2008-09-28

Forewarned

“See you next year!” a handsome grounds crew volunteer said, earning a place in Jill’s memory. He was a lot like the accidental boyfriend. Only, more articulate, and Canadian sounding. It was such a short ride!

He was so cute with those shades on, what did he look like without them? He made her laugh several times on the crazy gator ride to where her car was parked. She shouted at the parked maching, “I’ll take a ride”, in desperation after walking all the way to the stabling area in error. In the exhaustion of her departure, she'd trusted a complete stranger implicitly. "Ohmigod, I have hopped into a fast-moving machine with a complete stranger, where art thou taking me?" she smiled at him as he turned out onto Mulmur Township road at full speed. So fast her hat flew off, and he turned around and went to the top of the hill for a safe turnaround pickup. She didn’t know if it would be on his side or hers, but it was his.

He rides. He works for horse people. He’s bought and sold a few horses. He made her laugh, and’ she’d trusted him implicitly. Now they were careening down an unknown country road

She hadn’t learned much about him in those noisy 6 or so minutes, but the few facts at least stuck.

*
The woman who ran an ad for small riders (ideally 12 yrs old, but 120 bs will do) for talented ponies with charming owners in Guelph.

So, did you take a fall and refuse to ride with the ambulance when it showed up for you? The stranger nodded, smiling. I heard about you then. When I took a fall and they refused to call an ambulance because they knew all about crazy Canadians that wouldn’t want to pay the extra fee.
*

2008-09-24

Trailering Tips

At 10:00 the boss's partner asked if the boss had mentioned that they need to be ready at 11, as in groomed like for a show day. Jill said “so, not braided but just hoof polish and show sheen?” as calmly as she could, realizing that with a horse to cool out in between, she was going to have about 20 minutes per traveler, max.

Fintastic would not get on the new trailer without a hassle. She felt they needed someone standing at the edge of the ramp to keep him straight and drive him on, not someone with a nippy dog coming up behind him while he was led, and sending him off sideways even faster, but nobody asked her opinion. She tried to help anyway, with the vocal commands that he listens so well to, saying Walk On, but soon the boss was back from the second ride and asked Jill to take the horse and get it put away as quickly as possible.

Thankfully KC mr. spookster his oneself, followed her right on the trailer with no fuss no muss. And, just as she was asking what else she could do to help, she got in trouble, by the returning boss, right before they left, because, apparently, when the boss says 11 it means 11, not 10 past.

Jill was told she should have been over there helping Jim with his horses, so he could have been at the truck earlier.
*
It would come to pass eventually that Jill was the only one the difficult loaders would follow on. And she would be the one they would come to for tips.

2008-09-23

The End

Jill was beside herself, all the woman did from the moment she arrived was criticise things. After arriving late. Was she glad to see her horses in? Did she appreciate that Jill had been on hand to greet the vet? It had taken Jill most of her precious riding time to get them brought in.

Jill was very sorry that her pony footsies were sore. His poor bare feet. In a way she was relieved though because that explained what was going on, and she wouldn’t worry about larger back or hip or hind end issues. Did the vet use the hoof testers on the back feet? She’d expected him to be the most sore there, but they didn’t comment. Obviously the owner was mad that the shoes had been taken off in the first place. Jill was sorry for that too, if she’d gone against the owner’s better judgement.

She was only doing her best. Was it even her fault? WHO finally convinced the farrier/friend to stop by and see them, and pull the shoes, after their feet had been left neglected and overgrown? Jill thought she was responsible, but the owner had said it was her who worked it out at the gym. Whatever.

Jill had NOT dealt with the owner of the place about the feed, so why was she being GRILLED on where the ruffage chunks were? It was upsetting that there didn’t seem to be any on the property. How was she supposed to know why there was so much left? Meanwhile, she also accused the barn owner of feeding her feed to everybody. There was no winning.

She said not to call the farrier to come earlier, because she couldn’t afford it. Then she said call. Jill knew she was being set up for another disaster, so she gave her "boss" the number and told her to let her know what she decided to arrange.

Jill had thought the farm owner said she used Quest to worm them, which worried her, because of the discussion they’d had about how that stuff can actually cause blockages if the horse has worms, because it is so effective at killing so many.

Part of what these horses needed was consistency. Could they draw lines about who was responsible for what? The owner wanted to be the boss, but she wasn’t the one who executed things. And she wasn’t the person who saw things on a day to day basis. And, she did not know as much as she thought she knew, in comparison to those in continual equestrian/equine education!

Jill suggested a board contract that would specify all these things.

Apparently the body brush was worth $200. Whatever. She was obviously taking inventory. She was asking where’s this, where’s that. Jill said her favourite grooming stuff was still over on the other side where she tacked up, and when questioned further on particular items, she went over there to get it, so the woman could see for herself. The owner started rearranging items. Why? Jill had the things she used in the carrier she preferred to carry. There’s no thrush buster in your kit, the woman said, adding one. Jill pointed out the one in there already.

Jill had taken the saddle pad off because it needed cleaning. The owner saw it sitting there and made a fuss about her having used it because it was so dirty it could cause saddle sores.

Jill felt like she was in a bad relationship. But she couldn't break up with the boss because she loved the horsies so much. And she knew no one would ever take better care of them than she would.

Shortly thereafter when the boss ended their relationship, Jill was actually releived for her own sake, if sad for the horsies. The old guy's teeth would haunt her just for starters...

2008-09-09

How To Be A Good Dad?

Brother Mikey cam riding last holiday season. Jill was providing a lesson as a gift for her friend and her young daughter, since they were both established horse-lovers but her husband wanted in on the family outing, and paid his own way.

Jill couldn't believe a 3 yr old could last sooooo long in the cold, a whole hour, before she started crying.

Mike finally got the posting rhythm, and even though Jill was not instructing the adults (her teacher was), she couldn't resist piping up. "Hey Mike, you GOT it." When he trotted past her next he said "Can I take a rest" and Jill replied "I dunno, ask YOUR teacher."

She had just been insisting that Maggie pat the pony's neck again even though she was afraid.

He went around the ring in posting trot a few more times and then shyly addressed the real hard *ss of the establishment if he could please walk. She made him trot around a few more times before she acknowledged his question and said "okay now walk and rest." Meanwhile, her friend Kim was cantering around and around on a cadillac and Jill's dad summed up the whole outing later by saying he thought Mike seemed like a pretty good dad.
*
Jill was both relieved and disappointed that the nice guy she'd been seeing romantically would encourage her to explore the live in job option so far away.
*
"My association with Limehouse is the park. Dee 'n me used to ride our horses off the property at our teacher's first farm. And we'd go out on the roads up to the park, where we'd jump the benches, then the picnic tables, to impress the baseball players."

So, you can jump a picnic table? That sounds like a big jump.