Bandon's Show Nerves

We found out about a local show right before it was going to be held, considering it was only 11 miles away, I felt like I had to haul Bandon out for much needed exposure. The trailer was going to be hooked up that day anyway for Sage to take Spotlight for a ride in the afternoon so it would be easy to load Bandon early and haul out for an hour then be back in plenty of time to get house chores done before Spotlight's ride.

Up early on my one sleeping-in morning, Bandon loaded perfectly. I was so excited that it was a good sign that our training was making progress from the June show. At the show site, he unloaded a little fresh, within about 10 minutes though he was responsive and breaking his time evenly between interest in his surroundings and grazing.

Dump truck? No problem.

Tractor starting up nearby and then tilling? No problem.

Loud speakers with announcers and music, no problem. A freight train literally passed us full speed on the other side of the street, no problem. Two people who had seen him at Rivermont in June asked what I'd done and if I'd drugged him. He was holding his own.

Then the first rider mounted up as the show began and Bandon broke out into a sweat.

He couldn't keep it together and acted like a horse who was herd bound and being left. He began pawing when I wouldn't let him jig in circles. He drug me once (much to my embarrassment) when a horse came close enough he thought he could get to it for a sniff. He didn't care that I had the dressage whip jammed into his chest asking him to back off.

Overall though I was really proud of how he acted. His track trainer reminds me today of just how far he's come from a horse at the track that was considered vicious and so nasty that no one wanted anything to do with him.

Unloading and reloading horses, we took Spotlight out and he did well for his little rider on her afternoon excursion.

Spot spooked and jumped sideways just a few moments after Sage mounted, she was brave about it and he was back to normal pretty quick. He opposed most of her directional choices, she was more adamant and won more often than he did, that's my girl!