The Adventure Continues..........a Little Back Stage Drama.......

The Adventure Begins

I'd been out there on that darn ramp schooling for so long my new friend came looking for me. She was far more impressed than Doug Stewart with the "jog" my Arabian stallion was currently exercising. Although not seeing it from the ground myself I'm really not sure if it looked like a jog or that Spanish walk Doug had referenced. The point was we took forever out there getting that horse to walk.

Legs did finally walk. We walked up and down that ramp a couple of times. I wanted to be sure he really would walk heading toward the stalls before we quit. I sure didn't want to reinforce any thoughts about rushing back to the stalls. I had enough problems with this horse.

Once we did get a nice flat footed walk, I dismounted right near where I'd left the horse's cooler. For the first time since all of this began I heard a deep sigh from my horse in the proximity of that aisle way. I certainly hoped this was a sign that better times were to come but still I planned on schooling at the next break.

That's pretty much how it went from then until the day of my first class. I schooled my Arabian horse in the Ford Truck Arena at each break. Each ride got better and better but the progress was slow. It was only the day before my class when I finally decided it was safe to even try schooling in the full bridle.

In between schooling sessions with Legs, I cleaned stalls at least a couple of times a day and Jesse would have a schooling session with Gypcy and Rhet. It seemed like that was about all there was time for. I rarely got the chance to watch classes. If I did it was just one or two at a time and usually I didn't fit in more than a couple a day.

From the western classes I did see, it was clear to me that riding a horse on a draped rein was a big priority to these judges. Good movement and true gaits didn't seem to be nearly as important as the drape in that rein. I doubted that Legs and I make the cut with that kind of criteria. The only real chance we'd have would be if the rest of the class was naughty........not likely........but possible I guess.

It has been a while since I have attended the US All Arabian National Horse Show. It seemed to me the competition was deeper than I remember from years in the past. Not only was the quality of horses better but the extent of their training seemed to be more advanced as well.

As I've said before Legs and Rhet were stabled side by side at this show. The only reason I mention it again is by now, Legs and Rhet had become fast friends. Being able to visit through the openness of the top half of those stalls gave the horses the opportunity to play.

I probably would have thought it was cute if Rhet didn't have that darn cough and snotty nose. To see Legs and Rhet licking each other's faces and playing with each other's lips only made me worry about Legs getting sick.

I was pretty sure that Rhet was not contagious. After all he'd had this thing at home for weeks and not one other horse caught it. Yet I figured with my luck, Legs would be sick before we even got to ride his class.

That snotty nose sure didn't bother Legs. If Rhet was pushing his face up to the 2 by 4 mesh, Legs was right there loving on him. I tried to take pictures of this exchange between the two horses but each time I showed up with the camera, the horses turned to look at me and stopped playing. I never even got close to catching them.......but I can assure these two horses spent a fair amount of time sucking each other's lips.

The other thing that seemed to amuse my horses was playing with their clothing. With all the extra layers they were wearing there were lots of things to keep them occupied but hoods seemed to be the number one point of contention with each horse............and I can't say that I blame them. The darn things look more like some kind of mummy suit than something comfortable.

The new hood I bought for Rhet never did fit him that well. After about the third time of finding him standing lost in the thing, I finally gave up. I think the only reason I managed to get a picture of Rhet this way is he couldn't see me coming.

I put that hood on Gypcy and let Rhet wear hers. That worked better.........but not great. At least I didn't come in the morning and find Rhet banging into the walls because he couldn't see.

Gypcy did managed to get the hood into the same compromising position as Rhet. The mare just froze instead of trying to escape. When I found her "blinded" by the hood. She had her head dropped to the ground and just stood there. She didn't even move when I came in to help.......despite the fact her normal response to me is to flee.

But Hey! What the heck! Legs shouldn't be the only one getting all the attention. It only makes sense the others would find something to get their share. Someone remind me next time I think I need to take three horses to the same show, that I really need a groom. Keeping up with all their needs, let alone their antics was exhausting.

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

D Day Arrives
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