Both ends of the spectrum...

As you may recall, I was planning on taking Obe out to a schooling show down in Tryon on Saturday, Mar. 3.  In fact...I DID!  I got to the barn extra early that day to get the stalls cleaned.  The horses weren't turned out thanks to the outrageous thunderstorms and even a few tornado watches and warnings the night before.  So, the barn didn't take that long to complete.  The weather had cleared by mid-morning, and I felt encouraged and happy, though my stomach was in a few knots. 

Once I got the truck and trailer pulled up to the barn, I decided to be very responsible and put a bit of air in the trailer tires that looked a tad low.  I plugged in the incredibly loud air compressor and managed to NOT blow myself up. 

Obe walked right on the trailer, and we headed off down the road.  As we pulled out of the Encore driveway, I could feel my insides quivering.  I was so nervous!  Trailering to a lesson was one thing - if I made a complete fool out of myself, only a couple of people saw it and knew about it.  If Obe flipped out, I had backup in the form of Debra.  However, this time...I was all on my own.  Once I was on the road, it was me and my horse.  Those thoughts started to take over my brain, and I had to do a few deep breathing exercises as we drove to the on-ramp to the Interstate.  By the time I got on the Interstate, my jaw muscles were beginning to ache from clinching. 

I finally settled a bit as I switched from I-40 to I-26 and everything was still going well.  Of course, we got near the busy exits around Biltmore Park and traffic came to a complete stop.  My jaw was threatening to completely seize up at this point.  As we creeped along in traffic, an SUV pulled alongside me and honked the horn, telling me I had a window open in the back.  I shrugged and said it was okay...of course I had the windows open!  I had slid them all open to let some air in the trailer while we went along.  So, I shrugged it off, and saw the reason for the incredibly slow traffic...a car - ON THE SHOULDER - where the driver was replacing a flat tire.  Seriously, people???  I understand slowing a bit so you don't plow down the driver, but stopping?  Sheesh.

We got down to Tryon without any other incident.  I parked alongside the other trucks and trailers and got out of the truck.  I looked the trailer over - and one of the back DOORS (the top doors over the ramp) had come open.  The little pin that holds it shut was gone. THAT'S what the SUV driver was trying to tell me.  Poor Obe...that door was probably banging and swinging around the whole time.  I checked to make sure she was still alive (she was) and then went to check in at the show office.  I wasn't competing, but I still had paid my trailer-in fee and needed to get a number so taht I would be easily identifiable on the show grounds in case I landed in the dirt and my horse took off to gallavant around the steeplechase course. 

When I got back to the trailer, things just clicked.  I settled into a place inside my head that was calm, patient, well-planned, and awesome!  I got Obe off the trailer and tied her to the side.  She glanced at the other horses, but not once did she even whinny!!  What a change from this same show last year when she went down with Butterbean (in the pouring rain) and she would leap and buck and scream when he went out of sight.  Seriously, taking her places by herself is awesome! 

I tacked up, remembered my number, and hopped on at the trailer.  We walked freely and purposefully to a small warm up area near the large dressage arena.  There were no more tests being ridden in that arena for the rest of the day, so we got to play around and in it.  The wind was flapping the judge's tent a bit, so it was good practice.  Of course, Obe doesn't care about the tents, the tractors, the dogs, the people...she's just worried about what the other horses are doing.  She glanced at the other horses, but she was actually very easy to re-focus and get working.  I was greatly pleased with the work she was giving me.  And...I rode in the same ring as Eric Dierks.  Yep...I did. 

I walked her over to the jumping warm up.  There wasn't anyone jumping, so I just wanted to get her in the ring and move around a bit, just to see the different sights.  Then, we walked over one of the bridges and stood outside the competition arenas, watching the dressage tests and jumping rounds.  She fell asleep in the sunshine as we stood there, and my heart sang with joy!!! 

Shortly thereafter, I got off, loaded her back up in the trailer, and headed home.  It was the most successful outing we've had in AGES.  I had great work from her, I felt like I could have ridden a test and done well, and I was headed back home. 

If you've ever driven the stretch of I-26 West between Tryon and Asheville, you know that there's a substantial climb coming up out of Tryon towards Hendersonville.  It's a steep grade...tractor trailers typically struggle to make 35 mph, and it lasts for several miles.  Along that stretch of highway, the truck was not pulling well.  I didn't have much power at all, and the engine was whining this strange whine.  It wasn't rpms...they were generally around 2,000...nothing huge.  But there was a whine to the engine that worried me.  I limped along at about 35 mph, but once the road leveled, things got a bit better.  Then, just past Hendersonville, there was a huge puff of smoke that came out of the truck.  It was beginning to struggle to pull again (there are several smaller climbs coming out of Hendersonville back up to Asheville), and now I was worried.  Soon, the temperature gauge hit the roof and the oil pressure disappeared.  I did not want to pull over on the side of crazy I-26 with my horse in the trailer, so I nursed the truck to the nearest exit (about two miles) and got off onto a small side street.  When I stopped the truck, smoke came up out from under the hood.  I was completely alone with my horse in a trailer and a broken truck.  I almost flipped out completely.

When all was said and done...an hour later, Patti showed up with her horse trailer to switch Obe (which Obe did without even batting an eyelid.  Switch trailers on the side of the road?  Sure!  Why not?).  Elizabeth showed up with her truck to pick up the trailer.  And the tow service showed up to get the broken truck. 

This week, I learned that motor was completely blown.  Ugh...I feel horrible, especially since it's not my truck.  It belongs to the barn owners who have trusted me with it.  Though, they've been amazing...they don't blame me, and they realize that it was going to happen at some point.  The mechanic told them that before I did anything to it, only three of the eight injectors were fully working.  No wonder I didn't have power coming out of Tryon...I was working on three cylinders.  Like pulling a horse trailer with a Ford Festiva. 

I still feel crappy about it.  So, that day ran the entire spectrum of emotions...nervous, downright anxious, stressed, sick, happy, elated, freaked, joyous.  No wonder I was exhausted for most of the following week (which was thankfully Spring Break). 

So now...the show season is still on, I'll just be going in different vehicles.  I'll keep you updated!

Grrrr....

Yep...that's the projected rain forecast for Saturday.  See the "-ille" in Knoxville?  Directly below that, on the NC/SC line is where I'm trailering Obe for the schooling show.  Maybe I should take a couple of oars with me...