salvaging the best laid plans: catch riding?

Before our world got turned upside down by the influenza that spread like wildfire through our barn and had everybody panicked about worst case scenarios.... before all that, Isabel and I were systematically and methodically preparing for our season opener at Loch Moy on April 12.

this threw a major wrench in the works

We'd be running Elementary (Intro Test C dressage, max 2'3" stadium and xc) - and felt like the very definition of READY. 

Our first lesson with a new dressage trainer was glorious, and another was scheduled for one week prior to the event. 

My bio-mechanics trainer came back for her first clinic of the year (after apparently having spent the winter riding with Jean Luc Cornille) and had planned to ride Isabel to bring out her inner Diva - making her the very epitome of balance and power.

An appointment with the saddle fitter was on the books too, as our newly converted wool panels needed adjusting. Oh, and I also bought a dressage saddle... surprise! 

well hullo there, shiny!

Plus cross country schooling was in the works with Dan. 

This was all in addition to our regular OF lessons - and probably with a few conditioning trail rides thrown in for good measure. 

Also, you may remember that we had already dipped our toes into the show waters a couple weeks back. Isabel found 2'3" to be a walk in the park, even despite plenty of pilot error. 

So. We were ready. Haha... the best laid plans... Horses sure keep us humble, don't they?

ANYWAY... What's done is done and we're going to give Isabel all the time she needs to recover completely. In the meantime, I have this non-refundable, non-transferable show entry. What to do, what to do? 

I know what I *want* to do: find a catch ride. Our quarantine makes it impossible to use any of our own lesson horses, even tho their herd managed to avoid illness. And the horses at OF haven't gotten their coggins tests in yet for the year...(yes, I asked haha). 

i may or may not have had fantasies about taking Crocket the Pocket Rocket, seen chillin here like the pro that he is

I've sent out a couple feelers, including reaching out to the trainers at Isabel's farm who are well connected in the horse world. So far nothing has stuck, tho they've had a few ideas...

So this might be a lost cause too... Sigh. But wouldn't it be fun?