Day four showing had just started. Riders were doing the reining pattern. The rest of us were intently watching.
“I have to identify the Junior horses”, the anonymous person announced when she walked into our group, “I have to put a “J” on the hip. (Junior horses (five and under) get to be ridden with two hands with a snaffle bridle. All horses six years and older have to be ridden with one hand on the reins. This is our last year with two hands and the snaffle bit. Fancy will happy to become an advancing bridle horse with a curb bit!)
A “J” on the number identifies who legally gets to ride with two hands.) The anonymous person walked over to Fancy’s rear. Anonymous had finished her “J” job on a sorrel and came over to Fancy’s back end where I assumed she was going to put a “J” on the number. She annotated Fancy’s right side as I intently watched the riders in the reining class. I glanced back and saw anonymous writing a big black “J” on Fancy’s left rear end. “Stop!” I quietly yelled. We had a discussion about where the “J” was to be written….on the number, not her body! Anonymous apologized over and over again. She thought it was really odd to put a “J” on a horse’s hip, but that is what she was told.
Note: We are given two numbers to place on either side of the horse. We put the numbers on the back bottom of the saddle pad…sort of close to the hip. Anonymous rubbed out the “J”. She returned with a wet cloth to wipe out the “J” better.
I was deeply involved in watching the reining pattern and memorizing it deeper and deeper I can do this reining pattern in my sleep, fuzzed out on wine, reading a terror novel, backwards, etc.. I can repeat this reining pattern verbally when asked.
While anonymous was scubbing the “J” from Fancy’s hip, the sorrel’s owner came back to her horse and yelled “Someone put a “J” on my horse!”
We explained.
Champagne hair is easy to clean. The “J” disappeared after a short scubbing” session.
Anonymous will never forget this experience at the show. Plus, this written story will live forever on the Internet and forever embarrass anonymous! Heh. Heh ! I love that!
Note: Anonymous is loved in the Fox Trotter world. She massages our horses. Her daughter is a Super Star rider and competes on professional trainers’ horses. Kansas City area dwellers: Call upon Shannon Walker to give your horses relief!