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Frog, nice pictures! You don't look bad, you look relaxed!

The horse show that I went to yesterday was really small, and there were hardly any horses, so I didn't take pictures. We did see a couple of things that bothered us though. The people next to us couldn't get their paint to load back into the trailer, and every time the horse took a step forward to think about getting on, the woman would jerk on the leadrope and start yelling "COME ON!" COME ON!" and the horse would freak out and back up and it escalated into a pulling contest with the horse rearing and then bolting and dragging her. I'm not advocating pussy footing around the horse, but they went from getting the horse half way on the trailer, to having the horse rear and bolt the more angry the woman got. The problem also was that the woman was louder in front than from behind, so of course the horse isn't going to want to go forward...

And then some snooty teenage student totally freaked out on her trainer, and that was entertaining. I wanted to break out the popcorn. Or start shouting "Jerry! Jerry!" but I can be evil like that.

I'm doing another dressage clinic this weekend, and I'm hoping that I can get someone to video tape it. I'm excited to go because I feel that I have improved loads with Levi, and I can't wait to show off. :-) I also think that I'm going to show him anyway, even with the layoff, because I've worked hard, and a lot can still happen between now and then.

Shows are at least good spectator events...

Good luck at your upcoming clinic and show! I’m sure you’ll do well :~)

We’d love to watch video if you can get it!

People can get so crazy when they’re having trailer loading troubles, and I’ll have to admit that I’ve almost gone over the edge myself a time or two. I don’t think there’s much that’s more aggravating than having a horse that won’t load, expecially at a busy location with lots of people watching. And you usually have at least a half a dozen “helpers” and that just makes things worse. You feel the need to make things happen or you’ll be judged as a bad horseman, and you usually end up doing things that you really know better than to do, and wouldn’t ordinarily do, and then you regret it later. It’s just a bad deal all around, for both horse and rider. I feel for them, no matter how stupid they are. People really shouldn’t take a poor loader anyplace until they get them over that problem.

the horse would freak out and back up and it escalated into a pulling contest with the horse rearing and then bolting and dragging her.

Jake has his moments of not wanting to load. We have spent many hours at the trail head after a long ride trying to convince him to get on the trailer or stay tied to a tree. Usually what works is a butt rope or just standing with tension on the lead rope until he give in. Jerking, whipping, yellling all makes it worse.

People are fun to watch aren’t they.

A horse that won’t load has happened to all of us, it can sure get EVERYONE’S adrenalin pumping tho:)

At the playday I went to Sat. we saw some things that gave us pause....I guess that’s going to happen everywhere tho. I just always feel bad for the horses.

Becky