We’re at the PVDA Ride for Life this weekend, but before I write about that, a brief example of why, even after 2½ years in the South, I’m still a Yank.
After the two-hour drive to the lovely Prince George’s Equestrian Center, I stepped over to the Port-O-Potties. Imagine my surprise when I opened one up to discover a crustacean on the floor, waving his little claws at me. Naturally, my first thought is to go get my camera (yes, there is something wrong with me), and as I return to the stabling, I say to my working student, “Hey Nicole! There’s a lobster in the bathroom!”
No, Nanook of the North—that’s a crawfish.
Duh.
Hilarity ensued further as Nicole and I staged a rescue mission for the crawfish, who was NOT impressed with us, and spent his time trying to kill Nicole’s boot. We finally evicted him by getting him to snap one of his angry little claws onto a stick, which we then placed outside. Sheesh, you try and help a guy…
I wish I could say that our crustacean rescue was the only adventure of the day, but alas, it was not. PGEC’s best feature is its indoor coliseum, which is big and air conditioned and close-feeling, with the audience right up against the ringside. To enter it, you have to walk your horse down a big scary ramp, past two HUGE, LOUD air conditioning units.
Ella, it should go without saying, was NOT impressed.
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She didn’t even want to go into the ring, but Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel graciously led us in behind her charming chestnut Lusitano stallion (Ella did like the view of his rear, I must say), but it did little to calm her nerves. She was QUITE ramped up, not as much as Devon last year, but certainly not a pleasant and easy and rideable creature either.
Good things, though: other than really putting her foot down about doing the two-tempis around a circle line (it’s OK, I can change the choreography), she really didn’t make any mistakes. I ran through parts of the kür, and everything worked pretty well. She was so tight in the back that the passage really didn’t happen, but the piaffe was quite fabulous (hey, at least one advantage of a fire-breathing horse), and I think it actually helped her settle. Either that or it just fatigued the heck out of her.
No matter what, I think she’ll at least let me stay in the saddle tonight, and hopefully she’ll be a little more comfortable in there by herself, and even if she’s a total nutter this is SUCH a good experience for her. Opportunities to get in rings like that are quite rare Stateside, and if I want to have Bigger and Better Plans for her, it’s best to get started early on teaching her that no matter the venue, no matter how scary it is, I will always be there for her.
I have two students here, Nicole on my mom’s Andalusian stallion, and Mel on her lovely young warmblood mare. Both horses were great, and both riders really showed up and rode, which makes me a big happy camper. They get the great pleasure of showing this afternoon in 95* weather, which I’m sure makes their socks roll up and down with joy.
Until then, we’re going to have a leisurely morning—I’ve decided not to work Ella, as the worst thing ever is for her to be frightened AND exhausted—of finding the nearest Dunkin Donuts, and surveying the disproportionate number of Drive Through Liquor Stores in the state of Maryland.
Oh, and finding some pink ribbon. I can’t deck Ella out like I could with Cleo last year, as the whole pink-on-chestnut thing isn’t so classy, but heaven knows I’m going to try anyway.
