Let the shows begin...

E and Monte completed their first show of the year today. No champion ribbons but they did get a handful of red and blues. E would have earned a couple of more blues except that she still chooses to ride Monte two handed in the Western classes. Overall, they did wonderfully and enjoyed most of the day (There was one spat of tears near the beginning - nerves can be a horrible thing!) This was a great show to start the season out with. Only a small number of competitors and a nice judge who really tried to give advice on how to improve.

Coming home was a bit more, well, exciting, than we had planned, though. We were helping out a friend who is currently trailer-less and when we stopped at their place to drop them off something happened to spook their horse as he was unloading. And he took a nutty. A major one.

He began to rear and buck and pull back and unfortunately his lead rope got stuck in the tie ring and his halter held....and his little rider was stuck in the trailer with him going nuts. VERY frightening, to say the least. After the first 10 (very long) seconds or so, I was able to get in the trailer, let her out, and have E hand me a second lead rope to replace the stuck one. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The horse has a scraped up head (from rearing several times and hitting his head on the roof of the trailer) and a scrape on his back leg as well.

E took over at this point. We didn't want the horse to finish the day with a scary trailer incident, so she lead him around to calm him and then tried get him to load. Which he wouldn't do, of course. She worked with him for 30 to 45 minutes, trying to get him to see the trailer as a place of calmness - he was allowed to rest whenever he stood quietly at the trailer at first, but if he pulled away she worked him in the area surrounding the trailer. Eventually she got him to put one foot in. We called it quits then - she was tired to the bone and he was lathered up as well.

I was very proud of her.

The owner of the horse asked me what I thought about the horse. He's a nice looking animal, and I do think he is probably just fine for most people, but they are now afraid of him (this not the first negative experience they've had with him). And he knows it. The horse walks all over them (literally) and is difficult for them to control. I hated telling her that I thought he might be too much animal for them, but this afternoon convinced me that they are not safe around him because they don't know how to assert their dominance over him. I don't think he is dangerous in general, just terribly disrespectful and in need of some ground manners. I really do hope they find a solution to their problem.

Oh, and by the way, Monte just stood still during this whole spectacle. Have I mentioned what a good little man he is? :)

Tomorrow is Pony Club. E has her first rating exam. Hope all goes well.