Quote:

“What is WRONG with ur mare?” - Upton

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U know what time it is? Its 3AM. Know why I’m blogging? Cause I can’t sleep CAUSE my back is sore, rung out. many advils needed.
Let’s back up 16 hours…..

I went out to breakfast with Mere. Fun.

Lauren U is going to work with Alexis in the ring and I decided to join in. There are TONS of people at the barn. Folks are riding their own, taking lessons, parents are watching, etc.

I get Cook and put her in the cross ties. She’s upset and fidgety and I even make a joke on her to Lauren.

I’m trying to put a 2nd polo on her, when she flips her lid and decides to break her halter and get loose from the cross ties. She doesn’t go far, just to back of the barn.

I catch her and put her in a stall to finish tacking up. I honestly thought she just got spooked. Even in the stall though, I’m trying to put the 2nd polo on and she’s walking around.

I get her tacked up and walk down to the ring. The whole way down, she’s jigging bad like we are headed to the Thunderdome. (Two men enter, one man leave!)

We get there, I manage to get on but all this time, shes’ just pawing and just generally upset. I walk her around….. and let me spare u the details but she’s bad. b-a-d. BBBBBBBAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!!!!!

Upton says “Are u ok?” (No in fact I’m not.) I’m trying extremely hard to 1) not lose my temper and 2) not lose my temper in front of numerous parents and children-people.

So I have Upton hold her, and I run up to the barn and grab a halter and a lunge line. I lunge her. She gets some good rear-kicky things out, and I make her canter on, canter on. Trot on, trot on. She actually was pretty decent on the lunge. ~20 minutes.

She’s good and tired (so I think).

I take her back into the ring to get back on.

Still bad. I really lower my standards and just try and get her to trot around ONCE nicely and we will end it. She barely makes it.

Mere is there. She is teaching lessons but in a break, God Bless her, she offers to get on Cook. Let me interrupt here…. MERE CAN RIDE ANYTHING. She used to be a jockey at a track in VA. So whatever Crazy Thoroughbred book, Cook has been reading out of… she AINT GOT NOTHING COMING with Mere. Meredith has seen and taken anything some little young, dumb TB can dish out.

Cook tries to dish it out. Mere laughs. Cook dishes. Mere laughs. (actually she’s not laughing…. its’ more of a “whatever! ur doing this! get over it! I will outlast u!!)

Mere and Cook have a discussion. (perhaps discussing world peace, perhaps discussing if Crystal needs a QH gelding… hmmm…. Cook votes no. :-)

I get back on, walk her around once. Get off. Go up to the barn.

Everyone has a bad day. Cook was due. However, the saddle fitting is Sun morning and I REALLY hope and pray that she will act decent. Standing in the cross ties and walk, trotting in the ring are good first steps here. I’m not asking for much!

I know everyone has a bad day every now and then but the thing that REALLY made me mad was acting like a total freak in front of an audience full of people. Of ALL the days… it’s like ur child who is normally good, throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of the mall, and everyone looks at u like “control them, please!”
Before I go, big thanks to Ashley and Lauren U. for making me feel better. They were supportive and confident that she would be better tomorrow and not the spazoid she was today.

Huge thanks to Mere! Thanks for working with Cook.