We did it!

Look, she's totally relaxed...er, sorta. She looks like she's part giraffe here.

I slept so poorly Saturday evening and woke up several times in the wee hours of the morning worried that I was going to oversleep. **In college I overslept for every first day of classes...I worry so much, set so many alarms, that I end up jinxing myself. I arrived much earlier than I needed to and distracted myself pretty quickly with barn chores. L went to the fair ground to pick up the trailer and I grabbed Kiki from her pasture and groomed her while my trailer buddy and her mount were working on braids. She was as quiet as could be so I felt pretty optimistic about how our day was going to unfold. I was REALLY hoping that L would load her (it's been 15+ years since I've loaded a horse onto a trailer), but of course he told me to grab and get on there. He's truly a no nonsense horseman. She walked up the ramp fine, and hesitated at the top, back a few steps (but never left the ramp), I walked back to her shoulder and she marched right on, and we left her loose in the first two spots. Bucky was loaded right after her and she seemed happy to have a buddy to ride along with. She ignored her hay and started moving around a bunch, but overall her travel behavior seemed pretty good. We followed behind and we drove the short ride to the fair grounds. B said that when we pulled in, my face was like a 10 year old's...wide-eyed and excited to be at a show -- she commented that she was surprised that I wasn't wearing my helmet in the car! I DID decide to at least look the part at the show grounds, I broke out my nice full seat breeches and my field boots (I know, I am nuts, I decided to break them in that day) I convinced L to unload her, since she was loose in the trailer and practically bursting through the divider, and she walked off nicely, he handed her off to me and I threw her in a stall to let her get acclimated. I gave her some hay and water, and trotted off to find B to let her know we had arrived in one piece. I tried to busy myself with other activities so I wasn't obsessing about her. I was really worried she was going to freak out when she saw her herd mate Note. For some reason when Kiki sees Note she loses her mind. Last week they had come back from a show just as I was tacking her up and Kiki practically strangled herself on the cross ties. It's a bad scene. Luckily Note's rider gets it and we did our best to keep them from interacting too much at the show. B told me to grab Kiki and hand walk her around, so I took Grace with me for added security and we walked her around a little. She was a bit of a maniac, and offered a few rears, but mostly kept it together. Asking her to stand still was completely out of the question. At this point I had sweat through my clothes and was probably shaking, so I took her back to the stall and let her relax a little more. Four of the horses (including Note) were trailered back to the farm and I knew we had a solid chance a good behavior with her gone. We had a little break between everyone's dressage rides so I scurried off to get her tacked up and the other horse stabled was going to join us as we walked down to the warm up area. She was dead quiet in the stall now, happily chomping on hay and almost sleeping while I got her ready. She practically tip-toed as we walked down and there was plenty of head shaking/smacking me with her full cheek bit as we continued. I had already brought her lunge stuff to the warm up and B came with me (I was admittedly very nervous). I asked her to lunge Kiki so I could see how she was feeling and not get wrapped up in her goofy behavior. She acted up a little, ever offering a few well placed kicks in B's direction. But she settled in eventually and seemed to be listening. I was still really nervous to get on, and B had to go help the other girls warm up for their tests. I was stuck with the wild pony and Grace. I had hoped that maybe Grace could get on and ride her a little before I had to, but B didn't want Grace riding her unattended so she said, "you can hand walk her until I'm done, or get on". Obviously I would rather be on her than on the ground (she's soooo much worse on the ground)...So Grace held her and I got on...um, eventually...you see, between the full seat breeches and the boots I was quite as flexible and had to lift my foot into the stirrup(not recommended with a wild pony), but I got on and walked her off, Grace let us go and we just got right to work. She had plenty of moments where she trotted around like a giraffe and hollered for friend, but I just kept her moving. She started to settle in and let out a few good releases. B was watching (secretly) and told us we were doing great! We trotted around for awhile and then B asked me to walk her up to the waiting area and ask her to stand. Well, easier said than done. She wanted NO part in standing still. She pranced around and side stepped all over the place, but I just kept circling and asking for her to stand. Eventually she compromised by standing parallel to the dressage ring, so she had a clear view of the stables and the trailers. Such a princess.

Despite having a look on my face of impending vomit, I was quite happy with how she behaved since she didn't offer any behavior that was new. She acted as bad as she has at home, but not the worst she has ever been. I understand her bad behavior now enough to deal with it. Does she still scare me sometimes? Certainly. But I have to trust that I can handle it. I also have to trust that B is never going to over face me. She knows I can handle the mare, and that I can ride. I need to stop doubting myself and just get on and ride. That needs to be my mantra. Stop being a wimp Niamh -- get on and ride.

I loaded her at the end of the day and she was fantastic, this time she was clipped in like a normal horse! I unloaded her when she got back and although I thought for sure she was going to burst out of the trailer she walked out quite sensibly. I put some fly spray on her and walked her out to the pasture. I turned her loose and she galloped off to see her friends, I am certain she had LOTS to tell them!

Oh Mares.

**ps. we did so well that B wants me to bring her to the next hunter show in a few weeks...and maybe bring my coat, in case I am feeling REALLY brave.