Bombproof horse

Today we have been more than busy.
First thing in the morning – after the coffee – the exam for the first level at MPL. All 3 candidates passed the test, although the horses weren’t that easy with the current weather (warm, cloudy and windy).

After a short time of recovery I grabbed my youngster Muratah from the paddock and with Jr we went for a tour through Gernsheim.

It was actually the first big trip alone through town, but with the warm weather laziness was a good caretaker.

We went from our fields first under a tunnel, which Muratah had never seem before, and all sounded very interesting. But he walked on, without a problem.
At a field at our right side and all of a sudden a roll of hay jumped at him so he had to jump back. Snorting and with his nose wide open and his tail high he walked by this ‘dangerous thing’. We continued our route alongside the railway. He notified me that he heard something at that railway and when we turned around we saw the big train coming with high speed in our way, through the curve.
Instead of panicking what Muratah could do I focussed on the train that came by and let the sound go through me, without even moving an eyebrow. This works so well with him, he only moved a few legs because the intensity of the sound and the movement and even the wind was huge. But he stood there with me, watching the last wagons of the train going away.
We walked along in a slow pace; watching the houses, the people and the bikes around us, until we came at the tunnel underneath the trainrails. We took the bikepath which was separated from the road, but then we first had an ICE passing behind us. It did not slightly disturb him. While we were going through the tube Jr raced in front of us and then also the first car came through the tunnel, next to a couple with a dog on our path. Muratah was having ears and eyes all over the place, but he walked with a slack in the line behind me; not even impressed. Halfway the tunnel Jr. said we could go through a narrow gate back on the road again, but when we were up there we had to go back to the main road again. As we walked passed an ice cream shop several kids were shouting and crying that they wanted to go to “the horse”, but we somehow managed our way through without being ‘attacked’ by kids not even asking if it is ok to approach. I guess Muratah had put up his evil face and so must have Jr. ;)

The hilarious thing of walking with a smart horse through town is that he sees himself in every window and calls out for “that other horse”. When we came around a corner he saw himself in a real mirror in a shop, but before he could smell that other horse he bumped his nose against the glass. And again! Before he could even think of starting a quarrel with that other horse or glass we walked on over some very busy roads – motorbikes with screaming engines – but the only one who was a bit more anxious was just me. Muratah saw himself another time in the glass and then somehow realized it was not important enough to go and have a look. He seemed to have recognized himself, as he saw me too in the reflection. No more screaming to that other horse, just watching himself and smiling.

There was so much to see on our way back that it took him a while before he saw where he was. We crossed the rails this time over a bridge next to a very busy road, but with cars racing around the corner the last bit of stress was walking behind me. Instead he was trying to snap the clover. Once we were through the first tunnel again he wanted to speed up; because he knew where he was. He tried to use a passing by car to run off; but then hesitated when I half blocked him, so it became a half trot which he then stopped by himself; slightly embarrassed. At the moment he reached his bachelors group he slowed down and was the typical ‘streetkid’ again, slowmotion with an attitude. Back at the stable hoofs were cleaned out from little nasty rocks, the hay was refilled again and Muratah was full of thoughts, but very happy.

Although it has been a long time we really went through town, he has the coolness like he always has had, so if all goes well we go for a biketrip to the ice cream shop next time :)