We’ve all been there. You’ve been having solid rides. You managed to get the time off of work. You sent your entries in and your ride times are posted. You show up at the barn, haul your gear out to the cross ties, and go sauntering out to the pasture to grab your horse and you hit the wall. Maybe it’s a sprung shoe and a missing chunk of hoof. Maybe it’s a leg that’s just puffy enough that it has you worried. Maybe it’s an allergic reaction. Whatever it is — it takes the wind right out of your sails, and suddenly your plans appear to be for naught.
When I watched my mare come strolling across the pasture Tuesday in the hopes of collecting cookies from me, I noticed that she had some dried blood on her left front. She seemed to be walking normally, so I forced myself not to panic. When she closed the distance between the two of us, I stuffed a few cookies in her face and began checking out the situation. My eyes found the source: a small gash on the inside of her leg, just below where her leg meets her body.
I brought her in and cleaned the wound. After a good scrub, it was determined that it was fairly superficial and that panic would not be necessary. Still, it was in an awkward enough spot that it was all but guaranteed to swell and probably not fair to ask her to work hard until it had healed a bit. A long walk, maybe some light flatwork? Sure, not a problem. However, a serious effort over a fence could cause it to pop open, and then there’s all kinds of yuck going on, and that’s not anything anyone wants to have happen. Great. We had a plan, you know.
Stephanie and I were all set to haul out this afternoon. We were feeling confident heading up to Camelot for her horse Owen’s first outing and my last trip around Beginner Novice before buckling down and pushing to get a couple of Novice runs in before winter. We had placed bets on who would get the worse dressage score. Her horse is admittedly very green and an unknown quantity in a show environment. However, my mare’s natural tendency to be hot and excitable paired with a track record of scores in the 40s makes it a fools bet, but like I told Stephanie — if she really wants to give me a dollar, I’d be happy to take it.
I won’t lie; I’m a bit bummed because realistically, unless something magical happens, I won’t be showing this weekend. Not all is lost though, and it could absolutely be far worse. I’ll still be hauling my mare up to be Owen’s security buddy. She’s an old hand when it comes to traveling and quite familiar with Camelot. I will still get to camp out, act foolish and go on a trail ride. I will get to snap pictures for Stephanie and share in the excitement of a first time out with a new horse. I will still be ready for Novice before winter hits. Yes, we had a plan. Time to pack, hook up on the trailer and get on the road. The plan is still a go.
Go Team DF. Go Flexibility. Go Eventing.
