Yes, everyone, this is a photo of Ike on the trailer with the butt bar in place, and the ramp up.  The most exciting part is that I did it ALL BY MYSELF!!!!  If a strong gust of wind had come, it would have blown me over.

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I arrived at the barn.  Would Ike load?  Would I have to call Mr. Revelle back and have to have another loading lesson with him?  Can I do this?  I used the same halter with a chain hooked to the lead rope.  I put the lead rope over Ike’s neck just like yesterday.  I had the piaffe whip at the ready in case we needed a bit of encouragement and peppermints in my pocket.  We walked up to the trailer and I said, “Ike, Load Up!”  He balked for a second.  I gave him a pat and repeated the request with a little tap on his croup. In the trailer he went, I latched the butt bar, and folded up the ramp.  And stood there in astonishment.  Had I just done it?  I ran around to the escape door just to make sure and take the photo as evidence. Gave Ike a handful of peppermints and the biggest hug.  I gushed praised, “good boy, such a brave man, that’s my big boy.”  I then unloaded him and decided to try one more time.  The second time there was no hesitation from Ike.  I felt like doing the victory dance like Rocky at the top of the steps.  Thank you Mr. Revelle for whatever you whispered in Ike’s ear.

Ike and I then had a short, but productive ride.  Worked on shoulder-fore, canter to stretch down trot circles, centerline turns, and keeping my weight in the right place.  Perfect weather for riding with a breeze to keep away the natty bugs and green headed flies.

Look out world, Baby Huey will be on the road again soon.

Bet you are thinking what the heck are those letters in the title of the post.  Look closely and think of a license plate.  Got it?  It is the license plate of the gentleman who came today to help Ike and I over our trailer issues. [Horse Whisperer for those of you who need a little extra help.]  Mr. Revelle arrived bright and early this morning.  Thank goodness that I was able to give coherent directions to the farm.  We introduced ourselves and I explained Ike’s issues.  He was not at all concerned, but he’s been working with horses for 50 years and has been there and done that.

We retrieved the big boy from his paddock.  Mr. R went right to work with some lunging and groundwork – a bit of a get-to-know-you and you get-to-know-me.  I stood to the side and watched.  As Ike would trot by me while lunging, I swear he kept looking at me as if to ask, “Who is this and why are we doing this?”  But, Ike being the good fellow that he is, went along with the program and tried his best.

Then it was time for the trailer.  My role was limited at first.  Stay out-of-the-way and dispense treats if and when Ike got on the trailer.  All I can say is that I was truly impressed with Mr. R’s technique.  He has a great feel for when to push and when to release the pressure and when to push for more.  Soon Ike was walking on and standing quietly.  In the blink of an eye, the butt bar was in place.  What?!  Holy Moly!  The ramp was up and there we were.  The boy did try some pushing to see if it would move, but got a poke in the butt.  Then it was my turn to try.  With Mr. R’s guidance, I had Ike load himself and was able to then put the butt bar in place.  No way!  I can load my horse by myself?!  Who would have thought it…not me.  The light at the end of the tunnel is a bit brighter.  We will practice regularly and pray that it will only get better from here.

The day was not over once Mr. R headed home.  Ike and I also had our lesson with Ms. C.  Boy was he strong and dominant with that right shoulder today.  I like to think that my legs are strong, but it took all I had to attempt to stop it, but failed miserably on numerous tries.  (I wish the hot tub was filled tonight for the sore leg muscles.)  What impresses me with Ike is that even after his trailer training, he still gave 100% in our lesson.  Worked on shoulder fore and turn on the haunches with some success.  The canter continues to improve.  Ike’s right lead is now better than the left lead on many days; that dominant right shoulder caused us some turning issues today as well as some outward drift and ovals rather than circles.  We even played with the thought of canter lengthening.  Ike liked that part of the lesson.  There is definitely some range in that canter.

I did my own horse whispering as I took Ike back to his paddock when we were done.  Told him that he is a very special horse and I am very lucky to have him in my life.

…the right thing.

Made the decision today to scratch our entry in Sunday’s schooling show.  Let me explain…as you know Ike has been having some trailer issues.  The biggest issue is not that he won’t get on the trailer, but that he panics when you go behind him and either touch the ramp or the butt bar.  He throws his mass into reverse quicker than a stunt car driver and backs off the trailer.  Not sure why now since he did ride in this trailer to and from the dressage show in April.  Too bad I’m not psychic.  It is not a safe situation and someone or Ike is going to get hurt.  It is an issue that needs to be resolved and soon before it becomes dangerous.  Better to stay home and work out these kinks than to travel to the show only to find that Ike won’t get on the trailer to come home.

I have talked to a local expert who works with behavioral issues and horses who have trailer “concerns.”  If the scheduling works, he will come next week to help me with Ike.  Hold the press!  He just called and is coming tomorrow.  Keep all fingers, toes, and hooves crossed that he can work his magic and our problems will be solved.

I did manage to fit in a ride this afternoon as well.  Had not been in the saddle since Sunday.  Do you know what happens when you give a four year old three days off?  He gets very forward, but in a good way.  Wow, what a ride.  It is a shame that he has decided to be a homebody for the time being.  Walk-trot transitions were fluid as were the down transitions.  Gone are the days where we ran into the brick wall when asked to walk.  Ike also got every canter transition when asked, on the correct lead, and with round circles instead of ovals.  Dare I say the boy is starting to have some body awareness?  I probably should not and jinx myself.

To tide you over until we make it out in public again, here is the upload of my rides from April.  The video was done by Video Vibes.  If they are ever at your show, get them to do the video for you – it is well worth it.  The first ride up in the video is our Intro A test which was actually our second ride at the show.  Next is the Intro C test.  Finally Intro B – Watch closely and you will clearly see us almost take down the rail on some of the turns.  No laughing at our canter is allowed…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0g6UQyd0AY

I saw a quote in my new Whole Living magazine (http://www.wholeliving.com/) that arrived today that made me grin to myself, “The upside of grand failures: They make great stories.”  If that is the case, it is no wonder that I started a blog about my riding experiences.  Oh yes, there is some success in the mix, but it seems like the small victories come after I’ve failed in some miserable and usually public way.

Apparently, I am a magnet for special-needs animals who are experts at humbling me.  Anyone who knows Cigar knows that he relishes his misbehavior and naughtiness even in retirement.  He just recently ripped the hot wire off the fence when he realized it wasn’t working.  My dogs are no exception.  My therapy dog Tim was pretty easy to train, but chose to relieve himself on the bag of expensive dog treats with the entire class and instructor watching.  My old hound dog had me chasing after her around the neighborhood while wearing 4 inch heel boots – my future husband dubbed them my jogging boots.  My newest canine addition Spencer?  He barked and lunged at every dog at the local dog parade and in his Obedience 101 class.  We dropped out of the class since we were more of a distraction to the other dogs who were trying to learn.  I was so proud.

And Ike?  Well he is quickly earning a reputation as “challenging to load” and “frequent no-show” at clinics.  Great.  I was hoping for a reputation as “a talented, young horse with great potential to move up the levels.”  At least we can entertain the blog readers with our misadventures and hope for a better performance tomorrow.

Ike had the day off to enjoy the weather, recover from the vet visit, and because I worked all day and had the commute from he_ _  to get home this afternoon.  Back to work tomorrow.  Three days to practice loading and get some saddle time before our Training Level debut on Sunday.  Just breathe, Alison, breathe.

How could anyone stay mad at a face like Ike’s?  Sunday morning we were back at square one with the trailer.  It was 7:00 a.m. and if Ike wanted breakfast, he would have to eat it on the trailer.  The bucket was full and up the ramp I went and waited.  Not ten minutes later he was all the way on and happily munching his feed.  Where was this horse the day before???  Maddening.  Breakfast was over and I backed him off.  Told him what a good boy he was and said, “OK, let’s hop on one more time and you can then head to your morning turn out.”  It was going to be interesting to see if loading would happen with out the enticement of a bucket of food.  Phew, Ike got on the trailer.  Irish luck won out over Polish luck this time.

Helped D muck stalls while Ike had his morning fresh air and visit with his buddy Lady.  No rest for the boy – time to tack up for a ride.  I think he is a morning horse – nicely forward and through, relaxed with spot on up and down transitions.  Such a shame that no one at the clinic got to meet him.  If he could speak, I would have him apologize to the clinician and the club for his silliness.  Since he cannot, I will say that I am deeply sorry that we did not make it.  Ike and I will work diligently and fingers are crossed that it will not happen again.  Holding dressage shows at our barn just isn’t going to happen and hacking to show grounds would be a death wish on the roads around here.

Ms. C and Mr. D were kind enough to practice loading Baby Huey again in the afternoon.  He played mule for just a few minutes before conceding and walking up the ramp.  He also loaded once today without great protest.  Dim light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have a long way to go to reach daylight.

Tomorrow the vet comes for spring shots.  If it is not raining, we will sneak in a short ride and another trailer loading session once the vet is done.  Don’t have much of a choice….we have a schooling show this Sunday and Mom is still learning her lesson in patience.

As I am typing this I have a BIG glass of wine next to me….I now seriously believe that Ike is part mule, because there was an epic battle of wills today when it came time to load him on the trailer for the clinic.  Like I said, I have a BIG glass of wine….can you guess whether or not we made it to the clinic???  That’s right, we did not.  We are now 1 for 3 for clinics.  Not a good average if you ask me.  We’d even been practicing loading on the trailer this week with no issues, so why today did he decide that no, he was not getting on the trailer?

After two hours, my very patient husband told me that it was time to call the clinic organizer to give her the news.  I knew it, but did not want to make the call.  I was humiliated, mortified, embarrassed, sad, and angry all at the same time.  Breathe, Alison, breathe.  I made the call.  It was like tearing my heart out.  That bad.

We then turned Ike out in his paddock and left.  I came back in time for dinner.  So Ike, you want dinner, you must get on the trailer………………………………………….half the body on, back off,  two hooves on, back off…………….45 minutes later, success.  All four hooves on the trailer.  Seriously?

Another lesson in patience is the best I can tell.  Serenity Now!

Ike’s first centerline and it most definitely won’t be his last.  I am so proud of my boy and how well he handled himself at his first dressage show ever.

The day started early – up at 4:15 and at the barn by 5:30 with a large coffee in hand.  Finished Ike’s braids, hooked up the trailer, applied a good coat of Show Sheen, and it was time to load.  All fingers were crossed that it went without protest.  Ike walked right on and we were on our way.  We arrived earlier than planned, but I’d built-in some extra time for loading.  It was good to have some extra time in the barn area.  Every horse in the stable whinnied hello when we arrived and then the cacophony and chaos ensued.  Every horse decided that we should provide their breakfast, and when we didn’t there was loud neighing and stall banging.  This got Ike worried and soon he was whinnying constantly and rearing in his stall.  Made the decision at that point to tack up and get him out of the morning madness.

Ms. C arrived as we finished tacking and we headed to warmup.  Lots of scary things to see on the show grounds.  Bleachers, jump standards, the John Deere tractor grooming the rings.  We walked for a good 20-30 minutes and Ike finally settled enough to focus.  I was glad to have Ms. C there to calm my nerves and give Ike confidence.  I also had a great cheering section with my dear friend T and her family and my husband.  What more could we have asked for on this gorgeous spring day.

The first test was Intro B – 66.2% and a blue ribbon.  (*The win should be asterisked since we were the only entry in the class.)  But, we stayed in the ring and got good feedback from Elizabeth Lewis (S).  Horses will always surprise you.  Centerlines at home have been straight and square.  This ride – first halt crooked and then a bit of canter on the final turn of the test.

The second test was Intro A – 70.9% and a blue ribbon (*).  The judge Kem Barbosa (S) commented that “you can move up!”  But we just started!  I’ll take the comment that we are on the right track with our training.

The third test was Intro C – 64.5% and a blue ribbon (*).  Ike was a bit rushed in his canter circles and got the wrong lead on the right (we were able to correct it).  This is where he struggles at home, so no surprise that we struggle at the show.  Kem Barbosa again said, “you are doing a good job.  Time to move up.”  So maybe at the next show we try one Intro and one Training test.  We shall see. [May 1st comment – Ike has asked that I mention that HE actually scored a 65.5%, but that I had an error which cost us one percentage point – I halted at X instead of G…duh.]

The only hiccup came when we were ready to go home.  Everything but Ike was loaded and he decided that he was NOT getting on the trailer.  My friend suggested that perhaps he was enjoying himself and wasn’t ready to go.  My husband and I were ready – tired and very hungry.  After 25 minutes of waiting, Ike hopped on.

Ike and I met our goals for the show.  We had fun, stayed in the ring, and I remembered to breathe.  My compliments to the Charlottesville Chapter of the Virginia Dressage Association.  This was a well run, low key show that was a perfect setting for a successful day.

Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds.

Back in the saddle again.  After three days out of the saddle, it was nice to slip my boots into the stirrups.  The image above is how I found Ike when I arrived at the barn.  He was contentedly eating the grass renewed by the recent rain even without his beloved Lady in the paddock next to him.  He usually has a meltdown without her, so this was a big step for him.

Today’s ride albeit short was productive.  No crankiness during warmup today – makes me wonder if it is the saddle or just a coming 4-year-old testing Mom’s patience.  Could be a bit of both.  In any case, warmup went smoothly and we drilled some turns onto and off of centerline – a really smushed figure eight.  I checked my straightness near my turns and detected a bit of drift – the kind where you would get the comment, ” fell right” when you were turning left.  Some of that is me with my non-focusing eyes, some is Ike since the hind end is still sometimes in its own separate orbit from the rest of his body.  Ms. C and I have decided that it is better than it was, but we still have some work to do.  Practiced our trot circles followed by our canter circles.  Ike did fine at the far end of the arena.  We then moved to the end of the arena with the gate through which his friend Lady had just exited…well, let’s just say that the solar system expanded at that end.  I’m circling left and I swear the hind end was going to catch up to the front end as it swung out further and further.  Not a chance in you-know-what that we could get the correct lead, let alone even consider cantering.  Sunday will be interesting since the canter circles start at A – yes, A, where there is a big, gaping hole through which to escape.  All we can do is try our best.

Our farrier arrived a short time later and gave Ike his pre-show pedicure.  We opted for the au naturale hoof.  I just don’t think that dressage judges would be all that impressed with red glittery hooves.  I don’t think I would be either.

I’m ignoring the weekend weather forecast for now.  Fingers crossed that the weather gods are kind to us.  Three more days to prepare and still much to be done:  lesson, saddle fitting, boot shining, trailer loading, bathing (weather permitting), a bit more mane taming, braiding, tack cleaning, mental test riding (there is an app for your phone with the dressage tests, but I’ve not broken down to pay for it yet), and 10 other things that I know I’m forgetting.  Why does the list seem to keep growing??

4 days to go to show day.