Isn't it crazy the lessons you can learn from horses? Just the other day I learned a really important one!

I have always wanted to show my horse. I thought this summer would be great to start. Everything seemed to work out quite lovely. I found a trailer to rent just down the road, I practiced with Comet every day and I picked out all the shows months in advance.

I spent a whole day with my friend (who would be my barn show hand) preparing for the show. Cleaning tack, taking pictures, cleaning brushes, getting the trailer ready, making costumes, putting things together, making checklists, braiding his mane and tail and wrapping them the night before.. etc... We were DOG TIRED by the end of the day. Oh my goodness though... was I EVER excited!

Now my horse had been in trailers before. He walked in easy, unloaded easy, wrapped, and tied! He was pretty easy going. We got the trailer over the morning of the show and I had just finished wrapping his legs all up. The trailer we had was a little smaller than the one he was used to. Unfortunately, Comet wanted nothing to do with getting on the trailer. We spent an hour and a half trying to coax him into it, but he just wouldn't budge. I was in tears at this point, all I wanted him to do was get on the trailer.

Eventually we gave up. I mean I can't force a one thousand pound warmblood onto a trailer. I knew getting angry wouldn't be the right way to do it either. It seemed like there was nothing else to do. I walked the horse back to his paddock and I sadly undid his braids. One by one. They were gone... just like that! It made me cry even harder to know I spent about 4 hours putting them in and I undid them in 10 minutes.

I look back now, and I realize my horse was trying to tell me something. Amidst all of the excitment, stress and craziness... there was a horse. A horse that didn't know what the heck was going on. All he wanted was a little time and patience. All he wanted to do was asses the situation and address it himself. He needed a forewarning. A little practice time ahead of the schedule. If I had of practiced getting my horse on the trailer before hand, things would have gone a lot smoother. I learned that I need to listen to my horse and what he has to say as well.

I am very proud and happy to say that the very next day, I got my horse on the trailer. We have our next (first) show this weekend.