Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Loud Speakers=Terrifying

We had a schooling show at the barn this last weekend.  I think we had 60ish entries between the horse trials, combine training, and straight dressage entries.  I got lucky and one of the girls wanted to scribe in the morning, so I didn't have to do it all day.

Fixated

I decided to pull Stinker out and walk him around warm up to see how he acted and give him exposure.  It wasn't super busy, but there was enough going on that he was on high alert as we walked up to the dressage pasture.  He was looking and snorting, but was very well behaved.

I decided since he was handing the horses well, I would walk him over by the show office.  There were lots of decorations up, people around, and the loudspeaker.  Poor Stinker wasn't not ok with the loudspeaker and I am a horrible person that find his reactions hysterical when he gets scared.  He is curious and wants to approach it, but he is also doesn't want to get too close to it.  So, he arches his neck and stretches it out as far as it will reach and snorts.  Like wild snorting monster snorting.

There has been more remodeling...(soon to be fixed and mats added)

There was lots of stretching and snorting.  One group of people asked me if he was a baby.  I honestly don't know how to answer this.  He has been under saddle for about a year (when you subtract out the time he had off for EPM), but he is going to be seven this year.  I just said that he was started late, and left out the fact that he is a giant goofball that snorts a lot.

The show went really well.  I had one screw up with the dressage clipboard.  I got some wires crossed and made up Intro C tests for a class that was supposed to be doing Intro B.  On the bright side, no one complained at the office (after the judge stopped the first girl for an error I realized the mistake), so it wasn't a huge deal.  I love these schooling shows and I really hope I can ride Stinker in one of them before I end up moving again.

I thought he was licking the block and stood there for quite awhile and then I realized he was chewing on the tub...

6 comments:

  1. aww goofy stinker haha. sounds like the perfect opportunity for exposing him to that type of atmosphere tho - and like he handled it mostly pretty well! who knows, maybe you'll be trotting down center line at a similar type event sooner than you think!!

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    1. He did. I'm sure our first trip will be a hot mess and my goal will be to not get eliminated. I have not shown since high school and that was western. So I'm sure I'll have nerves that will factor in...

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    2. "not getting eliminated" is always a worthy goal imo haha (esp as someone who has not always been able to make that happen...)

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    3. I would not be shocked if that happened but maybe I'll surprise myself

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  2. daww sounds like a great learning experience for him!

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