Daffodil All Arabian Spring Show - Saturday Morning Part 2

One of the things I'd done differently at this show with Rachel and the Arabian horse was get our stabling included with my friend, Angie Miller and her group. Angie gives lessons to a small group of kids. And this grandma knew that what Rachel needed most was other kids to hang with at the horse show and other kids totally focused on horses to counter some of those friends of hers from school.

So going back to the barn meant going back to a certain amount of confusion. All of Angie's group were riding hunter pleasure. That made their classes going on a differing times than ours. Keeping them all straight and on task is a job that Angie shares with her husband, Richard.

There's lots of joking around but the work gets done, the horses are cared for and the schedule kept track of. That last one totally impresses me, I have enough trouble keeping track of my own schedule without adding in Rachel's. Then I begin tearing my hair out. Watching Angie and Richard manage that crew of theirs was enough in itself to stress me out........but it worked.

So when we got back to the barn, the commotion was in full bloom. Horses were tied in their stalls and braiding was in various stages. The voice of Sue Jones boomed over the loud speaker calling the classes and someone was invariable asking what she'd just said. Organized chaos at it's very best, I was glad it was them and not me.

Rachel and I just sat back and watched. Looking at the schedule we had plenty of time to let them all clear out and then get our horse ready and rider dressed. The only hitch in that plan was working it out so Rachel got a chance to watch the other kids ride but we managed to pull it all together.

I really can't tell you how the other kids did. I just know that Dandy was tacked up and ready and Rachel dressed before the troop came back to the barn. Again the commotion ramped up as the horses got untacked and the riders changed clothes and everyone played in the process. It was good to see so many kids having a great time at the show.

Not long after their return it was time for me to get Dandy schooled. I took him behind our stalls to the beef barn arena and worked on him there. The horse really hates the narrow official warm-up arena up by the show pen so all the schooling we can do in the more quiet beef barn arena the better off the horse is.

It didn't take long and I had Rachel up on the horse. Then Sue Jones made another class call and it was time to get Rachel and Dandy up to the ring. They didn't have much time to warm up but then Dandy didn't have much time to figure out that he could cheat just a bit on Rachel. It was probably better that way. All I really needed to do was remind the kid not to do that double snatch correction she's developed while not riding.

Making our way up to the arena, I had Rachel work the horse off her legs laterally. Nothing tells Dandy more than lateral work that he needs to stay round. Rachel did a good job of keeping him light and not "bumping" his face as we headed for the gate.


To be continued..........

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