Solo

The adventures just keep coming.  Now that I've got a trailer and I've had my first couple of trips, I'm off to my very first show on my own.  Completely on my own.  No trainer, no groom, no buddies.  It's a schooling show about 25 minutes from the barn and a great opportunity to practice getting Theo around the ring without theatrics.

I'm now realizing what a team sport horse shows usually are.  Who's going to hand me my jacket?  Pick up my whip if I drop it?  Remind me to not ride like an idiot?  Hold my hair if I puke?  No one.  And that's kind of scary.  But I'm a big girl, I'm quite used to warming up on my own for a show, and my two rides are only 30 minutes apart.  I only have to tack once, properly warm up once, and then head home.  I'll be on the grounds for about two hours total.  It's not like it's an all day marathon.

Huge bonus?  I don't ride until 3:12pm.  It's a small show, so riding in the large arena makes me one of the 'big kids' and we have to wait until the end of the day.  If I was going with the barn, I'd be there for the intro tests that start at 9am.  Instead, I will sleep in, braid my horse the morning of, and show up around 1:30pm.  Easy peasy.

Except the part where I'm showing with no one to remind me of the essentials.

I'm combining check lists today, starting with the trailering check list and then working my way through the show list.  The truck needs to be fueled up (sob), the usual check done on the trailer, and all of the essentials packed.  Then I get to throw all of the usual show equipment in.  Then I get to start with the grooming and prepping of mi papi.  It's insane the amount of work that goes into showing when you're doing it all.  And I'm still fumbling with getting a system.  My system currently currently consists of throwing everything in the gooseneck and managing it when I get there.  That won't work as well when I have no one to hold my horse.

But at least I get to sleep in.