Clinic time with Tony and Jenny Vaught. Oh how I need these two days.
We arrive in Springfield, Mo area on Thursday afternoon. I am escorted by a handsome young man to Fancy’s stall. I get Fancy out of the trailer and my young man parks my truck and trailer for me. (Parking involves backing which is in my lower wheelhouse talent.) The handsome young man helps me carry stuff to Fancy’s stall. Oh the joy!
I get everything in place, mainly Fancy’s food and water. I left for my Super Springfield dining and Super 8 experience. Even after all this time, my back still hurts from a mattress that probably was 2″ thick. In retrospect, I realize I have friends I should have called. After the clinic, I have three places to stay in the Springfield area. My Springfield back will never hurt again.
Friday morning – I lead Fancy into the arena filled with other horse and human participants. Fancy goes into high anxiety. She is so high that I can’t tie her up and visit the place where my liquid is expelled from my body. Rescue Jenny takes Fancy. I leave. Fancy runs around Jenny. When I come back, Fancy is still running around Jenny, but her head is almost level and her speed is consistent. I, the horse trainer, take over Fancy.
The real horse trainer, Jenny, has a talk with me. Fancy and I are not working out. I pull back on reins too much. I am too big with my body movements. I make Fancy angry. She goes into temper tantrum mode. She knows what makes me lose my “horse trainer” attitude and loves doing it. Fancy make me loose patience and become irritable which makes me pull back on the reins. My hands and arms are all over the place. That was our last clinic in March. Tony had to ride Fancy the first half day.
I had realized just last week how little joy I was having when riding Fancy. I’m supposed to be enjoying this. I’m too old now to have a miserable time. I need to be enjoying the ending period of my time here on earth. Fancy was having a lack of joy with me in the arena too. We are clicking more together, but there is a lot of misery in it.
Jenny pronounced my task for the entire two day clinic. It’s a tough one. You’ll feel sorry for me.
“Have fun in this clinic. That is what your task is. Have fun.” See how rough a life I live! Have FUN? I come here to do HORSEMANSHIP, not fun. I warm up to the idea. I give the auditors and a few fellow riders a “Susan job”. When I come near their location and time is right, they are to ask me, “Susan, are you having fun?” My people were delighted to do this.
I would be riding Fancy trying to do something. I would look at the assigned task auditor. The auditor asked, “Susan, are you having fun?” I was amazed the first time. My brain remembered what fun was. A smile stretched across my face. My body relaxed. My rider position improved. Fancy noticed.
Tony was in charge of my group in the big arena. We all did our ground games. Tony explained to me that Fancy would be ready to ride when her neck was relaxed and her head held at mid level of her body while doing circles around me. She was also to lick and chew. Now I understand when Fancy is ready to ride. At our last clinic, Fancy was not ready to ride when I got on. That is why Tony got to ride her in the morning!
Tony gave us fun patterns to do, some of which involved imaginary cow games and going at speed in a pattern. Every now and then, my auditors did their job and asked if I was having FUN. I smiled every time. I relaxed every time. My body position improved every time.
My best friend, Hope, chatted with me at lunch. She told me to come stay at her house. Well drat, too late. My clothes were in Springfield at the motel. I had missed the check out time. I did enjoy the famous Springfield cashew chicken that evening. I took enough home with me for two lunches at the clinic location!
It was way too soon and the day was over. I took care of Fancy and headed off to my thin bed motel where my back suffered. I checked out anticipating a heavenly bed Saturday night at Hope’s house.
I managed to get up way way early Saturday morning. Normally, I get there about 10-15 minutes before the clinic starts so that my horse can eat her grain before it starts. But I got there hours before start time. I fed my beautiful girl and cleaned her stall. I headed out to find breakfast. I went to Fordland traversing over paved, curvy, hilly roads. It was slow-going. I didn’t know how far it was. GPS didn’t work out in the middle of no-where. Fordland is a metropolitan city of 600 souls. It did have a cafe and a gas station that served egg and sausage muffins and carmel lattes. I ate my breakfast while driving back to the stable.
Fancy was calm on Saturday morning. We had fun with our warm up games and then we were game on. Near the end of clinic day, we were doing a pattern, one at a time. Fancy and I were done. We headed for the bleachers. I dismounted and sat down on the top seat. Fancy stood quietly beside me. She allowed me to put my arm around her and rub her ears. She stayed quiet and still. Fancy was a little tired from running around all clinic day. She didn’t try to nibble me or find something nearby to nibble on. She was still. I had never experienced a still, non-moving Fancy. Wow!
We were invited to a gathering after the clinic ended. Mel and her mom had decorated Mel’s new trailer and we got to tour the most wonderful Living Quarters. We had white and red wine to drink and wonderful snack food. We were sitting around outside sipping wine, eating our food and laughing. Someone pointed to my leg and a wet spot. I was spilling my wine. What! I don’t spill wine. We all stared at my plastic wine class. It seemed to be bubbling inside. My plastic wine cup was leaking! I was on my third cup of wine at the time. This is where to rule of “What Happens at Finnigan Farms Stays at Finnigan Farms” was instituted. My left brain humor escaped prison and became the evening entertainment.
Hope took me to her house where Chuck had gotten us a BBQ carry out. Oh it was wondrous. We watched TV and ate our fill. Hope decided we had enough for lunch on Sunday. YAY! I went to my room in Hope’s house, had a shower and collapsed on a wonderful soft bed.
We knew Sunday was going to be cold and wetness was going to happen. We were not mentally prepared for snow. Hope and I arrived back at the stable where I discovered my beautiful truck covered with snow. It was cold and we had snow. Friday and Saturday had been pleasant 50 to near 70 degrees. Humans can’t take a 40 degree temperature change with snow. Evidentially, Fancy had the same thoughts.
I brought Fancy into the indoor arena and Fancy became a a right brain extrovert entertainment. She ran around me in circles interrupted by amazing slide stops and straight-up rearing. My job is to allow this and stay safe. Thankfully we were on the 22′ rope. She didn’t pull on the rope. She did a great job entertaining the other riders. We could have been a Las Vegas act.
The riding day was filled with two patterns: Bow Tie and Reel to Reel. Bow tie is to develop lead changes. Reel to Reel is to do a lot, starring the slide stop and rollback. Since canter is involved, I love both patterns. Fancy got a one step drop to trot lead change. Oh the joy!
I had fun. I passed the Fun Test. Thanks to all the humans who helped!