A telephone call and a riding lesson

I woke up this morning after seven hours of sleep from a telephone call from Nigeria. It was Ali and Yaronbaba. I didn't know at first if something had happened, and in Niger, phone calls are complicated matters. People shout to one another - even when the line is good - and as they are shouting, they cannot hear what the other one is answering; and so they keep calling "what? what?" until they run out of money. As calling is expensive business, I didn't want to waste their time finding out if anything was the matter, but Ali spent three minutes trying to explain who he was (but he didn't have to because the line was so good that I had no problem recognizing his voice) and where he was calling from, in case I had forgotten. I was happy that I was alone in the house, because finally I shouted "NAGANÉ, Ali!" (=I understand) and I could hear him laughing as he told Yaronbaba beside him: "She has understood!" Then Yaronbaba was on the phone, just wanting to say hi and asking how Arwen was and then it was goodbye. Lol, it was a sweet gesture and I really appreciated it.

After that, I had brunch consisting of fillet & horseradish, fried eggs, fruit (guava, grapefruit and the most wonderful orange I have ever tasted!) and coffee - no bread. That was very nice... Then I spent the morning doing housework of different kinds; making yogurt, ironing, cleaning etc. Time went too quickly and at 2 pm I had a rendez-vous with Emmanuel (age 10). I had promised to take him horseback riding because he has been so eager to help YB and me with the horses. YB was really happy when he heard about this deal, and on Friday evening when I checked with Emmanuel if he had asked his parents for permission; YB gave me a contemplating look and said: "You don't forget anything, do you?" I do though, I just try not to! Anyway, Emmanuel was thrilled when I arrived at 2 o'clock. Fifteen minutes later we were out on the street with two horses, him riding Sahara and me walking Arwen. He did a good job, and it shouldn't be long until he'll be able to follow me out in the bush.

Ishtar

Fruits and vegetables

Now, two people do not eat as much as four, but let's just say that Sofia and I are very good fruit and vegetables consumers!

The great thing with Maman Ninni, our greengrocer, is that it's always a surprise to see what fruits/vegetables he will bring!

Ishtar

Introducing Sofia to the race track

Since I haven't been able to ride for a long time (I'm still waiting for my wound to heal, not wanting to aggrevate the infection), I decided to stimulate myself visually instead. So Anette, Sofia and I went out to the race track, hoping to get a glimpse of one of the "sprattelgubbar" - as Anette so kindly calls them: the jockey wannabees that sit on top of exhausting horse, jumping up and down with the most amazing fury you've ever seen (it's incredible how they manage to stay on top of the horse, despite its lack of energy) trying to squeeze out the poor horse's last drop of energy... It's a highly entertaining sight, but I have never seen it work, nor have I seen any of the "real" jockeys do it... (Chinada would just dare!)

Ali was quick to come up to us. He was riding Satellite, one of the horses that he cares for (owned by a certain Elhadj at the other end of town) and had "dressed" him in the headset I had given him as a token of appreciation for the work he had done for me this summer. Had to help him put it right, but the stallion definitively looked a lot more handsome!

The race track may have no fixed times, but there is certainly a fixed order. First, the race horses arrive and walk a lap around the track. The horse carers then hand over their horse to the jockey, who will only ride them if their owner has arrived (by car). It's a very hierarchical place, which I love turning upside down.

The horse owners are mainly the richest men in town. Depicted on this picture, you find the Snow Man and the Gold Man, as we now refer to them. The Snow Man generally dresses in white which is the colour that shows that you do very little practical work yourself, or you would get dirty... The Gold Man has a doubtful background and believes that money will buy everything. However, success at the race track comes with a lot of hard work and (if you wish to take a short cut, which I do - not possessing enough patience to do things the Nigerien way...) innovating ideas. Since he has neither, and still wants to be on top of things, he solves the issue by buying himself a new horse about once every second month... Costly habit!

Now... Who wants to follow a race?

Step "1: Abbas and Chinada preparing for the start, which is never organised and takes about 15-30 minutes every time... (on top of things, the horses are so full of adrenaline that they can hardly stand still).

Finally, off they go...

... leaving behind a trail of dust!

After the first three hundred meters, they disappear behind the euphorbia hedge, only to reappear again for the last 400 meters.

Though they rarely do any wonder, whips are hailing during this last part, even though every race horse will always do his best to win. In the end, it all comes down to food and training. And some innovating ideas!

Ishtar

Arwen's return

In the afternoon, Ali, Chinada and another jockey (by the name of Bala) came over to help me set up a place for Arwen in Josef and Renate's garden...


To being with, Chinada cleared the grass and then we added four carts of sand, which cost about €10...


Arwen is now happily installed in Josef and Renate's garden (though as soon as the fence has been set up here, I will move her to the Eden ground next door)....


It was really good to have Arwen back again, but unfortunately, she had changed quite a lot since I left! Long gone was the little obedient bush horse that I had fallen in love with. What I now had in my hands instead was an amazing race horse, but unfortunately also a true Diva! It did not take long to see that Arwen has gotten used to having people around her - and they are they were to serve her, not be obeyed... A short ride with Arwen in the bush quickly made me realise that if I'm going to keep this mare, I will not only have to train away Arwen's new queenish ways but also train Chinada in how to ride her, so that she is not only stimulated through racing. Right now, she is set on one thing and one thing only: racing! In her mind, it starts just outside the gate and goes on until she's back. But I'll give her two weeks and see if I can't retrain her, because I know that deep inside, there is a strong will in her to please, and for the last nine months, no one has required anything else from her other than racing. And what you ask from Arwen; your receive tenfold for a racing horse, she is...

So wish me good luck folks! :-)

Ishtar