A Busy Week Ahead

This is a busy week. I take Epona to training on Friday. It will be the first time she has been away from home, except going to the vet. 

I need to have the oil in my truck changed, and tire pressure checked on the trailer tires. The haul is 2 hours down and 2 back. After what happened to Teresa, I carry a fire extinguisher in the cab of my truck. Hopefully, I won’t have to use it. 

During my last lesson I practiced loading and tying horses my trainer’s way to prepare for the Epona haul. 

1. She never pushes them over with the divider. She makes sure to move them over, then close the divider. I’m guilty of pushing them gently with it. 

2. She ties them in the adjoining slant stall. To do this, she runs the rope through the tie hole, holds the end, moves the horse over, brings it over the panel, pushes the horse over, closes the panel, then ties off in the adjoining slant. 

If anything happens, it gives you access to untying away from the horse. It also gives you more control when unloading them. 

Epona will be hauling alone, and I plan to have her in the middle of the trailer. 

The trainer has her own steer down there now, and she’s training the horses on them. Her schedule is full this summer. Otherwise, I’d be very tempted to haul Tweed down there, too, and have her work with him on cows. I’m going to see about a cancellation list or maybe late fall, early winter.

We discussed the possibility of taking a lesson on the cows with Tweed when I pick up Epona a month from now. (Unless something happens during the training that she has to be brought home.) What could happen? Hard to say. She hasn’t been pushed out of her comfort zone yet, and we don’t know if there are any lingering effects of the pharyngeal dysfunction. So, we’re kind of holding our breath. The vet thought she was ready, as does my trainer. But training exposes things. 

If for some reason she does need to come home, I would definitely take Tweed down to fill her spot. I hope, however, that all goes well. She has been a very smart horse around home, and shows a high level of self-preservation, meaning the ability to remain calm, even when she’s scared, and not make things worse for herself. Her mom had that ability in spades, and it saved my daughter many times. I hope she retains it at training. 

Tweed and I are signed up for The Path to Partnership clinic this Saturday. I wanted to do some trail work to prepare, but the weather has been horrible as an atmospheric river and high winds passed through. It’s expected to be bad again today, but maybe clear up tomorrow and then sunshine and 80’s for the rest of the week. It will be hovering around 90 during The Path to Partnership. 

Weather Whiplash. 

If I can leave my grandson home during his nap, with grandpa to take care of him, AND get a window of decent weather, I will haul out today…then again tomorrow. 

Wish us luck!