SHN Day 3

Amazing how time flies.  We spent all day preparing the horses for the first rides tomorrow.  Didn’t get the sign and pictures up on the tack stall until 5:30.

First we walked the horses (after feeding them and then eating at McDs– coffee really hit the spot today).  Started riding, Ra and Safarr first.  Ra’s feeling good as is Safarr.  Safarr and I are starting to get Prix St George figured out.  We need tons more practice and honing in on our timing but the pieces are starting to fall into place.  Too bad nationals isn’t 6 months from now   I swear I am the slowest learner ever born.  Poor Safarr, sometimes I wonder why he puts up with me.

Next up was Kari on Kaluah and me on Kizzes.  Kizzes did pretty good.  She’s feeling better than she has all year.  Too bad nationals isn’t 6 months from now )  Kaluah was a bit nervous out there, she and Kari worked quite a while on getting her to relax in her job.  There are 3 rings in front of the grandstand so it’s very busy.  The crew was setting up some of the rings, they were coming in with forklifts to set the judge’s booths, it was high energy.  So all in all they did great for so much going on.

Went to lunch at Subway.  Kari needed refueling as she had more riding to do.   12″ sub should do the trick!  Came back to the grounds and Kari rode Sara (Desiderata Rose in the program).  Sara has been amazing at adjusting to such a big, high test show.  She did her job, many, many horses  working in the Rolex arena in front of that big grandstand.  Joanne and I went to the show office first to check in while Cindy and Rick watched Kari work Sara.  Joanne and I called Rick to pick us up with the lifesaving golf cart and we watched Sara work too.  She’s doing great!

Kari went back out to work Kaluah and she was a totally different horse.  Came “out of the box” (out of her stall) like her old self.  They went to the show arenas, did a light workout and returned to the stall happy and relaxed.  I took Safarr (led him, me walking, believe it or not)  all the way back to the show arena as he hadn’t seen it with the judge’s boxes in place.  I didn’t want to say he didn’t make top ten because I was too lazy to take him back up to see the arenas with the judge’s booths in place to check them out.  He’d probably be fine but it’s nationals, this is it, set it up for success.   It’s not just another opportunity to train for “the big show”.

Tucked all the horses in for the night, put fuel in the truck on the way back to the motel (when it shut off at $75 I got mad and didn’t start it again,,, decided we’d have to fill before we left anyway.  Who can fill their truck on $75 anyway????!!  I don’t understand why they put shut off limits on diesel fuel pumps.)  I still marvel at how seldom we stop for fuel compared to the Ford.  We averaged 10 mpg pulling the trailer with 5 horses, a golf cart, 40 bags of sawdust, 20 bales of hay and all our stuff.

Joanne wanted us to eat at Chic Fil A.  Turned out to be a winner!!!!!  The grilled chicken sandwich is cheaper than Burger King and better!  We may just try it again.

Well, tomorrow’s Big Day One.  Sara’s up first just after 8, then Kaluah just before noon and then Safarr just after 5 in Prix St George.  Wish us luck.  No matter how good you and your horse are, there’s TONS of luck involved to have a good ride at such an important show…

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