So last we left our psycho drama queen horse super pony we had successfully traversed travling out away from the farm, reloading and coming home again. Two things before I move on to this past weekends adventures. Did I mention that the worst part about trailering out (other than the uncertainty of the High Queen reloading in the trailer) is actually getting the trailer back in the drive way? My driveway was not created with big long trailers, or any trailer for that matter in mind. It's fairly narrow and there are deep(5 feet at least) ditches on both sides. So if I don't make the turn in just the right spot I am screwed and have to do the unthinkable. BACKING UP! *Shudder, shake Shudder*
When I took Seneca over to E's I just planned it right and waited for my husband to be home as a ground guide before I attempted to get back in to the driveway. The second thing I forgot to mention is how attached my two horses are to one another. Cowboy ran the fenceline and screamed for at least an hour while we were gone. He was so loud, and so plaintaive that my neighbor called to see if she should check on him. What a big baby.
Now on to the latest adventure. The whole reason I took Seneca down to E's was a pretest for my trail riding club's holiday party. I wanted to go sooo bad. I had never been able to go out trail riding with them in the year I belonged to the club. But now I had a sound horse, sound body, and a fabulous trailer. Work tried to endeavor to get in the way of going but I got my schedule rearranged for the day. The only snag, I would be going totally on my own, lone wolf, commando even. By the time all the partying and trail riding was done my husband would still not be home from work. So no ground guide to get the trailer back in to the driveway(GULP!)
Plus there was no telling the kind of craziness my horse would throw at me. She'd never been on a big group trail ride, never been to the park where we were going to ride and her black and white spotted buddy was staying at home. Oh God, what was I thinking!
But I planned ahead. I pretty much knew the High Queen was not going to stand tied to the trailer. But my club had so nicely fundraised and donated a round pen to the park. Haha, one problem solved. So I arrived early, parked my trailer close to the round pen and installed the Queen in her new digs. She trotted laps for 45 minutes. Fabulous.
The friend I had hoped to be there to shepherd my mare didn't arrive when we were ready to go but I tagged along on the end of a five or six horse group. The club president had a very nice Tenessee Walker gelding who did not mind my tail gating him the whole way. We're talking her nose stuffed in his tail hair. I was wondering if we should have gotten the two of them a room she was hugging him so hard.
Seneca seemed to think that she was going to the races because she sure acted like it was the post parade for the race. She yanked the reins, she jigged, she didn't want to stand still when we paused on the trail. Not the most relaxing trail partner. But she tackled going over the five or six wooden bridges and the sometimes over the fetlock deep mud without arguing. She was even manageable when the group moved out and were trotting and cantering(us) or gaiting(pretty much everyone else)
And she did have moments of sanity where she just relaxed, let her head hang lower and walked along happily. At the return she was good, tired, but good. She stood fairly well at the trailer, but I didn't want to take chances so I threw her cooler on and let her loose in the round pen again. At which point she rolled and then spent most of the time nibbling hay or staring transfixed at the cows across the road.
At reloading time, she was a little bit of a pain, but in all actuallity it only took me less than ten minutes to reload her. Then the truly scary part, getting the trailer in again. Wisely before I left I left a marker for where I should start my turn. Sadly it was too far forward and I ended up having to back up the trailer twice to get the right angle to get in.
But I DID IT! I got the trailer turned around in the pasture and reparked in its spot and everything. I was extremely proud of myself for that one. It means I am independant. It means I can haul to shows and clinics without having my husband come with me. Not that he wouldn't go, he's totally supportive of my addiction, but his work schedule doesn't always allow for it.
In the end I was proud of my horse, and proud of me. Go TEAM MIDNIGHT HILL!
Keep it between the flags everyone, and Happy Holidays!
Seneca chilling in the round pen after the trail ride.
When I took Seneca over to E's I just planned it right and waited for my husband to be home as a ground guide before I attempted to get back in to the driveway. The second thing I forgot to mention is how attached my two horses are to one another. Cowboy ran the fenceline and screamed for at least an hour while we were gone. He was so loud, and so plaintaive that my neighbor called to see if she should check on him. What a big baby.
Now on to the latest adventure. The whole reason I took Seneca down to E's was a pretest for my trail riding club's holiday party. I wanted to go sooo bad. I had never been able to go out trail riding with them in the year I belonged to the club. But now I had a sound horse, sound body, and a fabulous trailer. Work tried to endeavor to get in the way of going but I got my schedule rearranged for the day. The only snag, I would be going totally on my own, lone wolf, commando even. By the time all the partying and trail riding was done my husband would still not be home from work. So no ground guide to get the trailer back in to the driveway(GULP!)
Plus there was no telling the kind of craziness my horse would throw at me. She'd never been on a big group trail ride, never been to the park where we were going to ride and her black and white spotted buddy was staying at home. Oh God, what was I thinking!
But I planned ahead. I pretty much knew the High Queen was not going to stand tied to the trailer. But my club had so nicely fundraised and donated a round pen to the park. Haha, one problem solved. So I arrived early, parked my trailer close to the round pen and installed the Queen in her new digs. She trotted laps for 45 minutes. Fabulous.
The friend I had hoped to be there to shepherd my mare didn't arrive when we were ready to go but I tagged along on the end of a five or six horse group. The club president had a very nice Tenessee Walker gelding who did not mind my tail gating him the whole way. We're talking her nose stuffed in his tail hair. I was wondering if we should have gotten the two of them a room she was hugging him so hard.
Seneca seemed to think that she was going to the races because she sure acted like it was the post parade for the race. She yanked the reins, she jigged, she didn't want to stand still when we paused on the trail. Not the most relaxing trail partner. But she tackled going over the five or six wooden bridges and the sometimes over the fetlock deep mud without arguing. She was even manageable when the group moved out and were trotting and cantering(us) or gaiting(pretty much everyone else)
And she did have moments of sanity where she just relaxed, let her head hang lower and walked along happily. At the return she was good, tired, but good. She stood fairly well at the trailer, but I didn't want to take chances so I threw her cooler on and let her loose in the round pen again. At which point she rolled and then spent most of the time nibbling hay or staring transfixed at the cows across the road.
At reloading time, she was a little bit of a pain, but in all actuallity it only took me less than ten minutes to reload her. Then the truly scary part, getting the trailer in again. Wisely before I left I left a marker for where I should start my turn. Sadly it was too far forward and I ended up having to back up the trailer twice to get the right angle to get in.
But I DID IT! I got the trailer turned around in the pasture and reparked in its spot and everything. I was extremely proud of myself for that one. It means I am independant. It means I can haul to shows and clinics without having my husband come with me. Not that he wouldn't go, he's totally supportive of my addiction, but his work schedule doesn't always allow for it.
In the end I was proud of my horse, and proud of me. Go TEAM MIDNIGHT HILL!
Keep it between the flags everyone, and Happy Holidays!
Seneca chilling in the round pen after the trail ride.
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