitiful selection (I'm thinking of your Co-Op place to compare, how I was in heaven!). Yes, I will do this!
Cdncowgirl, yes there is a lot of pee smell in the barns that do this. But they don't smell as bad to me as the show barns I've been in where all the doors and windows are closed all Winter long. The horses themselves stunk in those barns, even though they were picked twice per day.
Speedy G, I got two emails tonight from Arabian breeders who said I will never find an Arabian less than 4K Euros that has been ridden.
Crystal, I'll try to do more like this then!
Thoroughly enjoyed this post...a little peek into the equine stable life of Germany. Fascinating in all aspects!
Thanks for sharing,
~Lisa
Ugh inconsiderate smokers annoy the crap out of me because even a whiff of smoke causes my head to stop up, my nose to run and a headache to come on almost instantly. I have horrible allergies and that's one thing I have no tolerance for. Sometimes I wish smokers could all go through that for just one day so they would know how it feels. Ugh!
I like that stone water trough too! So cool.
I hope you find a horse that is perfect for you soon. I know how frustrating it must be. At least you have Baasha to love on. :D
Post a Comment