The New Journey Begins........Subtle Changes.....

Part One


Once BG and WF had the horse's papers in their possession, the plans for the Arabian stallion almost immediately began to change. The next thing I knew, WF had decided she didn't want to show the horse as a hunter. She was going to wait until he was ready to go western.

Plans to take Storm to Daffodil were done. The Arabian stallion couldn't possibly be ready because the horse not only needed to go slow, he needed to be in the curb bit because of his age. There were no immediate plans for other shows either. For all intents and purposes planning to show Storm for 2009 was officially over regardless of the fact showing the horse in 2009 was a part of our contract.

I mentioned to BG about getting the papers back a few times. I was told they couldn't make up their minds whose name the horse would be in so they hadn't been signed. I thought that didn't really matter because I'd been told they were husband and wife and that fits the guidelines for close relatives in the rules but the papers still weren't returned to me.

Now that they no longer had immediate plans to show the horse they could put off resolving their conflict of whose name the horse would be in until they were ready to show. In the meantime they had no concerns or thoughts about returning those papers to me. I was also getting a very uneasy feeling about things happening at the barn. I actually began to wonder if I was going to get the work I was due for this horse they now had in their possession.

All this while I began to see other things happening around me at the barn. As they piled up my discomfort began to grow. There were subtle indications that maybe I was no longer a priority in the barn and there were things that said maybe I'd not done right by this horse.

The most obvious was concerning GD and MD. GD was at the barn more and more when I was there working horses. I was spending enough time there it was hard to avoid her or MD. There had been some issues with my horses when they were around and BG didn't seem to care one way or the other even though he had promised that he would.

What had happened to my comfort being more important than another training horse? Well partially that had probably changed because by this point GD now had two horses at the barn. The second one, also a registered half-Arabian mare, was on lease (or so I was told) to her from yet another friend of mine. That mare had issues as well so GD needed BG's help on that mare too.

When talk of bringing that mare had first started, I'd tried to talk MD out of leasing the mare. I was afraid that they were getting in over their heads going from one horse to two so quickly not to mention with both horse's having issues. I thought it would be best if they paid for one before moving onto another, even for a lease. I was told that MD was not involved in it at all, GD had made this deal and that's just how it was, MD was going to let her do what she wanted.

Next thing I knew that mare was moved in at BG's barn and MD and GD now had two horses in training there. Not only that but GD was now living with WF and BG. She goes to school via the computer and she was spending her weekdays living with them and from what I could tell now working for BG.

Even with this new change in their relationship if there was any kind of problem with my horses and MD was around BG was quick to blame MD for whatever happened. He even blamed MD for an incident where Tag freaked out in the cross ties and nearly flipped over. BG wanted me to believe MD was at fault and he spent considerable time trying to convince me of that.

I didn't see what caused the wreck only the outcome but I did see that both BG and MD were in the vicinity. From that day forward the horse had major issues not only in the cross ties, he also began freaking out about being saddled too. Whatever happened, the horse had been startled and his confidence in the cross ties was shattered.

BG was equally as quick to try and involve GD with my horses until I once again reminded him that I wouldn't have it. Still he would ask me to relay information to GD for him and it almost always ended in a disagreement between her and me. I just couldn't say anything horse related to her without her arguing but he still kept trying to push me at her.

It was difficult to stay out of the position of having to talk to my GD. Whatever communications were involved, I still was met with the same old attitude. If I said black, the girl said white and her mother was much the same. Nothing had changed that would make me think I could trust GD with my horses.

Only by now what had changed was BG didn't really care if there was a problem between us. He no longer instructed GD to be respectful and he no longer worked at making sure GD knew he respected me as a horse person or that there were similarities in our thinking. The only thing I remember him saying to GD about me at this time was that he would never presume to try and give me a lesson on a horse or tell me how to ride.

There was a shift going on in the barn. While I couldn't really put my finger on it at the time I could feel the pressure. The barn was becoming an uncomfortable place to be.

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

Going into Show Season

I would like to thank Show in Style and Wet Reins for awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award which I have already posted. I appreciate these bloggers thinking of me despite my dress code.


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