B & Wick join the party!

One of my 2015 Q1 goals was to get my friend B's leased OTTB Wick loading well enough to be deemed road worthy. We've been working on this for a while - since November, actually - tho B switched her lease and we restarted when Wick became the main man. 

i am queen of awkward selfies - complete with dusty eyelashes - while isabel just looks adorable

B wants to get into eventing too and joined our lesson at OF a few weeks ago using their lesson ponies while we sort the trailer thing. Again - I know a lot of people don't do all this preliminary training stuff to haul horses places - they just pop 'em on the trailer and hit the road. And usually that all works out just fine. I know this. 

But I'm also pretty new to trailering (and generally a worrier), so I want to feel totally confident that we won't run into any problems off property with the horses (neither of which belong to me....). Therefore I am slow and deliberate. 

But!! Last Saturday was the day. We did all the preparation and practicing and trial runs. Wick was fine. Isabel seemed less thrilled about sharing her royal chariot... but tuff stuff princess. 

I really really wanted to back out, tho - given the below-freezing temps, zillions of chores to do before leaving, and my own general sense that the circumstances weren't quite perfect... 

But B was determined - and answered my doom and gloom-y texts throughout the week with pumped up responses about how we were totally going to plow through the chores no problem, and that it'd all be fine. In her words: 'we got this.' And we did!! 

And the horses were obviously fine. I was a little worried that Isabel would get all worked up with another horse in the trailer - but she actually seemed very happy to have company. There was no calling out or pawing - they just dug into their hay. B and I were very impressed with how very quiet (in the best kind of way) both horses were. 

Wick observes the new setting with calm curiosity

And it was the same when we arrived at OF. B brought all her stuff for the lesson - but was expecting that maybe they'd just be hand-walking around on this first trip to get Wick acquainted. That was totally unnecessary tho - he was one cool customer (B was more nervous than he was lol), so she saddled him up and off to the indoor we went!

And it was a great lesson! There was a TON of stuff going on in the indoor - a couple people were raking and shoveling dirt from the deeper corners into the track, trying to even it out. Another person was dragging a leaky hose around watering the arena to keep the dust down. Plus a couple dogs were running loose. Wick took a good look at everything but was unfazed. 

Trainer P seemed to like Wick too - and was able to help B work through his left lead issues pretty effectively. Hurray for magic trainer dust! B was so happy with how everything went - she later said that if the Ravens had won their game, the day would have been better than her wedding day lol.

whoa. somebody get control of that wild and crazy ottb!!

The lesson as it related to me and Isabel was maybe a little more boring. We flatted ok, and jumped ok. There was some redemption up a one-stride grid on the centerline - the jumps weren't exactly tiny and Isabel still felt maybe a touch backed off. But I actually rode the horse (shocking!) and it was all fine. 

Really tho - the big exciting thing was bringing Wick - and I'm really looking forward to having a partner in crime for our future eventing adventures!!