The 2010 Morgan Show.......Taking Legs

I've learned a lot since my adventure at the Morgan Show last year so getting ready for this year's show was quite different. Knowing exactly what's expected of me both by the show committee and the head office of the facility made getting organized a lot easier than last year when I was flying blind.

One of the unstated requirements of the facility had turned out to be they want someone from the show committee on the grounds at all times exhibitors might be schooling horses. The logic behind this request was they want the lunging of horses to be monitored so no one does this (or ground driving either) in areas not designated for that purpose.

Since the main arena is open for schooling at 6:30 AM, that duty fell to me. Knowing that sitting around twiddling my thumbs is not only not my style but pretty darn stressful I came up with a plan to give me something to do at that early hour and relieve stress throughout the horse show.

Several months ago I approached the show chair and requested a stall for my horse. My plan for this show season had included the Canadian Nationals which is held in August. Taking two weeks off training to manage horse shows was adding another form of stress so getting to school my horse at both shows would help take that pressure away too.

Not that taking my horse along to a show I manage doesn't have it's own kind of issues. There's so much to do having to take care of my horse too could become an issue but I was counting on those quiet morning hours to deal with my horse and knowing Legs he wouldn't cause any kind of problem the rest of the time. I just wanted him stalled up close to the show office so I could check him from time to time.

Both show committees accommodated my request. In addition the show chair asked her trainer if my horse could be stabled with them. That way I knew I had eyes on my horse if anything out of the ordinary should happen. Legs was definitely going to the Morgan show.

Monday afternoon the chiropractor worked on Legs. He'd done something funky to his lumbar region a couple of weeks before so this recheck was squeezed in before our departure to the Morgan show. The timing was great because our first day at the facility wouldn't accommodate riding in any form. Legs having the day off fit in perfectly with the plans.

Tuesday morning early Legs and I were on the road heading to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. I hate driving in rush hour traffic but I needed to be at the fairgrounds by 10. There were horses arriving from Spokane and I needed to have baled shavings available for the local woman who was readying the stalls before those horses arrived.

Upon arriving at the fairgrounds I checked in at the administration office and got the appropriate keys, parking permits, RV parking forms and five walkie talkies. I went over with the staff exactly which areas were designated lunging areas just to be sure I had things straight. I also met with the show chair and got copies of the stabling charts.

Then we headed off to the barns to get my horse settled before I had to go to work. The show chair showed me which stall was to be for my horse and then we went off to the show office to go over things. Legs was left in the trailer still munching on his breakfast.

Once I was done in the office I set about getting the stall ready for my horse. I hauled in shavings, water and hay. Then I went to get Legs from the trailer. He looked around the facility with a quizzical look on his face. I knew he was wondering what in the heck I was getting him into this time.

Legs has been the first horse to arrive at a horse show before. However, it has not stayed that way for long. Usually it's only an hour or two before he sees or hears another horse as people begin to move in.

The horses coming in from Spokane were going to be stabled in another barn. That meant it would be at least twenty-four hours before Legs even knew there was another horse in the area. About the time this occured to me I was wondering if this plan had been wise after all. How was Legs going to do hold up in this echoey vacant barn all by himself.

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

The Lonely Arena