Planning to travel with horses is never easy and can require military-like planning. Which brings me to the time my riding buddy and I decided to attend a clinic at a regional centre which was quite some distance from home. The event featured an internationally renowned instructor, so despite the travel, this was an occasion not to be missed.
Weeks before our planned departure, we made lengthy lists of all the gear we could possibly need and spent hours cleaning and packing mountains of horse equipment. All this "necessary horse stuff" filled the front of the trailer, most of the 4WD, including all its the foot space. Every possible horse need was considered including the inclusion of a first aid kit to rival the best stocked veterinary hospital.
Despite our elite coach's high-profile, the venue for this clinic was set at an outback rural Show Ground located inconveniently away from shops, takeaway or hotels. It would seem this Tidy Town (as declared by the sign on the highway) was not wanting pooping horses and cattle too close to their Tidy Town Centre. These show grounds were relegated to the back blocks between the livestock sale yards and the shooting range. With this out of the way location in mind, we noted the need to take food for ourselves plus restorative beverages. Cans of baked beans and bottles of red, were jammed between chaff bags and water buckets. Thankfully, our clothing, being jodhpurs and polo shirts, could easily be slotted into the glovebox.
Feeling pleased we had packed horse provisions to cover every eventuality, including the possibility of being stranded by flood for six months, we then realised we'd forgotten one small detail... where were we going to sleep??
As there was no room to pack a tent, we reasoned sleeping in the horse trailer, on spare horse rugs would be fun. We'd of course packed 'emergency' spare rugs for the inevitable tear that couldn't be mended quickly with baling twine, or a sudden snow blizzard (marginally less likely, considering our sub-tropical climate). Besides we were tough horse girls, so comfort wasn't an issue.
Arriving at the venue the day prior to everyone else, we chose the most picturesque spot and set about organising camp. Firstly, we assembled the electric tape yards from the side of the trailer, filled the hay nets, and turned our horses loose in their 3 X 3 temporary yards. I did feel a moment's apprehension looking back at two large warmbloods being constrained by flimsy tape powered by one small solar panelled zapper. Hopefully, the tiny beep emitting from the transmitter had those horses fooled!
Our next priority was water and in the far distance, we spied what appeared to be wash bays so headed in that direction to fill our buckets. Swinging our empty buckets, the walk proved to be pleasant, although was less wonderful during the return journey when those same buckets were filled to the brim and weighed a tonne. Still, the over-riding fear most horse people experience when imagining horses collapsing with dehydration because they were left without water for 5 minutes, as always, dulled the pain of aching arms and bucket bruised shins.
The hard slog of the day was now behind us. We'd driven half way across the state without incident, set up camp, fed and watered the horses and were looking forward to a relaxed night under a starlit sky. After a quick shower, we would eat, drink and entertain ourselves with horse talk, and.... more horse talk! Pulling some clothes from the glove box, we headed for the amenities block only to find it locked! Whilst this was rather annoying we were determined such a small inconvenience wasn't going to spoil our night and so freshened up with a quick wash in the horse trough.
Our high spirits, however, were about to take a dive. Returning to 'camp', it was obvious our temporary yards had indeed proven temporary! My horse had walked through the tape and was grazing in the middle of the oval, whilst her stable mate was hysterically stomping, calling, knocking over buckets and grinding his hay into the ground. This horse was also in grave danger of being caught in dangling tape and hay nets. Hmmm, at this point, I need to mention my friend is particularly sensitive to any, real or imagined danger to her horse. So between a sobbing friend, a screeching hysterical horse and temporary yards that looked like an upended bowl of spaghetti, it was up to me to restore calm.
An hour later, with the crisis over our horses were re-supplied with fresh water, food (just as well we packed emergency supplies), and secured with not one electric tape but ten!
As darkness deepened, we settled onto our horse blankets, ate our cold baked beans and sipped at our red wine. Listening to the soft pitter-patter of rain, the wine and beans restored our frayed nerves. We congratulated ourselves on how we'd risen to the challenges of a stressful day as only true horse girls can do!
Briefly, we acknowledged the gentle rain and debated whether our fragile horses would survive the light splattering as they were only clothed in one rug each. After much discussion, we reasonably decided they would be unharmed by a little dampness. But it was then Mother Nature blessed us with her playfulness and upped the gentle rain to one of her impressive tropical storms. The sort of storm where the water comes sideways in rolling sheets and lightning lights the sky a ghostly silver.
Whipping heavy duty rugs from our beds, we raced outside to cover our delicate horses before they collapsed and dissolved. Battling with straps and buckles whilst wiping the rain from our eyes, we did our best to ignore being soaked through to the skin (our skin was obviously less dissolvable than our horses). After a ten minute struggle our precious horses were protected from the horse dissolving rain, however, we were very cold and very wet. Hugging our only (wet) towels, we tried our best to huddle in the middle of the trailer, away from the 'maximum air-flow' trailer windows, which were now maximum water flow windows.
Incredibly and somewhat unbelievably, my 'sensitive' friend managed to lie down and fall asleep adding to the cacophony of sound with loud rhythmic snores. Her 'sensitive disposition' precluded me issuing her a sharp elbow in the ribs and besides, the rain meant it was impossible for me to sleep. I assumed the position of dozing upright to stare wide-eyed out the window, reassuring myself our horses were not escaping or worse still been fried by lightening.
What I would have given for a dry stable like the ones we passed on the surrounding horse properties. A stable for the horse and a modest hotel for myself...(and my sensitive friend!)
The morning dawned bright and other trucks, trailers and 4WDs rolled through the gates, filling the grounds with chatter, hoofbeats and whinnies. Officials turned up and unlocked the Utility block which also unlocking the oft taken for granted pleasure of flushing toilets and warm running water. This return to civilisation didn't prevent someone who resembled a pretty rough looking cast member from Les Miserables staring from the mirror back at me!
As most reasonable people would expect, our horses had survived the night and were contently munching their way through their specially formulated, vitamin/mineral balanced meal. I contemplated opening another can of baked beans but instead opted for airline biscuits I found in the pocket of my coat. Too soon it was time to get ready for our lesson. As we had arrived the day before, we were scheduled as the first two riders for the day. What seemed rather advantageous at the time of planning was now less appealing. My foggy brain was screaming for sleep and shaky fingers were refusing to cooperate with the girth buckles and bridle straps. Incredible, somehow, I did manage to ride in the lesson, and whilst I'm sure lots of wonderful information was imparted, I was so tired, it all passed in a blur and I truly don't remember a thing!
